Qualities of Believers Sermon: The Six Marks of the Saved

A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked, "What was the character of the Prophet like?" She answered, "The character of the Messenger of Allah was the Qur'an." She then recited the opening verses of Surah Al-Mu'minun and said, "This is how the prophets were." This sermon examines the six core qualities of the believer framed by Al-Mu'minun 23:1-11 — khushu in prayer, turning from idleness, zakat, guarding chastity, amanah, and constancy in prayer — to draw the portrait both of the prophets and of those who follow them.

"Indeed, the Believers Have Succeeded"

The opening of Surah Al-Mu'minun begins with a certificate of salvation:

قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ

Indeed, the believers have succeeded.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:1

For whom is this certificate issued? Allah does not leave the answer vague; the next ten verses set out six qualities of the saved. They are woven into a single profile — weaken one, and the others diminish too.

The Prophet said something extraordinary about this passage. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "Whenever revelation came down to the Prophet a sound like the humming of bees would be heard near him. One day we were with him and revelation came. We waited about an hour. Then he was released from it, faced the qiblah, raised his hands, and prayed: 'O Allah, give us more and not less; raise us and do not lower us; grant us and do not deprive us; favour us and not others over us; be pleased with us and make us pleased.' Then he said: 'Ten verses have been sent down to me; whoever acts by them enters the Garden.' Then he recited the opening of Surah Al-Mu'minun."

— Sunan at-Tirmidhi, at-Tafsir, no. 3173

We will now examine each of the six qualities in turn.

1. Khushu in Prayer — "Those Who Are Submissive in Their Prayer"

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِي صَلَاتِهِمۡ خَٰشِعُونَ

Those who are submissive in their prayer.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:2

The verse does not merely speak of praying; it speaks of praying with khushu. Khushu means stillness and submission to the Truth. As a technical term, it is standing before Allah with deep reverence. Its root is in the heart; its outward sign is in the body.

Khushu of the heart: to feel small before Allah's majesty; to direct the heart to nothing but reverence and propriety.

Khushu of the body: stillness of the limbs; the eyes resting at the place of prostration, not drifting left and right.

A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: "I asked the Prophet about looking around in prayer. He said: 'That is a snatching — Satan snatches it away from a person's prayer.'" When Satan cannot prevent the prayer itself, he tries to corrupt the presence inside the prayer. The Prophet defined ihsan in this way: "To worship Allah as though you see Him; for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you." (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Iman, 50)

One who believes Allah sees him does not turn to anything else when standing before Him.

2. Turning Away From Idleness

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَنِ ٱللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُونَ

And those who turn away from idle talk.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:3

The believer's most precious capital is their lifetime; whatever they will earn, they will earn with it. The Prophet spoke of two great blessings:

Two blessings of which many people are deceived: health and free time.

— Sahih al-Bukhari, ar-Riqaq, no. 6412

The Muslim makes use of every portion of life; every unprofitable day is a loss subtracted from that great capital. In another hadith the Prophet said:

Whoever has two days the same is at a loss.

— al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, no. 7882

And:

Among the beauties of a person's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him.

— Sunan at-Tirmidhi, az-Zuhd, no. 2317

Laghw (idleness) is anything that brings no benefit to the believer, the family, the community, or the Hereafter. The believer turns from it and directs their energy to what is profitable.

3. Paying Zakat

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِلزَّكَوٰةِ فَٰعِلُونَ

And those who pay their zakat.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:4

Zakat is among our financial acts of worship and one of the five foundations of Islam. The Muslim discharges it by giving a fixed proportion of their wealth each year to the poor and the entitled. The Qur'an warns those who do not spend in Allah's way and do not transfer Allah's right to the poor of a painful punishment.

Zakat here is not merely an economic redistribution; it is one of the six foundation stones of the believer's identity. The person who does not share their wealth with the rightful claim of the poor may seem to be a wealth-holder, but their profit on Allah's ledger will be incomplete.

4. Guarding Chastity

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ. إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ. فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ

And those who guard their private parts — except from their spouses or those their right hands possess, for indeed they are not blameworthy. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:5-7

A natural human need such as sexual intimacy has a lawful path: marriage. Our religion calls those who are able to marry to do so, and encourages those who are not yet able to live chastely. The Prophet said:

O young people, whoever among you is able to marry should marry, for it lowers the gaze and guards chastity. Whoever is not able should fast, for fasting is a shield against desire.

— Sahih al-Bukhari, an-Nikah, no. 5066

The Qur'an makes the marrying of unmarried members of the community a social responsibility:

وَأَنكِحُواْ ٱلۡأَيَٰمَىٰ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ مِنۡ عِبَادِكُمۡ وَإِمَآئِكُمۡۚ إِن يَكُونُواْ فُقَرَآءَ يُغۡنِهِمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ

And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your bondsmen and bondswomen. If they should be poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty.

— Surah An-Nur 24:32

The Young Companion — The Prophet's Patience as a Teacher

A famous report from Imam Ahmad on the authority of Abu Umamah captures the Prophet's gentle method of teaching chastity:

A young man newly converted to Islam came to the Prophet and said, "O Prophet of Allah, give me permission to commit fornication, for I cannot control myself." Those around him cried, "Quiet, quiet!" and tried to silence him. The Prophet said, "Come closer." The young man came. "Sit down." He sat. Then this dialogue took place:

— "Would you want someone to do this with your mother?" — "No, by Allah, I would not." — "And people do not want it for their mothers. Would you want someone to do this with your daughter?" — "No, by Allah." — "And people do not want it for their daughters. With your sister?" — "No." — "And people do not want it for their sisters. Your paternal aunt?" — "No." — "Your maternal aunt?" — "No, by Allah, I would not."

The Prophet placed his hand on the young man's shoulder and said: "O Allah, forgive his sin, purify his heart, and guard his chastity." The narrator says: "After that, the young man never inclined toward such acts."

— Musnad Ahmad, no. 22265

5. Trusts and Covenants Tended

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ

And those who tend their trusts and their covenants.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:8

The most visible mark of a Muslim is being trustworthy and honest. The prophets and those who follow them are known by this quality. Among the five necessary qualities of every prophet are sidq (truthfulness) and amanah (trustworthiness). When the prophets said "I am for you a trustworthy messenger" this was not mere speech; their lives proved it.

By what does the community come to know a person as trustworthy? When they see that he has never lied, has kept his word, has not deceived, has not wronged, and has not betrayed a trust. Al-Mu'minun 23:8 makes this combination the believer's signature.

The Prophet drew attention to four behaviours that destroy a believer's trustworthiness:

Four things — whoever has them is a pure hypocrite, and whoever has any of them carries a trait of hypocrisy until he leaves it: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he is entrusted he betrays the trust, and when he disputes he turns to falsehood.

— Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Iman, no. 34

A community's sense of mutual trust is one of its most precious assets. A nation that loses this quality loses its very form; its peace breaks. Those entrusted with public responsibility must be sought first among the honest and the trustworthy. Allah lays the foundation:

۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُكُمۡ أَن تُؤَدُّواْ ٱلۡأَمَٰنَٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهَا

Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to those entitled to them.

— Surah An-Nisa 4:58

The believer also does not break an oath taken in Allah's name. The Prophet narrates that Allah Himself will be the plaintiff on the Day of Resurrection against three categories of people, and the first is "a man who swore by My name and then broke his oath."

6. Constancy in Prayer — The Frame Closes

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَٰتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ

And those who carefully guard their prayers.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:9

The first quality in the list is prayer, and the last quality is prayer too. The first verse spoke of khushu (the quality of prayer); the last speaks of muhafazah (the constancy of prayer). The two together cover both the inner depth and the outer regularity of worship.

To pray in time is among the most virtuous of deeds. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "I asked the Prophet, 'Which deed is most virtuous?' He said: 'Prayer in its time.'"

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Mawaqit as-Salat, no. 527

That the Prophet's final testament on his deathbed was the prayer also shows its weight.

The Promise of Firdaws

The opening of Surah Al-Mu'minun closes with a clear promise to those who carry these six qualities:

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡوَٰرِثُونَ. ٱلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسَ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

Those are the inheritors. They will inherit al-Firdaws, in which they will abide eternally.

— Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:10-11

Al-Firdaws is the highest station of the Garden. The Prophet said: "When you ask Allah for the Garden, ask Him for al-Firdaws; for it is the highest part of the Garden." The believer who carries these six qualities is promised the summit of paradise.

Stories — Living Examples of the Six Qualities

His Character Was the Qur'an

A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked, "What was the Prophet's character like?" Her answer became one of the most quoted sentences in Islamic literature:

— "The character of the Messenger of Allah was the Qur'an."

She then recited the opening of Surah Al-Mu'minun and said, "This is how the prophets were." The Prophet's whole life is a living commentary on Al-Mu'minun 1-11.

The Du'a at the Moment of Revelation

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: "Whenever revelation came down to the Prophet, a sound like the humming of bees would be heard near him. One day we were with him; revelation came. We waited about an hour. Then he turned toward the qiblah, raised his hands, and prayed: 'O Allah, give us more and not less; raise us and do not lower us; grant us and do not deprive us; favour us and not others over us; be pleased with us and make us pleased.'"

Right after this du'a, he recited Surah Al-Mu'minun 1-11. The connection is meaningful: the increase, the elevation, the not-being-deprived — every petition in the du'a finds its fulfilment precisely in the believers carrying these six qualities.

Not Paying Zakat Plants Hypocrisy in the Heart

In Surah At-Tawbah Allah says that the breaking of a covenant produces "hypocrisy in their hearts until the day they meet Him." These verses point to the story of Tha'labah ibn Hatib. Tha'labah came to the Prophet asking for wealth; when he became wealthy he stopped attending the Friday prayer and turned away the zakat collectors. Breaking his word and refusing zakat marked his heart with a stain that would remain until the Last Day.

The story illuminates why the command of Al-Mu'minun 23:4 weighs so much. When the financial act of worship is neglected, the believer's interior also cracks.

Putting the Six Qualities Into Practice With VAAZ

The 99 Beautiful Names of Allah collection in the VAAZ app features Al-Mu'min (the Bestower of Security), Al-Quddus (the Pure), Ar-Razzaq (the Provider), and many others that correspond to the core ideas of these six qualities. To deepen khushu in prayer, the dua archive offers supplications for before and after the prayer; combined with the dhikr in the daily dhikr guide, they form a daily structure of presence.

To take each of the six qualities one by one, see Sermon on Salah for prayer, Sermon on Amanah for trusts, and Sermon on Zakat and Sadaqah for the financial act of worship. The present sermon gathers all of them under a single Qur'anic passage.

May Allah make us among His servants who carry the six qualities of Al-Mu'minun 1-11 and are counted among the inheritors of al-Firdaws. Amin.

References

1. The Noble Qur'an, Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:1-11.
2. The Noble Qur'an, Surah An-Nisa 4:58.
3. The Noble Qur'an, Surah An-Nur 24:32.
4. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of ar-Riqaq, hadith no. 6412 (Health and free time).
5. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of al-Iman, hadith no. 34 (The four marks of hypocrisy).
6. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of an-Nikah, hadith no. 5066 (Encouragement to marry).
7. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Mawaqit as-Salat, hadith no. 527 (The most virtuous deed).
8. Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Book of at-Tafsir, hadith no. 3173 (The revelation of Al-Mu'minun 1-10).
9. Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Book of az-Zuhd, hadith no. 2317 ("Leave what does not concern you").
10. Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, hadith no. 22265 (The young Companion and chastity).
11. al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, hadith no. 7882 ("Whoever has two days the same...").
12. Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of al-Iman, hadith no. 50 (Definition of ihsan).

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