the servants of the Most Merciful, as He describes them in His Book, saying:

“of the Most Merciful, who walk upon the earth gently, and when” [al-Furqān: 63].

Several of the early generations explained this as walking with tranquillity and dignity, without arrogance or affected feebleness (1). This was the gait of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Despite walking in this manner, he seemed to be descending a slope (2), and it was as though the earth were being folded up for him. Those walking with him would strain themselves to keep pace, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, remained quite untroubled. This indicates two things: his gait was not (3) feeble or abject, but rather the most balanced of gaits.

There are ten types of gait, of which these are three. The fourth is running. The fifth is brisk walking—the fastest walking pace, with closely spaced steps—also known as trotting. In the “Sahīh” (4), a hadith narrated by Ibn Umar reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, trotted for three circuits of his circumambulation and walked for four.

The sixth is light jogging, an easy run that neither jolts nor exhausts the walker (5). Some “Musnad collections (6)” (7) report that those travelling on foot complained to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about walking during the Farewell Pilgrimage. He said: “Help yourselves along by jogging lightly.”