The 14 beautiful attributes of the ‘Servants of the All Merciful’
In the very well known verses about the characteristics of the Ibad ur Rahman ‘Servants of Ar-Rahman’ in Surat al Furqan, the Most Merciful, Allah Almighty describes the qualities that will make us the VIPs of Jannah if we adopt them.
Allah Almighty enumerates the attributes of these people and mentions the special treatment they will receive in Jannah due to what they did during their lifetime on Earth and for their patience (sabr) and they will be greeted by Allah Almighty.
أُولَٰئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا
Those will be awarded the high place for their patience, and will be greeted therein with greetings and peace. (25:75)
What are those qualities? Here are the attributes which make someone an Ibad ur-Rahman, ‘Servant of the All Merciful’:
- Be humble
- Stay calm when provoked
- Pray in the night (Qiyam)
- Seek refuge from the punishment of hell
- Be moderate in spending
- Monotheistic
- Do not kill unlawfully
- Be chaste
- Repents to Allah
- Does not give false testimony
- Avoid indecency
- Respond to Allah’s call
- Supplicate for goodness for your family and everyone
- Be patient
1. Humility
Allah Almighty begins with the first quality. He states :
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
The servants of the Merciful are those who walk the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace.” (25:63)
Among the special features of these people is foremost that they are arrogant. Sometimes you see people walking and talking arrogantly and sometimes you see the opposite, people who are down to earth and modest. That latter we find ourselves getting on with easily. We feel connected to them, in complete contrast to those who are full of themselves. It is due to their humility.
‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“No one who has the weight of a seed of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” A man said, “But a man likes to have nice clothes and nice shoes.”
The Prophet (peace be on him) said:
“Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance is to disregard the truth and to look down upon people. (Muslim)
This shows us that arrogance is a state of heart which Allah abhors, so anyone seeking to be close to Him, must not look down on others or behave as if they are more entitled than others, and there is a quality of gentleness in how they carry themselves.
To be in this camp, one must not despise others, no matter how much better they think they are in their qualifications, status, wealth, looks or lineage.
2. Stay calm when provoked
Allah Almighty begins with the first quality. He states :
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
The servants of the Merciful are those who walk the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace.” (25:63)
The Servants of the All Merciful do not allow themselves to get provoked. They remain calm, and do not get riled when ignorant and foolish people address them with insolence or vulgarity. Rather, they respond without getting embroiled in conflict. They are peaceful people.
If you want to be in this category, if you come into contact with the one who has been injected by shaytan’s vaccine- arrogance, aggression, and ignorance, put on your mask and walk away. Don’t let them spread their virus to you.
3. Night prayers
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًۭا وَقِيَـٰمًۭا
And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer] (25:64)
During the darkness of the night those who love Allah make sujjud (prostrate) to Him, and stand in qiyam (night prayers) away from the world’s gaze. These are the special group of Allah. Anyone can join their group, if they follow their steps.
To be in this category, don’t sleep all night – wake, pray, make dua and recite some Quran even if it is for 5-10 minutes. Do not just pray in the night during Ramadan, but throughout the year.
4. Seek refuge from the punishment of hell
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا
Who say: “O our Lord, avert from us the torment of Hell: Its punishment is surely continuous. (25:64)
Those who are close to Allah, fear the sins they committed between themselves and Allah Almighty. We should have this fear, and not be of those who are over reliant on His mercy and forgiveness. Yes, Allah Almighty is the All-Merciful and All-Forgiving, but He is also severe in His punishment.
“Your Lord is the possessor of boundless Mercy; but His punishment shall not be averted from the sinners.” (6:147)
Having a relaxed attitude to sins will destroy our connection with Allah Almighty. Sins are sins regardless, it should not a question of minor and major. Every time we sin, we are turning our back on Allah Almighty; it distances us from Him.
There is no minor sin [saghira] when His justice confronts you; and there is no major sin [kabira] when His grace confronts you. (Hikam 50)
Fear the wrongs that you have done to others. We cannot just ask Allah Almighty to forgive us. It doesn’t work that way. On the Day of Judgement, we will meet Allah Almighty alone and we will be accountable to Him. Allah Almighty may choose to forgive us out of His Mercy if we have wronged ourselves and violated His rights. However, when the rights of others’ are in question, He will hold us to account on behalf of them due to His justice. So we need to actively seek the individual we have wronged and ask for their forgiveness or settle any dues. The Messenger of Allah Almighty (peace be on him) forewarned us:
“Whoever has done wrong to his brother, whether it be the matter of honour or of money, let him put it right today, before he is overtaken by a Day on which there will be no Dinar or Dirham, but any good deeds he has to his credit may be taken and given in compensation to the one he has wronged, and if he has no good deeds to his credit, his victim’s sins may be taken and added to his own burden instead.” (Bukhari)
Not a single grain’s weight of injustice will be overlooked by Allah Almighty when it comes to the rights of people. The more we owe people, the more they will take. If it happens that we run out of good deeds and yet there are still people we owe, then our fate will be that of the ‘bankrupt person’ that the Messenger of Allah Almighty (peace be upon him) has defined.
To be in this category, fear Allah and His punishment and do not trivialise sins.
5. Moderation in spending and in all affairs
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا
And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate (25:67)
The Servants of the All Merciful are balanced in their spending. They do not squander their wealth nor do they hoard it. This is the golden formula. They are not stingy or wasteful.
Allah Almighty says in Surah Duha:
‘Of the favours of your Lord, proclaim them.’ (93:11)
This means to show what Allah has given to you, not hide it away. This does not mean Allah Almighty wants us to show off but to show our appreciation and gratitude for what He bestowed on us.
Allah Almighty loves to see His favours being enjoyed by His servants. Not being kept locked up.
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said: ‘Indeed Allah loves to see the signs of his favors upon His Slaves.’” (Tirmidhi).
What’s the point of saving and storing what you have and instead of using what you have been given, suffering all your life? At the same time, Allah Almighty is not telling us to be extravagant or wasteful or telling us to spend every penny we have. The message is: Keep the balance.
There is an Arabic proverb which is an old misconception: ‘Spend everything in your pocket and the Unseen will bring you more.’ This is foolish.
Both extremes of being thrifty and overspending are wrong. The Prophet (peace be on him) was moderate in everything, including his spending and his dealings.
To be in this category, when it is necessary to spend, spend generously and when it is a waste of money, refrain from it.
6. Monotheistic
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
And they do not worship another god with Allah; nor kill someone, which Allah has forbidden except for just cause and do not commit adultery. And he who does these meets a punishment of sin. (25:68)
The very basis of Islam is to believe in One God. It was the message brought by all prophets and messengers and the greatest sin to worship anyone other than Allah or to create alternative deities.
As the believer states in their Fatiha:
You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for assistance. (1:5)
The Servants of the All Merciful accept that He is the One who the one who is worthy to be singled out and worshipped, the Creator and Originator of very atom in the observable universe as well as the Unseen Realm, and our Rabb, (Lord) who maintains His creation through providing sustenance to it all. The Servant is aware that Allah provides for him physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.
To be in this category one must be worship Allah alone. It means having certainty (yaqeen) in Him, deep trust and reliance (tawakkul) on Him.
7. Do not kill unlawfully
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
And they do not worship another god with Allah; nor kill someone, which Allah has forbidden except for just cause and do not commit adultery. And he who does these meets a punishment of sin. (25:68)
The Servants of the All Merciful recognise that Allah sanctified life, and that to take a like unlawfully is a major sin which goes against one of the main principles of the Shariah, which is to preserve life. They remain with the boundaries laid by Allah.
To be in this category do not murder, commit suicide or assist someone in ending their life, including euthanasia.
8. Chastity
Next Allah Almighty mentions chastity as a trait of the Servants of Allah.
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا
And those who do not worship any other deity along with Allah, and do not unjustly kill any living thing which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery; and whoever does this will receive punishment. (25:68)
Zina is prohibited and anything which leads to zina is also prohibited. The eye can commit zina by looking and admiring and liking the haram. The hand can commit zina by touching the haram. And the private parts can commit zina which is the actual zina – sexual penetration.
The instinct which Allah Almighty created in us makes it very easy for us to be tempted by the opposite sex. This is our nature and how we function and what makes us balanced and human. If we did not feel desire, it is not normal and we would need help to fix this. Our tendency towards the other sex is what leads us to get married and have children which keeps the human race going; otherwise humanity would die out. Yet, it is not healthy to have pure desire. Desire has to be controlled and kept within limits. These limits have been defined by our deen.
The Servants of the All Merciful are careful to lower their gaze and remain chaste.
To be in this category, take care in your interactions with the opposite sex and avoid falling into the haram and everything that leads to it.
9. Repents to Allah
إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
Except those who repent and come to believe and do the right, for whom God will turn evil into goodness, for God is forgiving and kind. (25:70)
وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا
and whosoever repents, and does righteousness, he truly turns to God in repentance. (25:71)
Repentance draws us closer to Allah. He said in Surat al Baqarah:
‘Verily, Allah loves those who repent and those who purify themselves.’ (2:222)
The Servants of the All Merciful are quick to repent.
Allah Almighty gives us encouragement to repent: His forgiveness is immediate for those whose repentance is near (qareeb) – in other words those whose hearts are attuned to Him, whose sin dawns on them as soon as they commit it, like waking up from the stupor of their sin, and quickly returning to their sanity and repenting. As we keep committing sins, the tawabeen are those who are continuously seeking forgiveness. Without repentance, we become distanced from Allah.
Allah not only accepts repentance, but He loves it. Qareeb is used for space and also time. In terms of time, it refers to repenting soon and in terms of space, this is metaphorical as repentance pulls you closer to Allah. Allah therefore tells us that loves those who keep repenting and keep purifying themselves.
When you go back to Him with a broken heart, not an attitude of arrogance, when you beg Him and you cry with sincerity, your heart is soft and His love is overflowing. The un-repenting heart is hard and far from Allah. When we recognise that we are weak and we show this weakness when we turn to Him, we earn His love. When we show that we are not insisting on sinning, but trying to stay away from sin we draw closer to Him than the one who is continuously sinning.
To be in this category, repent and rectify the wrongs between you and others. There is no escaping from settling your dues.
10. Does not give false testimony
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا
And those who bear not false witness and, when they pass by idle talk, pass by with dignity; (25:72)
The Servants of the All Merciful adhere to the truth.
Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding the major sins:
“They are associating idols with Allah, disobedience to parents, killing a person, and false testimony.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
The Prophet (peace be on him) stressed that the onus of telling the truth lay with the plaintiffs and defendants – he said that he could only judged based on what he heard:
You refer your disputes to me and I am only human. Perhaps some of you may be more eloquent in presenting your case than others, so I rule in your favour because of what I hear from you. If I pass a judgement in favour of one of you that detracts from his brother’s rights, then he should not take it, because it is a piece of fire that is given to him which he will bring forth on the Day Resurrection. (Bukhari)
To be in this category, one must always tell the truth even when that goes against one’s self, one’s family and one’s own interests.
11. Avoid indecency
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا
And those who bear not false witness and, when they pass by idle talk, pass by with dignity; (25:72)
The Servants of the All Merciful avoid engaging in matters that are indecent – either in words or actions. They maintain their dignity and do not promote or accept indecency.
To be in this category do not get involved in any indecency, for instance watching programmes that are inappropriate, or in conversations which are lewd, or use bad language.
12. Respond to Allah’s call
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا
And those who, when they are admonished by the commands of Allah, fall not down thereat, deaf and blind. (25:73)
The Servants of the All Merciful are those who are not passive, but rush to follow Allah’s commands and do good deeds. Allah Almighty stated in Surat al Kahf that the purpose of life was to test who does the best deeds and in Surat Al Imran mentioned that:
يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous. (3:114)
To be in this category do not let Allah’s words wash over you, but heed them and apply them in your life.
13. Supplicate for goodness for their family and others
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
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.” (25:74)
The Servants of the All Merciful seek goodness for all and make du’a.
To be in this category, pray for goodness for your family and the Ummah.
14. Be patient
أُوْلَئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا
These get rewarded with high stations (in heaven) due to their patience, and get met therein with greetings and salutations. (25:75)
The Servants of the All Merciful have patience. They stay positive in difficult situations, and do not complain. As Allah stated in Surat al Baqarah, we do not know the full wisdom of bitter experiences:
But it may be that you dislike something while it is good for you, and it may be that you like something while it is bad for you. God knows, and you do not know. (2:216)
To be in this category, remain patient when the going gets tough, when people annoy, when situations test you and when calamity afflicts you. It does not mean tolerating harm and it involves trying to improve your situation.
The ayah ends with the promise of glad tidings and peace.
We have many of these attributes, but others need a bit more work they are a bit ‘wonky’. With half of Ramadan left, what are we waiting for? Let’s work on our qualities a bit more so that we will be among those special people whom Allah Almighty will greet.
Shaykh Haytham Tamim Tarawih 13
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Fear your deeds are not sufficient
The concept of spending in Islam
How much wealth is sufficient?
The limits in freemixing between boys and girls
Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.
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