Surah At-Tawbah 9:127

Hypocrites suffer Afflictions

Allah says, do not these hypocrites see,

أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ

(that they are put in trial), being tested,

فِى كُلِّ عَامٍ مَّرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لاَ يَتُوبُونَ وَلاَ هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

(once or twice every year Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson.) They neither repent from their previous sins nor learn a lesson for the future. Mujahid said that hypocrites are tested with drought and hunger. Allah said;

وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ نَّظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ هَلْ يَرَاكُمْ مِّنْ أَحَدٍ ثُمَّ انصَرَفُواْ صَرَفَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُون

(And whenever there comes down a Surah, they look at one another (saying): "Does any one see you" Then they turn away. Allah has turned their hearts because they are a people that understand not.) This describes the hypocrites that when a Surah is revealed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,

نَّظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ

(they look at one another), they turn their heads, right and left, saying,

هَلْ يَرَاكُمْ مِّنْ أَحَدٍ ثُمَّ انصَرَفُواْ

("Does any one see you" Then they turn away. ..) turning away from, and shunning the truth. This is the description of hypocrites in this life, for they do not remain where the truth is being declared, neither accepting nor understanding it, just as Allah said in other Ayat,

فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ التَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ - كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُّسْتَنفِرَةٌ - فَرَّتْ مِن قَسْوَرَةٍ

(Then what is wrong with them that they turn away from admonition As if they were wild donkeys. Fleeing from a lion.)74:49-51, and,

فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ - عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

(So what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten to hear from you. (Sitting) in groups on the right and on the left.)70:36-37. This Ayah also means, what is the matter with these people who turn away from you to the right and to the left, to escape from truth and revert to falsehood Allah's statement,

ثُمَّ انصَرَفُواْ صَرَفَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم

(Then they turn away. Allah has turned their hearts (from Truth)) is similar to,

فَلَمَّا زَاغُواْ أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ

(So when they turned away, Allah turned their hearts away.) 61:5. Allah said next,

بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ

(because they are a people that understand not. ) They neither understand Allah's Word nor attempt to comprehend it nor want it. Rather, they are too busy, turning away from it. This is why they ended up in this condition.

لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Ayat ini menerangkan sikap dan tindakan orang-orang munafik di majlis Rasulullah waktu diturunkan ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an. Bila diturunkan satu ayat atau satu surah kepada Rasulullah saw, mereka saling berpandangan satu sama lain dan mengedipkan mata sebagai isyarat memandang enteng apa yang telah diturunkan itu. Sikap mereka ini menunjukkan bahwa pengaruh kekafiran telah berurat berakar dalam jiwa mereka. Mereka sebenarnya tidak ingin mendengarkan ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an dari Rasulullah, dan tidak ingin orang lain mendapat petunjuk dari Al-Qur'an.

Sikap orang-orang munafik lainnya ialah: mereka secara diam-diam meninggalkan majlis Rasulullah saw seraya saling bertanya kepada sesama temannya yang lain, "Apakah ada orang yang melihat kepergian kita meninggalkan majlis itu?" Sedangkan orang-orang mukmin mendengar dan memperhatikan ayat-ayat itu dengan tunduk dan penuh perhatian.

Sikap orang-orang munafik inilah yang membuat Allah memalingkan hati mereka dari iman dan dari petunjuk-petunjuk yang ada dalam ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an. Allah melakukan yang demikian karena mereka lebih dulu mengingkari seruan Nabi dan tidak menghiraukan petunjuk-petunjuk Al-Qur'an.