The Criterion (Al-Furqan): (63–67) And the Servants of the Most Merciful...

Know that His saying, {And the Servants of the Most Merciful} (Wa 'ibād al-Raḥmān) is a subject (mubtada'), and its predicate is at the end of the Sura. It is as if the meaning is: "And the Servants of the Most Merciful, whose attributes are these, those will be recompensed with the highest chambers." Alternatively, the predicate could be {those who walk} (alladhīna yamshūna).

Know that the Almighty has singled out the name of servitude ('ubūdiyyah) for those engaged in acts of servitude, which indicates that this attribute is among the noblest attributes of created beings.

It has also been recited as {And the Servants of the Most Merciful} (Wa 'ibād al-Raḥmān).

Know that the Almighty has described them with nine types of attributes:

The First Attribute:

His saying: {who walk upon the earth humbly} (alladhīna yamshūna 'alā al-arḍi hunā). This describes their manner of walking during the day.

It has been recited as {walk} (yamshūna) and {humbly} (hunā) as a circumstantial adverb (ḥāl) or an adjective describing the walking, meaning "gently" or "a gentle walk." However, using the verbal noun (maṣdar) in place of the adjective implies exaggeration. Hun (الهون) means gentleness and softness, as in the Hadith: "Love your beloved gently" and "The believers are gentle and soft."

The meaning is that their walking is characterized by gentleness, tranquility, dignity, and humility. They do not strike the ground with their feet, nor do they swing their sandals in arrogance or pride, nor do they strut due to conceit, as stated: {And do not walk upon the earth exultantly} (Al-Isrā’: 37).

Zayd ibn Aslam sought the interpretation of hunā but could not find it. He saw in a dream that it was said to him: "They are those who do not intend corruption on the earth." Ibn Zayd said: They are not arrogant, nor tyrannical, nor do they seek loftiness on earth.

The Second Attribute:

His saying, the Exalted: {And when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace"} (Wa idhā khāṭabahum al-jāhilūna qālū salāman).

This means: "We will not act ignorantly toward you; there is neither good nor evil between us," meaning we offer you a complete peace (taslīm). The word salām (peace) is used in place of taslīm (offering peace).

This saying can imply seeking safety and silence. It might also be intended to draw attention to their bad conduct so that they might refrain. Another possibility is that they intend to turn away from the manner of engagement. It could also mean displaying forbearance in response to ignorance.

Al-Aṣamm said: {they say, "Peace"} means a peace of departure, not a greeting, like Abraham said to his father: {Peace be upon you} (Maryam: 47).

Al-Kalbī and Abū al-'Āliyah said this verse was abrogated by the verse concerning fighting. This is unnecessary because overlooking the foolish and refraining from retaliation is commendable in both reason and Sharia, and it leads to the preservation of honor and piety.

The Third Attribute:

His saying: {And those who spend the night before their Lord, prostrating and standing} (Wa-lladhīna yabītūna li-rabbihim sujjadan wa qiyāman).

When the Almighty mentioned their conduct during the day in two ways—first, refraining from causing harm (implied by {who walk upon the earth humbly}), and second, enduring harm (implied by {when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace"}) —He explained their conduct with creation during the day. Thus, these verses explain their conduct during the nights when engaged in serving the Creator, similar to His saying: {Their sides forsake their beds} (Al-Sajdah: 16).

Al-Zajjāj said: Anyone whom the night overtakes is said to have spent the night (bāta), even if they did not sleep, just as one says, "So-and-so spent the night restless." The meaning of {they spend the night for their Lord} is that they are praying during their nights.

There is a difference of opinion among scholars: Some said that whoever recites anything from the Qur'an in prayer, however little, has spent the night prostrating and standing. Others specified two rak'ahs after Maghrib and four after the final 'Ishā'. The soundest view is that this describes them as reviving the night, or most of it. It is said, "So-and-so spends the day fasting and spends the night standing." Al-Ḥasan said: "They spend the night for God on their feet, and they spread out their faces for Him, their tears flowing down their cheeks out of fear of their Lord."

The Fourth Attribute:

His saying: {And those who say, "Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell. Indeed, its punishment is a lasting affliction"} (Wa-lladhīna yaqūlūna Rabbanā ṣrif 'annā 'adhāba jahannam inna 'adhābahā kāna gharāman).

Ibn 'Abbās (may God be pleased with him) said they say this in their prostrations and standing. Al-Ḥasan said: They are humble during the day and exert themselves at night out of fear of the punishment of Hell.

{Gharāman} means a persistent, inescapable ruin and loss. From this comes gharīm (debtor) due to its insistence and obligation. It is also said that "So-and-so is infatuated (mughram) with women" if he is passionately devoted to them. Nāfi' ibn al-Azraq asked Ibn 'Abbās about al-gharam, and he replied, "It is what causes pain." Muḥammad ibn Ka'b said regarding {gharam}: "God demanded the price of His favors from the disbelievers, and when they did not pay it, He afflicted them with it and cast them into the Fire."

Know that the Almighty described them by reviving the night in prostration and standing, then followed it by mentioning this supplication, indicating that despite their diligence, they remain fearful and supplicate to God to avert punishment from them, like His saying: {And those who give what they give while their hearts are fearful} (Al-Mu'minūn: 60).

As for His saying, the Exalted: {Indeed, it is an evil resting place and abode} (Innahā sā'at mustaqarran wa maqāman):

{Sā'at} (it is evil) is in the meaning of bi'sat (how evil it is), and it contains an ambiguous pronoun whose interpretation is {resting place} (mustaqarran). The specific object of censure is omitted, meaning: "Indeed, it is an evil resting place and abode, it (Hell)." This pronoun is what connects the sentence to Inna and makes it its predicate. Alternatively, sā'at could mean "it grieved," and the pronoun refers to the subject of Inna. {Mustaqarran} would then be a circumstantial adverb or a specification (tamyīz).

If one asks: Does the verse indicate that they asked God to avert the punishment of Hell for two reasons: first, because its punishment is gharam, and second, because it is an evil resting place and abode? What is the difference between these two justifications? Also, what is the difference between mustaqarr (resting place) and maqām (abode)?

We reply: The theologians mentioned that the punishment of the disbeliever must be a pure harm, devoid of any benefit, and eternal. His saying {Indeed, its punishment was a lasting affliction} points to its being a pure harm devoid of benefit. His saying {Indeed, it is an evil resting place and abode} points to its being eternal. There is certainly a distinction between these two.

As for the difference between mustaqarr and maqām: It is possible that mustaqarr refers to the sinners among the believers, as they will rest there but not remain permanently. As for iqāmah (abode), it is for the disbelievers. Know that His saying {Indeed, it is an evil resting place and abode} can be from God's speech or a narration of their own words.

The Fifth Attribute:

His saying: {And those who, when they spend, are neither wasteful nor stingy but are moderate between that} (Wa-lladhīna idhā anfaqū lam yusrifū wa lam yaqtarū wa kāna bayna dhālika qawāman).

It has been recited as yaqtarū (with a kasra on the tā' and a ḍamma on the tā'), and yaqtarū (with a ḍamma on the yā' and a light qāf and a kasra on the tā'), and also with a ḍamma on the bā' and a fatḥa on the qāf and a tashdīd on the tā'. All are valid readings.

Qatr, iqtār, and taqtīr mean constriction, which is the opposite of extravagance (isrāf). Isrāf is exceeding the limit in spending.

The commentators mentioned several interpretations regarding extravagance and stinginess:

1. The Strongest View: That the Almighty described them with moderation (qaṣd), which is between excess and deficiency. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) was commanded with the like: {And do not make your hand chained to your neck, nor extend it completely} (Al-Isrā’: 29). Wuḥayb ibn al-Ward said to a scholar: What is construction without extravagance? He replied: That which shields you from the sun and shelters you from the rain. He asked about food without extravagance, and he replied: That which satisfies hunger. He asked about clothing, and he replied: That which covers your private parts and protects you from heat and cold. It is narrated that a man prepared a feast for his wedding and sent an invitation to the Prophet (PBUH), who replied: "Right, so answer." He prepared a second time and sent an invitation, and he replied: "Right, so whoever wishes may answer, and whoever wishes may stay seated." He prepared a third time and sent an invitation, and he replied: "Ostentation, and there is no good in it."

2. The View of Ibn 'Abbās, Mujāhid, Qatādah, and Al-Ḍaḥḥāk: Extravagance is spending in disobedience to God, and stinginess is withholding God's due. Mujāhid said: If a man spent the equivalent of the gold of Abū Qubays mountain in obedience to God, it would not be extravagance. If he spent a ṣā' in disobedience to God, it would be extravagance. Al-Ḥasan said: They did not spend in disobedience to God, nor did they withhold what was necessary. This withholding might be concerning God's due, which is the worst form of stinginess, or it might be concerning what is merely recommended, such as a rich man who withholds from his poor relatives.

3. Extravagance refers to exceeding the limit in worldly enjoyment and luxury, even if it is from lawful means, as this is disliked because it leads to conceit. Stinginess is constriction. Eating beyond satiety to the point that it prevents one from worship is extravagance, while eating only what is necessary is stinginess. This attribute describes the Companions of Muhammad (PBUH); they did not eat food for luxury and pleasure, nor did they wear clothes for beauty and adornment, but they ate what satisfied their hunger and helped them worship their Lord, and they wore what covered their private parts and protected them from heat and cold.

Here are two sub-issues:

Al-Tha'lab said: Al-qawām (with a fatḥa) means justice and uprightness. Al-qiwām (with a kasra) is what the matter endures and settles upon. The author of Al-Kashshāf said: Al-qawām is the justice between two things, due to the uprightness and balance of the two ends. The parallel to al-qawām from al-istiqāmah (uprightness) is al-sawā' (evenness) from al-istiwā' (being level). It has also been recited as {qiwāman} (with a kasra), which means that by which a thing is sustained. It is said, "You are our qiwām," meaning that by which our needs are met, neither exceeding nor falling short.

The two accusatives, namely {between that} (bayna dhālika) and {moderation} (qawāman): It is permissible for both to be predicates, or for {between that} to be superfluous and {moderation} the predicate. Or, the adverbial phrase could be the predicate and {moderation} an emphatic circumstantial adverb.

Al-Farrā' said: If you wish, you can make {between that} the subject of kāna, as you say, "It was less than this" (kāna dūna hādhā kāfiyan), meaning less than that. In this case, the meaning of {between that} is: "The middle point of that was moderation," meaning justice. This interpretation is weak because al-qawām itself means the middle point, so the interpretation becomes: "The middle point was the middle point," which is redundant.

The Sixth Attribute:

{And those who do not invoke with God another deity, nor kill the soul which God has forbidden except by right, nor commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever does that will meet a penalty. The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein, disgraced. Except for one who repents, believes, and does righteous work; for those, God will change their evil deeds into good deeds. And God is ever Forgiving and Merciful. And whoever repents and does righteous work, indeed, he turns to God with [sincere] repentance.}