The true servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk gently on earth, and who, whenever the ignorant address them, say: ‘Peace’;
Who stay up far into the night in adoration of their Lord, prostrating themselves and standing; Who pray: ‘Our Lord, avert from us the suffering of hell, for the suffering it causes is indeed a dire torment; it is indeed an evil abode and a terrible station;
And who, whenever they put their money to use, they are neither wasteful nor niggardly, but always maintain a just mean between the two;
And who never invoke any deity side by side with God, and do not take any human being’s life — (the life) which God has willed to be sacred — except for a just cause, and do not commit adultery. Whoever does any of this will face punishment, and on the Day of Resurrection his suffering will be doubled, and he will abide therein in ignominy. (The Standard, Al-Furqan: 25: 63-69)
We commented last week on the first two verses in this passage, which defines the distinctive qualities of God’s true servants. They are the ones who “stay up far into the night in adoration of their Lord, prostrating themselves and standing.” As we said last week, in their devotion with its two main movements of standing up and prostration, they appeal to God: “Our Lord, avert from us the suffering of hell, for the suffering it causes is indeed a dire torment; it is indeed an evil abode and a terrible station.” They have not seen hell or its suffering, but they believe in it. They also visualize it according to its descriptions in the Qur’an and in the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Thus their healthy fear of it is the fruit of true faith.
Humbly and most seriously they pray to their Lord to avert the suffering of hell from them. They do not feel safe simply because they spend part of the night in worship, prostrating themselves and standing in prayer. Their God-fearing sense make them think little of what they do, feeling always that they fall short of what is needed. Hence, they pray for God’s grace and forgiveness so that he would spare them from suffering in hell.
The description in the surah implies that hell tries to engulf every human being, with its gates open and its hands outstretched trying to get them all. God’s true servants who stay up far into the night in their devotion fear it and appeal most sincerely to their Lord to spare them such punishment and to save them from it. As they address such a prayer, they shiver with fear: “for the suffering it causes is indeed a dire torment.” It engulfs its victim, not allowing him any room for escape. This is what makes it dire indeed. Moreover, “it is indeed an evil abode and a terrible station.” Could there be a worse station than hell as a place of abode and settlement? How can anyone settle within the fire? How can there be an abode in a place of continuous burning?
The true servants of God lead a balanced life that is exemplary in its seriousness and moderation: “Whenever they put their money to use, they are neither wasteful nor niggardly, but always maintain a just mean between the two.” Balance is the distinctive feature that Islam establishes in the life of the individual and the community. Its achievement is what Islam aims for through educating its followers and its legal system. Its whole structure is based on balance and moderation.
Although Islam approves private ownership, a Muslim is not free to spend his money without restriction, as is the case in the capitalist system and in communities which do not conduct their lives in accordance with the divine law. A Muslim is required to strike a balance between extravagance and miserliness. Both extravagance and miserliness are bad for the individual, society and for money itself. Indeed, a miser does not only deprive himself of the benefits of his money, but also deprives the community of the benefits of keeping money in circulation. Indeed money is meant to provide services for the community. Both extremes of overspending and withholding money produce social and economic imbalance, leading to crises, in addition to their unhealthy effect on people’s hearts and ethics.
As Islam regulates this aspect of human life, it begins with the individual, making a balanced approach a feature of faith. Thus, whenever the true servants of God, the Most Merciful put their money to use, they “are neither wasteful nor niggardly, but always maintain a just mean between the two.”
The next important quality of the true servants of God, the Most Merciful is that they “never invoke any deity side by side with God, and do not take any human being’s life - (the life) which God has willed to be sacred - except for a just cause, and do not commit adultery. Whoever does any of this will face punishment, and on the Day of Resurrection his suffering will be doubled, and he will abide therein in ignominy.”
To believe in God’s oneness is the cornerstone of the Islamic faith. It is the point where clarity, straightforwardness and simplicity of beliefs are separated from ambiguity, confusion and complexity.
Similarly, prevention of killing anyone, except for a legitimate reason, is central to the achievement of security in society so that human life is given its rightful value and due respect. Otherwise, human life would become like a jungle where no one is safe or able to do any constructive work.
Likewise, preventing adultery is basic to the establishment of a clean social life where man rises above the naked physical desire, and where he feels that the union of the two sexes has a nobler purpose than the mere satisfaction of desire. Otherwise, life sinks low and men and women become preoccupied with the satisfaction of unrestrained physical desire.
