As Muslims, our ultimate source of guidance is the Qur’an. Throughout this Noble Book, we read verses that describe the inhabitants of Paradise, thus we are infused with motivation to be from amongst them and to act like them, and we are filled with resolve to embody their characteristics. This is what the Qur’an is, our source of motivation to continue to strive and thrive to please our Creator, Who, out of His infinite mercy, expects nothing but the minimum from us. Does that not encourage us to put forward our best attempt and greatest shot? We only have one chance you know…

From amongst my favorite descriptions of the believers in the Qur’an are the consecutive verses which characterize the true slaves of Allahswt (1) in Surah Al-Furqan. The true slaves of Allah swt (1) are those whom He loves, and no matter how challenging it may seem, we must endeavor to belong to this blessed category. This reminder is for myself first and foremost. May Allah swt (1) grant us the motivation and inspiration to consistently seek His pleasure. Ameen. 

The prerequisites needed to belong to this chosen category are:

  1. “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” (Surat Al-Furqān; 25:63)This verse addresses the attitude of humility which is often attributed to true believers. It is to acknowledge that whatever good you are blessed to do is but a mercy of the Creator, hence, there really is no reason to feel boastful. Read THIS article for more information. Moreover, they do not walk upon the earth proudly, nor do they respond aggressively to others, rather wisely and peacefully; as that is what generates the best results.
  2.  “And those who spend (part of) the night to their Lord prostrating and standing (in prayer)”.(Surat Al-Furqān; 25:64)The act of worship highlighted in this verse is the night prayer. The night prayer is one of the most beloved acts to Allah swt (1), as it is a way of showing gratitude to your Sustainer when almost all of those around you are sound asleep. Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah’s Messenger saw said: “… And the most virtuous Salat after the obligatory is the night prayer.” 1 Getting up from the comfort of your bed, sacrificing the much needed sleep and fighting your nafs are indeed noble actions of a true believer.
  3. 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.” (Surat Al-Furqān; 25:65-66)The mercy of Allah swt (1) is simply one which cannot be captured in words. It is beyond our comprehension. It is enough that one good deed is recorded as ten, whereas one bad deed is recorded as one, and even that one deed is forgiven when we sincerely repent. SubhanAllah! True believers know that Hellfire is not a place anyone wants to be in- neither for a split-second, nor for eternity; hence they constantly seek refuge in Allah swt (1) from it. We should recite this dua’ at all times, may Allah protect us, Ameen.
  4. “And (they are) those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, (justly) moderate”. (Surat Al-Furqān; 25:67)And yet another quality of true believers is depicted in this verse, and that is their spending attitude. They do not spend recklessly and extravagantly on useless matters that are neither beneficial in the dunya nor for the akhira. Instead, they spend wisely and sufficiently without being miserly. Moderation is the key to success in all aspects of a Muslim’s life, thus it must be embodied in matters of spending as well.
  5. “And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden (to be killed), except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.” (Surat Al-Furqān; 25:68)True Muslims do not commit shirk- they worship Allah swt (1) alone, supplicate to Him alone, and depend upon Him alone to handle their affairs, in spite of how trivial a matter may seem. The greatest wrongdoing of all is to associate partners with Allah the All-Mighty.Narrated `Abdullah: A man said, “O Allah’s Messenger saw Which sin is the greatest in Allah’s Sight?” The Prophet saw said, “To set up a rival unto Allah though He Alone created you.” 2. Furthermore, they do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse- as chastity is heavily emphasized in Islam and is not a matter to be taken lightly. 

These pointers only give us a glimpse of what Allah swt (1) expects from us as His slaves. Many other verses in the Qur’an address the characteristics we must live by in order to attain Allah’s pleasure and many books have been written by scholars and students of knowledge. By no means is this article a tafsir of these verses, it is but a humble attempt to present my own reflections and to highlight the importance of pondering upon the verses where Allah swt (1) illustrates the essence of a true believer. 

 

One thing I surely want to emphasize though is, we all have the opportunity of gaining Allah’s pleasure. It is the plot of shaitan to drive us away from the straight path and to cause us to lose hope in Allah’s mercy whenever we find ourselves drowning in sin or being distracted from our purpose in this deceptive worldly life. That is his plot, but we have Allah, the Most-Merciful, to guide us through, all we have to do is turn to Him. It is not impossible to implement what is needed in this life to achieve the pleasure of the next, for Allahswt (1) does not burden a soul more than it can bear. So let us exert ourselves on this mission: let’s learn to strive, thrive and achieve! In sha Allah 🙂

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. 🙂

  1.   Jami` at-Tirmidhi
  2.   Sahih al-Bukharee

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25 replies on “Ibadur-Rahman: True Slaves of Allah”

  • hbdamagum@gmail.com'
    halima
    December 29, 2015 at 9:32 am

    Beautifully written sister. Some of my bestnverses from the quran too.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      February 8, 2016 at 7:24 pm

      JazakiAllah khair for your feedback sister 🙂
      May Allah help us implement the teachings of the Qur’an in our daily lives.

  • usmanfadimatu@gmil.com'
    Fadimatu Usman
    January 22, 2016 at 5:41 am

    Assalamu alaikum, jazakumullahu khairan. I’ve read some of the articles May Allah taala make us to follow the right path by doing the right things up to the end of our life. Thank u so much.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      February 8, 2016 at 7:26 pm

      Wa alaykum alsalam wa rahmatullahi wa baraktuhu,
      Thank YOU for taking the time to read these articles 🙂
      Ameen to your dua’

  • ali87_zahid@hotmail.com'
    Muhammad Ali Zahid
    January 30, 2016 at 10:16 am

    Masha Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala guide us all. Sis, i think the reference used as 25:67 should be replaced with 25:68. Jazaki allahu khair.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      February 8, 2016 at 7:29 pm

      Ameen
      JazakAllah khair for informing us brother, it has now been updated Alhamdulillah, may Allah reward you for that!

  • boosha10@hotmail.com'
    Musab Nosair
    March 4, 2016 at 3:01 am

    nice work sister you concluded what is needed for each muslim to attain Allah (subhanu w ta’ala) pleasure may Allah rewards you for you effort abundantly

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:29 pm

      Ameen wa iyyakum!
      JazakAllah khair for having a read

  • danishalik2@gmail.com'
    Danish Ali Khan
    March 4, 2016 at 5:00 am

    JazakAllah khair for this beautiful verses ? it helped me to think a lot i requests you to email me translations and articles which creates the taqwa of Allah in our heart jazakAllah khair may Allah turn All of us to him Ameen.

  • khanbilal281982@gmail.com'
    Bilal
    March 4, 2016 at 6:11 am

    Mashallah beautifully written !

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:30 pm

      JazakAllah khair for the comment!

  • rabiushafaatu@gmail.com'
    Shafa'atu Yusuf
    March 4, 2016 at 10:43 am

    Masha Allah nicely written. may Allah SWT guide us all Aameen.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:31 pm

      Ameen! BarakAllahu feekum

  • Abdullllahmuhammad@gmail.com'
    Abdullahi
    March 4, 2016 at 11:28 am

    Jazakillah sister.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:31 pm

      wa antum fajazakumAllah khair

  • zaharatuiy24@gmail.com'
    zaharatu
    March 4, 2016 at 11:36 am

    JAZAKALLAH KHAIRAN that was a beautiful reminder sister, may Allah protect us all.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:33 pm

      Ameen!
      BarakAllahu feekum

  • m.wallero.aa@gmail.com'
    Muyhdeen
    March 4, 2016 at 8:00 pm

    Masha Allah beautifully written sister. May Allah not deprive us all of the blessings to be derived from it. Jazakillah Khairan.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      Ameen, may Allah allow us to implement everything good we learn.
      JazakAllah khair for the comment!

  • gentehabibu@gmail.com'
    Habibu Gente
    March 4, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    Allah’ s willing we will be amongst those whom He granted Paradise thank you sister a nice piece.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      Ameen ya Rabb!

  • noornishatvmc@gmail.com'
    Noor
    March 5, 2016 at 9:02 am

    Masha Allah sister. May Allah increase our knowledge even more. Insha Allah.

    • Ibtihal Al-Khalifin
      March 5, 2016 at 12:40 pm

      Ameen ya Rabb!

  • sadiya.afzal786@gmail.com'
    Sadiya
    May 3, 2016 at 10:38 am

    Assalamu alaikum! Mashallah very nice article. May Allah reward you for this. Jazakallah khair!