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Does the description of the "pious" (al-muttaqin) in Surat at-Tur and the "righteous" (al-abrar) in Surat al-Insan refer to the foremost in proximity (al-sabiqun al-muqarrabun), or does it also include the People of the Right Hand (ashab al-maymanah)?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Allah Almighty mentions the inhabitants of Paradise in the Holy Qur’an in two ways: either generally, without division, or by dividing them into Muqarraboon (those brought near) and Ashab al-Yameen (Companions of the Right). The verses in Surat At-Tur, which describe the Muttaqoon (pious), address the generality of the inhabitants of Paradise. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah clarified that the division of Allah's Awliya' (saints/friends) into general (Ashab al-Yameen or the Abrar - righteous) and special (Muqarraboon or the Sabiqun - foremost) is correct. He based this on verses such as those in Surat Al-Waqi'ah, Al-Mutaffifin, and Al-Insan, where the Qur’an mentions the three categories of creation: the wrongdoers, the Muqtasidun (moderate/righteous), and the Sabiqun bil-Khayrat (foremost in good deeds/those brought near). He mentioned that the Muqarraboon drink their beverage undiluted, while it is mixed for the Ashab al-Yameen, as a reward for the sincerity of their deeds. Accordingly, Abrar is a general status, and Muqarraboon is a higher status; every Muqarrab is among the Abrar, but not every Barr is a Muqarrab.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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