These are the attributes of the believing servants of Allah,
[الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ
عَلَى الاٌّرْضِ هَوْناً]
(those who walk on the earth Hawna,) meaning that they walk with dignity and
humility, not with arrogance and pride. This is like the Ayah:
[وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِى
الاٌّرْضِ مَرَحًا]
(And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance...) (17:37). So these
people do not walk with conceit or arrogance or pride. This does not mean that
they should walk like sick people, making a show of their humility, for the
leader of the sons of Adam (the Prophet) used to walk as if he was coming
downhill, and as if the earth were folded up beneath him. What is meant here by
Hawn is serenity and dignity, as the Messenger of Allah said:
«إِذَا أَتَيْتُمُ
الصَّلَاةَ فَلَا تَأْتُوهَا وَأَنْتُمْ تَسْعَونَ، وَأْتُوهَا وَعَلَيْكُمُ
السَّكِينَةُ فَمَا أَدْرَكْتُمْ مِنْهَا فَصَلُّوا، وَمَا فَاتَكُمْ
فَأَتِمُّوا»
(When you come to the prayer, do not come rushing in haste. Come calmly and
with tranquility, and whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you miss,
make it up.)
[وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ
الجَـهِلُونَ قَالُواْ سَلاَماً]
(and when the foolish address them they say: "Salama.'') If the ignorant
people insult them with bad words, they do not respond in kind, but they forgive
and overlook, and say nothing but good words. This is what the Messenger of
Allah did: the more ignorant the people, the more patient he would be. This is
as Allah says:
[وَإِذَا سَمِعُواْ
اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُواْ عَنْهُ]
(And when they hear Al-Laghw (evil or vain talk), they withdraw from it)
(28:55). Then Allah says that their nights are the best of nights, as He says:
[وَالَّذِينَ
يِبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّداً وَقِيَـماً ]
(And those who spend the night in worship of their Lord, prostrate and
standing.) meaning, worshipping and obeying Him. This is like the Ayat:
[كَانُواْ قَلِيلاً
مِّن الَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ - وَبِالاٌّسْحَـرِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ ]
(They used to sleep but little by night. And in the hours before dawn, they
were asking for forgiveness) (51:17-18).
[تَتَجَافَى
جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ]
(Their sides forsake their beds...) (32:16).
[أَمَّنْ هُوَ
قَانِتٌ ءَانَآءَ الَّيْلِ سَـجِداً وَقَآئِماً يَحْذَرُ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُواْ
رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ]
(Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing during the
hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his
Lord...) (39:9). Allah says:
[وَالَّذِينَ
يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ
غَرَاماً ]
(And those who say: "Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily, its
torment is ever an inseparable punishment.'') meaning, ever-present and never
ending. Al-Hasan said concerning the Ayah,
[إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا
كَانَ غَرَاماً]
(Verily, its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment.)
Everything that strikes the son of Adam, then disappears, does not constitute an
inseparable, permanent punishment. The inseparable, permanent punishment is that
which lasts as long as heaven and earth. This was also the view of Sulayman
At-Taymi.
[إِنَّهَا سَآءَتْ
مُسْتَقَرّاً وَمُقَاماً ]
(Evil indeed it is as an abode and as a place to rest in.) means, how evil it
looks as a place to dwell and how evil it is as a place to rest.
[وَالَّذِينَ إِذَآ
أَنفَقُواْ لَمْ يُسْرِفُواْ وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُواْ]
(And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy...) They
are not extravagant, spending more than they need, nor are they miserly towards
their families, not spending enough on their needs. But they follow the best and
fairest way. The best of matters are those which are moderate, neither one
extreme nor the other.
[وَكَانَ بَيْنَ
ذَلِكَ قَوَاماً]
(but are in a just balance between them.) This is like the Ayah,
[وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ
يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَى عُنُقِكَ وَلاَ تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ]
(And let not your hand be tied to your neck, nor stretch it forth to its
utmost reach.)(17:29)
[وَالَّذِينَ لاَ
يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهَا ءَاخَرَ وَلاَ يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِى
حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ يَزْنُونَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذلِكَ يَلْقَ
أَثَاماً - يُضَـعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيـمَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ
مُهَاناً - إِلاَّ مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلاً صَـلِحاً فَأُوْلَـئِكَ
يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَـتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً -
وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتاباً ]
(68. And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such
person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual
intercourse -- and whoever does this shall receive Athama.) (69. The torment
will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein in
disgrace;) (70. Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for
those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.) (71. And whosoever repents and does righteous good deeds; then
indeed he has repented to Allah Mataba.)