Hazrat Iyadh bin Ghanam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "The chosen, beloved, and exalted individuals of my Ummah are those about whom the High Assembly (the close angels) informed me. Externally, they smile out of hope in the vast mercy of Allah (Azza wa Jall), while in their hearts, they weep out of fear of the severity of the punishment and retribution of the Almighty Lord. Morning and evening, they remember God in His pure and holy houses, meaning the mosques.

With their tongues, they call upon God with longing and awe (hope and fear), and with their hearts, they yearn for His meeting. Their burden upon the people is extremely light, while upon their own selves, it is very heavy and demanding. They walk on the earth on foot with utmost gentleness and tranquility; they do not walk boastfully or arrogantly, but rather with the gait of an ant—meaning humility and meekness radiate from their posture.

They recite the Quran and wear old, worn-out clothes. They remain under the gaze of the Almighty Lord at all times, and the eye of God protects them always. Their souls are in this world while their hearts are in the Hereafter. They have no concern other than the Hereafter, and they are constantly preparing for the grave and the life after death."