[2] According to the 14th-century Arabic scholar Ibn Kathir, Luqman is believed to have been from Nubia, Sudan or Ethiopia .
[3][2] 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.
[citation needed] In Arabic proverb collections, the two characters are fused, drawing from both the Quran and pre-Islamic stories, endowing Luqman with superhuman strength and lifespan.
[5] By the Middle Ages, many of the ancient fables traditionally associated with Aesop in Europe became associated in Arabic culture with Luqman.