The servants of Allah, the Most Merciful, possess distinctive behaviors and qualities that set them apart and adorn them, making them worthy of the honor of being called the “Servants of the Most Merciful.” Allah has mentioned them in His noble book, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has described them with clear and specific attributes, serving as a beacon and path for Muslims to follow, imitate, and strive towards. Among these qualities mentioned in Surah Al-Furqan, attributed to Allah, the Most Merciful, to draw attention to them, Allah says, “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace. And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]. And those who say, 'Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell. Indeed, its punishment is ever adhering; indeed, it is evil as a settlement and residence.' And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate. And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty. Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. And he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance. And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity. And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind. And those who say, 'Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.' Those will be awarded the Chamber for what they patiently endured, and they will be received therein with greetings and [words of] peace. Abiding eternally therein. Good is the settlement and residence. Say, 'What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?' For you [disbelievers] have denied, so your denial is going to be adherent.” (Al-Furqan: 63-77)

These are six qualities of the Servants of the Most Merciful:

1. They Walk on the Earth Gently, and When Addressed by the Ignorant, They Say Peace:

They walk on the earth gently, with tranquility, dignity, and humility, without arrogance. Ibn Kathir explains: This does not mean they walk as if they are sick, pretending to be humble and hypocritical. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to walk energetically as if he was descending from a slope, and the ground would seem to fold beneath his feet.

Some of the early Salaf disliked walking slowly and artificially, and it is reported that Umar saw a young man walking slowly and asked, “What is wrong with you? Are you sick?” The young man replied, “No, O Commander of the Faithful,” so Umar banged him gently and told him to walk with strength.

The intended meaning of walking gently is tranquility and dignity, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “When you come to pray, do not come rushing; come walking in a dignified manner, and whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you miss, make it up.”

And Allah’s saying: “And when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,” means that when the ignorant behave rudely towards them, they do not respond in kind but forgive and overlook, speaking only good words. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known to become more patient and calm when facing ignorant people.

2. They Spend the Night Prostrating and Standing for Their Lord:

They spend the night in worship and obedience, as Allah says, “They used to sleep but little of the night, and in the hours before dawn, they would ask forgiveness.” (Adh-Dhariyat: 17-18) And He says, “They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.” (As-Sajdah: 16) He also says, “Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]?” (Az-Zumar: 9) ⁽²⁾

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged night prayer, saying: “Abdullah is a good man. I wish he prayed Tahajjud.” After that `Abdullah (i.e. Salim's father) used to sleep but a little at night. (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)

3. They Supplicate and Seek Refuge from Hellfire:

They pray to Allah to turn away His punishment and torment from them, fearing and dreading it. Allah says, “Indeed, its punishment is ever adhering.” This means that the punishment of Hell is lasting and perpetual for the disbelievers, causing destruction and ruin for them. ⁽³⁾

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized seeking refuge from Hellfire, saying: “The fire of the children of Adam which they kindle is a seventieth part of the fire of Jahannam.” They said, “Messenger of Allah, this fire is certainly enough.” He said, “That fire is sixty- nine times greater.”

4. Moderation in Spending:

This refers to obligatory and recommended expenditures, ensuring they do not exceed limits, leading to wastefulness and neglect of obligatory rights. “or sparingly” avoiding the category of miserliness and stinginess. “But are ever, between that, [justly] moderate,” thus their spending is between excess and thrift, in obligatory charity, as in zakat, expiations, and necessary expenses, in the manner and to the extent that is appropriate, without causing harm or hardship. This reflects their fairness and moderation. ⁽⁴⁾

5. They Worship Allah Sincerely and Do Not Kill Except Rightfully:

Sincerely worshipping Allah and pure monotheism is the aim of divine messages and the mission of prophets and messengers. Allah says, “He is the Ever-Living; there is no deity except Him, so call upon Him, [being] sincere to Him in religion. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds.” (Ghafir: 65) And He says, “And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion.” (Surah Al-Bayyina: 5)

Muslim narrates that Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as stating that Allah the Most High and Exalted said: “I am the One, One Who does not stand in need of a partner. If anyone does anything in which he associates anyone else with Me, I shall abandon him with one whom he associates with Allah.”

“And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right.” It is said in the cause of revelation of the ayah that it refers to certain polytheists who wanted to embrace Islam but feared that their past sins would not be forgiven. They asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for guidance, and Allah revealed this ayah, assuring them that Allah accepts the repentance of those who turn to Him sincerely.

6. They Do Not Commit Adultery:

Islam emphasizes chastity and purifying society, safeguarding lineage from the crime of adultery and protecting the honor of Muslims.

One of the hadiths warning against adultery, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The one who commits an illegal sexual intercourse is not a believer at the time of committing illegal sexual intercourse.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Additionally, Ibn Mas'ud reported that he asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), “Which is the biggest sin in the Sight of Allah?” He said, “That you set up a rival (in worship) to Allah though He Alone created you.” I asked, “What is next?” He said, “Then, that you kill your son, being afraid that he may share your meals with you.” I asked, “What is next?” He said, “That you commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor.” (Agreed upon)

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(1) Tafsir ibn Kathir, pg. 365.

(2) Ibid.

(3) Tafsir At-Tabari.

(4) Tafsir As-Sa'di.

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