Luqman

Luqman, Lokman or Lukman was a man after whom Luqman, the 31st surah of the Qur'an, was named. There are many stories about Luqman in Persian, Arabic and Turkish literature.

Identity of Luqman

According to the 14th-century Arabic scholar Ibn Kathir, Luqman is believed to have been from Nubia, Sudan or Ethiopia.
A mythical figure of Arabia named Luqman existed long before the Quran, resulting in considerable debate of both theological and historical nature as to the relationship of the two characters. Some, such as 17th-century French scholar Pierre Daniel Huet, maintain that the two are the same person, but others argue that they simply share the same name.
In Arabic proverb collections, the two characters are fused, drawing from both the Quran and pre-Islamic stories, which endow Luqman with superhuman strength and lifespan. In religion in pre-Islamic Arabia, Luqman was a member of the ʿĀd who lived in al-Ahqaf in South Arabia while Luqman in the Quran is from Nubia.
Some scholars have suggested that the figure of Luqman in Arabic is based on Alcmaeon of Croton. By the Middle Ages, many of the ancient fables traditionally associated with Aesop in Europe became associated in Arabic culture with Luqman.