Characteristics of Righteous People in Surah Al-Insan
Good-doers, according to Surah Al-Insan of the Holy Quran, good-doers are those who are willing to make sacrifices on the path of God.
Al-Insan is the name of the Quran’s 76th chapter. It has 31 verses and is in the 29th Juz.
It is Madani and the 98th Surah revealed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
The word Insan (human being) comes in the first verse and hence the name of the chapter. It is also called Surah Al-Abrar (good-doers) because the word Abrar comes in the fifth verse and about half of the Surah is about the characteristics of good-doers.
The Surah also talks about creation and guidance of human beings, the blessings of God bestowed upon good-doers, and the importance of the Quran and divine destiny.
The content of the chapter can be divided into six caegoies:
First: creation of mankind from a nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge), his guidance and and free will,
Second: reward for good-doers,
Third: characteristics of righteous people that makes them worthy of receiving divine rewards,
Fourth: importance of the Quran, how its rules are implemented, and the long and difficult path of self-improvement,
Fifth: dominance of divine will in the world,
And sixth: blessings and rewards given to the righteous in paradise.
According to many Muslim Mufasirs (Quran interpreters), Verse 8 of the Surah, known as the verse of It’am (feeding) refers to the sublime status of Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Zahra (SA), and their two sons, Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Hussein (AS). For three days, they fasted and gave what they had to eat for Iftar (fast-breaking) to a poor, an orphan and a prisoner.
In this Surah, five characteristics of good-doers are point out. 1- They fulfil their pledge. 2. They are fearful of a day in which there will be troubles and hardships facing people (Day of Judgment). 3- While they need what they have, they give to the poor, orphans and prisoners. 4- They do it only to please God and have no expectation of rewards and appreciation from anyone. 5. On the Resurrection Day, they fear God.
The Surah also reminds human beings that disbelievers love the life in this world while they will have a difficult day ahead and they are negligent of it. The Surah warns them not to be proud of their power as it is God who has created them and gave them what they have and can destroy them whenever He wills.
Surah Al-Insan then highlights the fact that these verses are only reminders and no one will be forced to accept them. Anyone who wants to, can use the, to find a way toward God.
It also stresses that God makes whom He pleases enter into His mercy and that He has prepared for them a painful chastisement for the unjust.
