Jump to content

Draft:Verse 63 of Sura al-Furqan

Add links
From wikishia
Verse 63 of Sura al-Furqan
Verse's Information
SuraSura al-Furqan (Qur'an 25)
Verse63
Juz'19
Content Information
Place of
Revelation		Mecca
Topic'Ibad al-Rahman and their two characteristics: Humility and forbearance.
Related VersesQur'an 17:37 ● Qur'an 19:61-62 ● Qur'an 25:61 ● Qur'an 25:64-76 ● Qur'an 28:55 ● Qur'an 31:18 ● Qur'an 56:26


Qur'an 25:63 (Arabic: آية ٦٣ سورة الفرقان) introduces a distinct group of sincere and devoted servants of God, designated as 'Ibad al-Rahman (Servants of the Compassionate), by highlighting two of their defining attributes: humility and forbearance toward the ignorant.

In verses 63 through 76 of Sura al-Furqan, God delineates fourteen characteristics of the 'Ibad al-Rahman, including humility, forbearance in the face of ignorance, nightly prayer (vigil), fear of God, respect for the sanctity of human life, and chastity. Shi'a exegeses identify the Imams (a) as the archetypal instances of 'Ibad al-Rahman.

Qur'an 25:63 characterizes the 'Ibad al-Rahman as those who walk upon the earth with dignity and humility. Some scholars interpret "walking on the earth" as a metaphor for social conduct. Consequently, the 'Ibad al-Rahman are described as individuals whose entire personal and social existence is defined by humility and the avoidance of arrogance. al-'Allama al-Tabataba'i posits that servitude to God constitutes the foundation of the 'Ibad al-Rahman's humility.

According to Qur'an 25:63, when the 'Ibad al-Rahman are addressed foolishly by the ignorant, they respond with peace. This peaceable reaction has been interpreted as speech free from vanity and sin. It is asserted that this conduct stems from the principle that ignorant behavior should not be met with ignorance in return.

Who are 'Ibad al-Rahman?

The identity of the 'Ibad al-Rahman in Qur'an 25:63 is elucidated through the enumeration of fourteen attributes found in this and the subsequent verses (Qur'an 25:64-76).[1] Exegetes have identified the 'Ibad al-Rahman as the sincere servants of God,[2] the believers,[3] the perfect humans,[4] and God's special devotees.[5] Some suggest they are individuals in whose hearts and actions the Divine Names, particularly the name *Rahman* (the Compassionate), are manifest.[6] In Shi'a exegeses, the Imams (a) are regarded as the specific instances of the 'Ibad al-Rahman.[7]

Characteristics of 'Ibad al-Rahman

Based on the verses of Sura al-Furqan, exegetes have enumerated fourteen characteristics of the 'Ibad al-Rahman:

  • Humility
  • Forbearance with the ignorant
  • Nightly prayer
  • Fear of God and Divine punishment
  • Avoiding immoderation (*ifrat* and *tafrit*) in life
  • Avoidance of any form of shirk (polytheism)
  • Respect for human life
  • Chastity
  • Non-attendance at gatherings of sin
  • Avoidance of vain and futile deeds
  • Investigation and reflection in affairs
  • Concern for the upbringing of children
  • Aspiring to serve as role models for others
  • Patience in the face of life's adversities.[8]

Nasir Makarim Shirazi posits that the possession of two fundamental qualities—servitude and devotion to the Compassionate God (*Rahman*)—is the source of these fourteen attributes in the 'Ibad al-Rahman.[9] Conversely, others argue that it is the embodiment of these fourteen attributes that elevates them to this station.[10]

First Characteristic: Humility

Qur'an 25:63 describes the 'Ibad al-Rahman as those who walk upon the earth with dignity and humility.[11] Some exegetes view a person's gait as symbolic of their inner humility or arrogance,[12] citing references in Qur'an 17:37 and Qur'an 31:18 as corroboration.[13] Others interpret walking with humility as a metaphor for living modestly among people.[14] Thus, they understand the verse to mean that the 'Ibad al-Rahman are those whose individual and social lives are defined by humility and the absence of arrogance.[15]

Imam al-Sadiq (a) interpreted walking with humility in Qur'an 25:63 as acting in accordance with the nature with which human beings were created—actions performed without affectation or ostentation.[16] al-'Allama al-Tabataba'i identifies servitude to God as the root of the 'Ibad al-Rahman's humility.[17]

Some scholars attribute the priority of humility over other characteristics to its alignment with the fundamental reality of human existence, which they define as pure servitude and insignificance before the grandeur of Divine creation.[18] In contrast, they identify arrogance (*kibr*) as the key to Kufr (disbelief), stemming from humanity's ignorance of its own existential reality.[19]

Second Characteristic: Tolerance with the Ignorant

Qur'an 25:63 states that when the ignorant address the 'Ibad al-Rahman with foolishness, they respond with peace.[20] Drawing on Qur'an 56:26, which describes the speech heard by the inhabitants of Paradise, al-'Allama al-Tabataba'i interprets this peaceful reaction as speech free from vanity and sin.[21] He posits that this behavior reflects the principle that the ignorant actions of others should not be met with ignorance in return.[22]

Certain exegetes contend that the peaceful encounter of the 'Ibad al-Rahman with the ignorant in Qur'an 25:63 extends beyond a merely passive reaction.[23] In their view, it is a constructive response aimed at positively influencing the ignorant addressee and fostering social tranquility.[24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Vālātarīn bandagān, 1383 Sh, p. 15; Subḥānī, Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān, 1377 Sh, p. 235.
  2. ↑ Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 7, p. 504.
  3. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 15, p. 239.
  4. ↑ Subḥānī, Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān, 1377 Sh, p. 235.
  5. ↑ Maybudī, Kashf al-asrār, 1382 Sh, vol. 7, p. 76; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 15, p. 147.
  6. ↑ Mudarrisī, Min hudā l-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, vol. 8, pp. 471-472.
  7. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, 1363 Sh, vol. 2, p. 116; Qummī Mashhadī, Tafsīr kanz al-daqāʾiq, 1368 Sh, vol. 9, p. 421.
  8. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Vālātarīn bandagān, 1383 Sh, p. 14; Subḥānī, Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān, pp. 236-375.
  9. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Vālātarīn bandagān, 1383 Sh, p. 15.
  10. ↑ Maybudī, Kashf al-asrār, 1382 Sh, vol. 7, pp. 76-77.
  11. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 15, p. 239.
  12. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Vālātarīn bandagān, 1383 Sh, p. 56; Subḥānī, Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān, 1377 Sh, p. 243.
  13. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Vālātarīn bandagān, 1383 Sh, pp. 57-58.
  14. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 15, p. 239.
  15. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Vālātarīn bandagān, 1383 Sh, p. 56.
  16. ↑ Fayḍ Kāshānī, Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī, 1415 AH, vol. 4, p. 23.
  17. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 15, p. 239.
  18. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 15, p. 149; Subḥānī, Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān, 1377 Sh, pp. 238-242.
  19. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsir-i nimuna, 1374 Sh, vol. 15, p. 149; Subḥānī, Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān, 1377 Sh, pp. 238-242.
  20. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 15, p. 239; Subḥānī, Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān, 1377 Sh, p. 254.
  21. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 15, p. 239.
  22. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 15, p. 239.
  23. ↑ Mudarrisī, Min hudā l-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, vol. 8, p. 473.
  24. ↑ Mudarrisī, Min hudā l-Qurʾān, 1419 AH, vol. 8, p. 473.

References

  • Fayḍ Kāshānī, Muḥammad b. Shāh-Murtaḍā. Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī. Edited by Ḥusayn Aʿlamī. Tehran, Maktabat al-Ṣadr, 1415 AH.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsir-i nimuna. Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1374 Sh.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Vālātarīn bandagān. Edited by J. Farāzmand. Qom, Intishārāt-i Nasl-i Javān, 1383 Sh.
  • Maybudī, Abū l-Faḍl Aḥmad b. Muḥammad. Kashf al-asrār wa ʿuddat al-abrār. Edited by ʿAlī Aṣghar Ḥikmat Shīrāzī. Tehran, Muʾassisa-yi Intishārāt-i Amīr Kabīr, 1382 Sh.
  • Mudarrisī, Muḥammad Taqī. Min hudā l-Qurʾān. Tehran, Dār Muḥibbī al-Ḥusayn, 1419 AH.
  • Qummī Mashhadī, Muḥammad b. Muḥammad Riḍā. Tafsīr kanz al-daqāʾiq wa baḥr al-gharāʾib. Edited by Ḥusayn Dargāhī. Tehran, Sāzmān-i Chāp wa Intishārāt-i Wizārat-i Farhang wa Irshād-i Islāmī, 1368 Sh.
  • Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm. Tafsīr al-Qummī. Edited by Ṭayyib Mūsawī Jazāyirī. Qom, Dār al-Kitāb, 1363 Sh.
  • Subḥānī, Jaʿfar. Sīmāy-i insān-i kāmil dar Qurʾān (Tafsīr-i sūra-yi Furqān). Qom, Markaz-i Intishārāt-i Daftar-i Tablīghāt-i Islāmī-yi Ḥawza-yi ʿIlmiyya-yi Qom, 1377 Sh.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Muʾassisa al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1393 AH.
  • Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. Ḥasan. Al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Edited by Aḥmad Ḥabīb al-ʿĀmilī. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Verse_63_of_Sura_al-Furqan&oldid=203520"