25:63 Al-Furqaan (The Criterion)

العبودية لله نوعان: عبودية لربوبيته فهذه يشترك فيها سائر الخلق مسلمهم وكافرهم، برهم وفاجرهم، فكلهم عبيد لله مربوبون مدبرون { إِنْ كُلُّ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَنِ عَبْدًا } وعبودية لألوهيته وعبادته ورحمته وهي عبودية أنبيائه وأوليائه وهي المراد هنا ولهذا أضافها إلى اسمه \" الرحمن \" إشارة إلى أنهم إنما وصلوا إلى هذه الحال بسبب رحمته، فذكر أن صفاتهم أكمل الصفات ونعوتهم أفضل النعوت، فوصفهم بأنهم { يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا } أي: ساكنين متواضعين لله والخلق فهذا وصف لهم بالوقار والسكينة والتواضع لله ولعباده. { وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ } أي: خطاب جهل بدليل إضافة الفعل وإسناده لهذا الوصف، { قَالُوا سَلَامًا } أي: خاطبوهم خطابا يسلمون فيه من الإثم ويسلمون من مقابلة الجاهل بجهله. وهذا مدح لهم، بالحلم الكثير ومقابلة المسيء بالإحسان والعفو عن الجاهل ورزانة العقل الذي أوصلهم إلى هذه الحال

هذه صفات عباد الله المؤمنين "الذين يمشون على الأرض هونا" أي بسكينة ووقار من غير جبرية ولا استكبار كقوله تعالى "ولا تمش في الأرض مرحا" الآية فأما هؤلاء فإنهم يمشون من غير استكبار ولا مرح ولا أشر ولا بطر وليس المراد أنهم يمشون كالمرضى تصنعا ورياء فقد كان سيد ولد آدم صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا مشى كأنما ينحط من صبب وكأنما الأرض تطوى له وقد كره بعض السلف المشي بتضعف وتصنع حتى روي عن عمر أنه رأى شابا يمشي رويدا فقال ما بالك أأنت مريض؟ قال لا يا أمير المؤمنين فعلاه بالدرة وأمره أن يمشي بقوة وإنما المراد بالهون هنا السكينة والوقار كما قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "إذا أتيتم الصلاة فلا تأتوها وأنتم تسعون وائتوها وعليكم السكينة فما أدركتم منها فصلوا وما فاتكم فأتموا" وقال عبدالله بن المبارك عن معمر عن عمر بن المختار عن الحسن البصري في قوله "وعباد الرحمن" الآية قال: إن المؤمنين قوم ذلل ذلت منهم - والله - الأسماع والأبصار والجوارح حتى يحسبهم الجاهل مرضى وما بالقوم من مرض وإنهم - والله - لأصحاء ولكنهم دخلهم من الخوف ما لم يدخل غيرهم ومنعهم من الدنيا علمهم بالآخرة فقالوا: الحمد لله الذي أذهب عنا الحزن أما والله ما أحزنهم ما أحزن الناس ولا تعاظم في نفوسهم شيء طلبوا به الجنة ولكن أبكاهم الخوف من النار إنه من لم يتعز بعزاء الله تقطع نفسه على الدنيا حسرات ومن لم ير لله نعمة إلا في مطعم أو مشرب فقد قل علمه وحضر عذابه وقوله تعالى "وإذا خاطبهم الجاهلون قالوا سلاما" أي إذا سفه عليهم الجاهل بالقول السيء لم يقابلوهم عليه بمثله بل يعفون ويصفحون ولا يقولون إلا خيرا كما كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا تزيده شدة الجاهل عليه إلا حلما وكما قال تعالى "وإذا سمعوا اللغو أعرضوا عنه" الآية وروى الإمام أحمد حدثنا أسود بن عامر حدثنا أبو بكر عن الأعمش عن أبي خالد الوالبي عن النعمان بن مقرن المزني قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وسب رجل رجلا عنده فجعل المسبوب يقول: عليك السلام فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "أما إن ملكا بينكما يذب عنك كلما شتمك هذا قال له بل أنت وأنت أحق به وإذا قلت له وعليك السلام قال لا بل عليك وأنت أحق به" إسناده حسن ولم يخرجوه وقال مجاهد "قالوا سلاما" يعني قالوا سدادا وقال سعيد بن جبير ردوا معروفا من القول وقال الحسن البصري قالوا سلام عليكم إن جهل عليهم حلموا يصاحبون عباد الله نهارهم بما يسمعون.

Attributes of the Servants of the Most Gracious

These are the attributes of the believing servants of Allah,

الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الاٌّرْضِ هَوْناً

(those who walk on the earth Hawna,) meaning that they walk with dignity and humility, not with arrogance and pride. This is like the Ayah:

وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَرَحًا

(And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance...) (17:37). So these people do not walk with conceit or arrogance or pride. This does not mean that they should walk like sick people, making a show of their humility, for the leader of the sons of Adam (the Prophet) used to walk as if he was coming downhill, and as if the earth were folded up beneath him. What is meant here by Hawn is serenity and dignity, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَلَا تَأْتُوهَا وَأَنْتُمْ تَسْعَونَ، وَأْتُوهَا وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّكِينَةُ فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ مِنْهَا فَصَلُّوا، وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ فَأَتِمُّوا»

(When you come to the prayer, do not come rushing in haste. Come calmly and with tranquility, and whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you miss, make it up.)

وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الجَـهِلُونَ قَالُواْ سَلاَماً

(and when the foolish address them they say: "Salama.") If the ignorant people insult them with bad words, they do not respond in kind, but they forgive and overlook, and say nothing but good words. This is what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did: the more ignorant the people, the more patient he would be. This is as Allah says:

وَإِذَا سَمِعُواْ اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُواْ عَنْهُ

(And when they hear Al-Laghw (evil or vain talk), they withdraw from it) (28:55). Then Allah says that their nights are the best of nights, as He says:

وَالَّذِينَ يِبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّداً وَقِيَـماً

(And those who spend the night in worship of their Lord, prostrate and standing.) meaning, worshipping and obeying Him. This is like the Ayat:

كَانُواْ قَلِيلاً مِّن الَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ - وَبِالاٌّسْحَـرِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

(They used to sleep but little by night. And in the hours before dawn, they were asking for forgiveness) (51:17-18).

تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ

(Their sides forsake their beds...) (32:16).

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ ءَانَآءَ الَّيْلِ سَـجِداً وَقَآئِماً يَحْذَرُ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُواْ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ

(Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord...) (39:9). Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَاماً

(And those who say: "Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily, its torment is ever an inseparable punishment.") meaning, ever-present and never ending. Al-Hasan said concerning the Ayah,

إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَاماً

(Verily, its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment.) Everything that strikes the son of Adam, then disappears, does not constitute an inseparable, permanent punishment. The inseparable, permanent punishment is that which lasts as long as heaven and earth. This was also the view of Sulayman At-Taymi.

إِنَّهَا سَآءَتْ مُسْتَقَرّاً وَمُقَاماً

(Evil indeed it is as an abode and as a place to rest in.) means, how evil it looks as a place to dwell and how evil it is as a place to rest.

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَنفَقُواْ لَمْ يُسْرِفُواْ وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُواْ

(And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy...) They are not extravagant, spending more than they need, nor are they miserly towards their families, not spending enough on their needs. But they follow the best and fairest way. The best of matters are those which are moderate, neither one extreme nor the other.

وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَاماً

(but are in a just balance between them.) This is like the Ayah,

وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلاَ تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ

(And let not your hand be tied to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its utmost reach.)(17:29)

And the true servants of the Compassionate One ‘ibādu’l-rahmāni is the subject and what comes after it all the way up to ūlā’ika yujzawna ‘they will be rewarded’ of verse 75 below are adjectival qualifiers of this subject with the exception of the parenthetical statements are those who walk upon the earth modestly that is peacefully and humbly and who when the ignorant address them with what they are averse to say words of peace salām in other words words by which they are safe yaslamūna from committing any sin;

Commentary

Upto this point Surah Al-Furqan has mostly discussed the proofs of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and answered various objections raised in this regard by disbelievers and pagans. While dealing with this subject Allah's wrath and punishment on those who deny His injunctions was also mentioned. Now, at the end of the Surah it refers to those special servants of His who firmly believe in the Holy Prophet's prophethood and their beliefs, deeds and dealings are all in conformity with the will of Allah and His messenger and who follow the Shari` ah.

The Holy Qur’ an has awarded the title of ` Ibad-ur-Rabman to such special servants of Allah Ta’ ala, which is indeed the highest honour. Although all creatures are governed by His will compulsorily, but here the voluntary worship by free will is alluded. That is to surrender completely before Allah and to make all deeds and desires conforming to His pleasure with one's own choice. In these last verses of the Surah the special servants of Allah are described whom He has Himself called as His servants to grant them unique honour. Their traits and characteristics are mentioned in the last verses until the end of the Surah. In between this description repentance from infidelity and sins and its effects are also referred to.

By calling these pious persons as His own slaves, Allah Ta'ala has given to them a great title of honour. But by selecting the name Rahman (the All-Merciful) for Himself, out of all His Beautiful Names and attributes, the hint is perhaps given to the fact that these pious people, being the slaves of the All-Merciful, should reflect and demonstrate the quality of mercifulness through their general behavior.

Special traits of Allah Ta’ ala's favoured servants

In the verses under review thirteen traits and habits of the special and favoured servants of Allah Ta’ ala are mentioned. Included among them are correct beliefs, righteous acts, both physical and financial, to obey the command of Allah and His messenger, social dealings with other persons, Allah's fear in His worship, refraining from all sorts of sins and carrying along wife and children on the righteous path with oneself.

The first characteristic of such people is that they are "slaves" (عَبَاد) which is the plural of the word عَبد (slave). Here it means the slave who is the property of his Master. All his deeds and prerogatives together with his very life are dedicated to follow the command and will of the Master.

Only such a person can claim to be Allah's slave whose views and beliefs, thinking and desires, and deeds and actions are totally in line with the command and pleasure of his Rab (Master) and who keeps himself alert to carry out each and every command as soon as he is required to.

The second characteristic

يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْ‌ضِ هَوْنًا (25:63) that is "they walk on the earth humbly". Here the word ھَون (haven) is used in the sense of humbleness, modesty and decorum - that is one does not walk with pride or arrogance. It does not mean that one should walk very slowly, because it is against Sunnah if it is without any need. According to the description given in the books of his biography, the Holy Prophet ﷺ used not to walk slowly. Instead his walk was on quicker side. It is recorded in a Hadith کانّما الارض تطوی لہ that is "He

used to walk in a manner as if ground was shrinking for him". (Ibn Kathir) It is for this reason that the righteous elders have described the slow walk, like that of a sick person, as a symbol of arrogance, a sham habit, and something unwanted (مکروہ). Sayyidna ` Umar once saw a young man walking very slowly. He ؓ asked him" Are you sick". He replied "No". Then Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ raised his stick on him and commanded "Always walk robustly". (Ibn Kathir)

Hasan Al-Basri (رح) has said while explaining this verse عَلَى الْأَرْ‌ضِ هَوْنًا (25:63) that the organs of sincere believers are always humble before Allah, so much so that the one who is not familiar with them feels that they are sick or disabled, while they are fit and healthy. As a matter of fact it is the awe of God which has overtaken them and which has not struck the others. It is the fright of Hereafter which has refrained them from unnecessary mundane practices. Those who do not have faith in God and keep themselves engrossed in worldly affairs suffer only with disappointment (because they do not get the desired result in this world, and lose their share in the Hereafter as well). And those who regard sustenance as the only reward from Allah Ta’ ala and neglect practising morality have indeed very little understanding and for them there is great punishment. (Ibn Kathir)

The third characteristic

وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا (And when the ignorant people speak to them, they reply peacefully - 25:63): It should be kept in mind that the word "ignorant" in this verse refers to a person who acts like an ignorant person, notwithstanding that he might be a knowledgeable person. Also, the word سلام (peace) is not used here in its customary sense of greeting, but for any word causing peace. What is meant here is that in response to ignorance they keep composed and answer with calmness so that others are not offended and they do not commit a sin. The same explanation is put forward by Sayyidna Mujahid and Muqatil رحمۃ اللہ علیہما etc. The intended meaning is that they do not avenge from those who talk to them like ignorant people.

The servants of the All-Merciful are those who walk in the earth in lowliness. It has been narrated from Abū Baraza al-Aslamī that God's Messenger said, “I saw a people from my community, not yet created, who will come into being after this day and whom I love and who love me. They counsel each other, act with kindness to each other, and walk gently among the people with the light of God, in hiddenness and godwariness. They are secure from the people, and the people are secure from them because of their patience and forbearance. Their hearts are serene in the remembrance of God, their mosques flourishing with their prayers. They have mercy on their young and revere their old. They share what they own among themselves; their rich visit their poor and their strong visit their weak. They visit their ill, and they follow in funeral processions.” One of the group said, “They are being benevolent to their close friends.” God's Messenger turned to him and said, “Not at all. They have no close friends. They are serving their own souls. That is nobler with God than those who are openhanded to people, because of the lowliness of this world in the Lord's view.” Then God's Messenger recited, “The servants of the All-Merciful are those who walk in the earth in lowliness.” The Persian of this report is this: MuṣṬafā said, “I saw,” that is, in his unveilings and visionary encounters, or in a dream, “a people of my own community whose persons and semblances had not yet entered into the bonds of created nature. The compass of power had not yet turned on the circle of their existence, for today is not the time of their manifestation. That will come in other days and another time, when the desire moves and the apportionings join with their designated times. This is a people whom I love and who love me. Each of them would love to see me along with his family and possessions. They are chevaliers who always want good for each other. Whatever they have, whether possessions or position, they do not hold back from one another. They put aside their own rightful dues and shares and put forward the rightful dues of their brothers. They are leaders to the Real who travel with the light of God.