وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلْجَـٰهِلُونَ قَالُوا۟ سَلَـٰمًا 63
Translations
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,
Transliteration
Wa 'ibādu ar-raḥmāni alladhīna yamshūna 'alā al-arḍi hawnan wa-idhā khāṭabahumu al-jāhilūna qālū salāman
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the servants of the Most Merciful (Allah) as those who walk upon the earth with humility and gentleness (hawnan), and when ignorant people address them with rudeness or provocation, they respond with peace and dignity by saying 'Salaam' (peace). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this exemplifies the highest moral character—combining humility in demeanor with gracious restraint when confronted with foolishness, reflecting the believers' consciousness of Allah's presence and their commitment to peaceful conduct.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Furqan, a Meccan chapter revealed during the period of intense persecution of early Muslims in Mecca. The surah establishes criteria (furqan) for distinguishing believers from disbelievers. This particular verse contextualizes the attributes of true believers during a time when Muslims faced constant verbal abuse and mockery from Meccan polytheists, providing guidance on maintaining moral integrity under adversity.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The strong person is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong person is the one who controls himself while in anger' (Sahih Bukhari 5764). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized returning evil with good: 'Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent' (Sahih Bukhari 6018).
Themes
Key Lesson
True strength lies not in responding to provocation with harshness, but in maintaining humble dignity and responding to ignorance with grace and peace. This ayah teaches believers that controlling one's character and speech during moments of disrespect is a hallmark of genuine faith and closeness to Allah.
Related Ayahs
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَقُولُ ءَأَنتُمْ أَضْلَلْتُمْ عِبَادِى هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَمْ هُمْ ضَلُّوا۟ ٱلسَّبِيلَ
And [mention] the Day He will gather them and that which they worship besides Allāh and will say, "Did you mislead these, My servants, or did they [themselves] stray from the way?"
ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ ٱلْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ۚ وَكَانَ يَوْمًا عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ عَسِيرًا
True sovereignty, that Day, is for the Most Merciful. And it will be upon the disbelievers a difficult Day.
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ إِفْكٌ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ وَأَعَانَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ ءَاخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَآءُو ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا
And those who disbelieve say, "This [Qur’ān] is not except a falsehood he invented, and another people assisted him in it." But they have committed an injustice and a lie.
أَوْ يُلْقَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُۥ جَنَّةٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا ۚ وَقَالَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا رَجُلًا مَّسْحُورًا
Or [why is not] a treasure presented to him [from heaven], or does he [not] have a garden from which he eats?" And the wrongdoers say, "You follow not but a man affected by magic."