Surah At-Tawbah 9:74

The Order for Jihad against the Disbelievers and Hypocrites

Allah commanded His Messenger to strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and to be harsh against them. Allah also commanded him to be merciful with the believers who followed him, informing him that the destination of the disbelievers and hypocrites is the Fire in the Hereafter. Ibn Mas`ud commented on Allah's statement,

جَـهِدِ الْكُفَّـرَ وَالْمُنَـفِقِينَ

(Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites) "With the hand, or at least have a stern face with them." Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah commanded the Prophet to fight the disbelievers with the sword, to strive against the hypocrites with the tongue and annulled lenient treatment of them." Ad-Dahhak commented, "Perform Jihad against the disbelievers with the sword and be harsh with the hypocrites with words, and this is the Jihad performed against them." Similar was said by Muqatil and Ar-Rabi`. Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, "Striving against them includes establishing the (Islamic Penal) Law of equality against them." In combining these statements, we could say that Allah causes punishment of the disbelievers and hypocrites with all of these methods in various conditions and situations, and Allah knows best.

Reason behind revealing Ayah 9:74

Al-Amawi said in his Book on Battles, "Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Az-Zuhri said that `Abdur-Rahman bin `Abdullah bin Ka`b bin Malik narrated from his father, from his grandfather that he said, `Among the hypocrites who lagged behind from battle and concerning whom the Qur'an was revealed, was Al-Julas bin Suwayd bin As-Samit, who was married to the mother of `Umayr bin Sa`d. `Umayr was under the care of Al-Julas. When the Qur'an was revealed about the hypocrites, exposing their practices, Al-Julas said, `By Allah! If this man (Muhammad) is saying the truth, then we are worse than donkeys.' `Umayr bin Sa`d heard him and said, `By Allah, O Julas! You are the dearest person to me, has the most favor on me and I would hate that harm should touch you, more than I do concerning anyone else! You have uttered a statement that if I exposed, will expose you, but if I hide, it will destroy me. One of them is a lesser evil than the other.' So `Umayr went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him what Al-Julas said. On realizing this, Al-Julas went to the Prophet and swore by Allah that he did not say what `Umayr bin Sa`d conveyed he said. `He lied on me,' Al-Julas said. Allah sent in his case this verse,

يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ مَا قَالُواْ وَلَقَدْ قَالُواْ كَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِسْلَـمِهِمْ

(They swear by Allah that they said nothing (bad), but really they said the word of disbelief, and they disbelieved after accepting Islam) until the end of Ayah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ conveyed this Ayah to Al-Julas, who, they claim, repented and his repentance was sincere, prompting him to refrain from hypocrisy."' Imam Abu Ja`far Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting under the shade of a tree when he said,

«إِنَّهُ سَيَأْتِيكُمْ إِنْسَانٌ فَيَنْظُرُ إِلَيْكُمْ بِعَيْنَيِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِذَا جَاءَ فَلَا تُكَلِّمُوه»

(A man will now come and will look to you through the eyes of a devil. When he comes, do not talk to him.)' A man who looked as if he was blue (so dark) came and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ summoned him and said,

«عَلَامَ تَشْتُمُنِي أَنْتَ وَأَصْحَابُك»

(Why do you curse me, you and your companions) That man went and brought his friends and they swore by Allah that they did nothing of the sort, and the Prophet pardoned them. Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored revealed this verse,

يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ مَا قَالُواْ

(They swear by Allah that they said nothing (bad)...)

Hypocrites try to kill the Prophet

Allah said next,

وَهَمُّواْ بِمَا لَمْ يَنَالُواْ

(and they resolved that which they were unable to carry out) It was said that this Ayah was revealed about Al-Julas bin Suwayd, who tried to kill his wife's son when he said he would inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about Al-Julas' statement we mentioned earlier. It was also said that it was revealed in the case of `Abdullah bin Ubayy who plotted to kill the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. As-Suddi said, "This verse was revealed about some men who wanted to crown `Abdullah bin Ubayy even if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not agree. ,It was reported that some hypocrites plotted to kill the Prophet , while he was at the battle of Tabuk, riding one night. They were a group of more than ten men. Ad-Dahhak said, "This Ayah was revealed about them." In his book, Dala'il An-Nubuwah, Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bayhaqi recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman said, "I was holding the bridle of the Messenger's ﷺ camel while `Ammar was leading it, or vise versa. When we reached Al-`Aqabah, twelve riders intercepted the Prophet . When I alerted the Messenger ﷺ, he shouted at them and they all ran away. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked us,

«هَلْ عَرَفْتُمُ الْقَوْمَ؟»

(Did you know who they were) We said, `No, O Allah's Messenger! They had masks However, we know their horses.' He said,

«هؤُلَاءِ الْمُنَافِقُونَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا أَرَادُوا؟»

(They are the hypocrites until the Day of Resurrection. Do you know what they intended) We said, `No.' He said,

«أَرَادُوا أَنْ يُزَاحِمُوا رَسُولَ اِلله فِي الْعَقَبَةِ فَيَلْقُوهُ مِنْهَا»

(They wanted to mingle with the Messenger of Allah and throw him from the `Aqabah (to the valley).) We said, `O Allah's Messenger! Should you ask their tribes to send the head of each one of them to you' He said,

«لَا. أَكْرَهُ أَنْ تَتَحَدَّثَ الْعَرَبُ بَيْنَهَا أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَاتَلَ بِقَومٍ حَتَّى إِذَا أَظْهَرَهُ اللهُ بِهِمْ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِقَتْلِهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللّهُمَّ ارْمِهِمْ بِالدُّبَيْلَة»

(No, for I hate that the Arabs should say that Muhammad used some people in fighting and when Allah gave him victory with their help, he commanded that they be killed.) He then said, (O Allah! Throw the Dubaylah at them.) We asked, `What is the Dubaylah, O Allah's Messenger' He said,

«شِهَابٌ مِنْ نَارٍ يَقَعُ عَلَى نِيَاطِ قَلْبِ أَحَدِهِمْ فَيَهْلِك»

(A missile of fire that falls on the heart of one of them and brings about his demise.)" Abu At-Tufayl said, "Once, there was a dispute between Hudhayfah and another man, who asked him, `I ask you by Allah, how many were the Companions of Al-`Aqabah' The people said to Hudhayfah, `Tell him, for he asked you.' Hudhayfah said, `We were told that they were fourteen men, unless you were one of them, then the number is fifteen! I testify by Allah that twelve of them are at war with Allah and His Messenger in this life and when the witness comes forth for witness. Three of them were pardoned, for they said, `We did not hear the person whom the Messenger ﷺ sent to announce something, and we did not know what the people had plotted,' for the Prophet had been walking when he said,

«إِنَّ الْمَاءَ قَلِيلٌ فَلَا يَسْبِقْنِي إِلَيْهِ أَحَد»

(Water is scarce, so none among you should reach it before me.) When he found that some people had reached it before him, he cursed them."' `Ammar bin Yasir narrated in a Hadith collected by Muslim, that Hudhayfah said to him that the Prophet said,

«فِي أَصْحَابِي اثْنَا عَشَرَ مُنَافِقًا لَا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ رِيحَهَا حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ: ثَمَانِيَةٌ مِنْهُمْ تَكْفِيكَهُمُ الدُّبَيْلَةُ سِرَاجٌ مِنْ نَارٍ يَظْهَرُ بَيْنَ أَكْتَافِهِمْ حَتَّى يَنْجُمَ فِي صُدُورِهِم»

(Among my Companions are twelve hypocrites who will never enter Paradise or find its scent, until the camel enters the thread of the needle. Eight of them will be struck by the Dubaylah, which is a missile made of fire that appears between their shoulders and pierces their chest.) This is why Hudhayfah was called the holder of the secret, for he knew who these hypocrites were, since the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave their names to him and none else. Allah said next,

وَمَا نَقَمُواْ إِلاَ أَنْ أَغْنَاهُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ

(and they could not find any cause to do so except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His bounty.) This Ayah means, the Messenger ﷺ did not commit an error against them, other than that Allah has enriched them on account of the Prophet's blessed and honorable mission! And had Allah guided them to what the Prophet came with, they would have experienced its delight completely. The Prophet once said to the Ansar,

«أَلَمْ أَجِدْكُمْ ضُلَّالًا فَهَدَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي، وَكُنْتُمْ مُتَفَرِقِينَ فَأَلَّفَكُمُ اللهُ بِي، وَعَالَةً فَأَغْنَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي»

(Have I not found you misguided and Allah guided you through me, divided and Allah united you through me, and poor and Allah enriched you through me) Whenever the Messenger asked them a question, they replied, "Allah and His Messenger have granted the favor." This type of statement,

وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ

(And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah...), is uttered when there is no wrong committed. Allah called the hypocrites to repent,

فَإِن يَتُوبُواْ يَكُ خَيْراً لَّهُمْ وَإِن يَتَوَلَّوْا يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ

(If then they repent, it will be better for them, but if they turn away; Allah will punish them with a painful torment in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.) The Ayah says, if they persist on their ways, Allah will inflict a painful torment on them in this life, by killing, sadness and depression, and in the Hereafter with torment, punishment, disgrace and humiliation,

وَمَا لَهُمْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ

(And there is none for them on earth as a protector or a helper.) who will bring happiness to them, aid them, bring about benefit or fend off harm.

Sabab Nuzul: Diriwayatkan oleh Ibnu Jarir ath-thabari dan ath-thabrani dan Abu Syaikh Ibnu Mardawaihi bahwa ketika Rasulullah sedang duduk di bawah naungan sebuah pohon beliau berkata, "Akan datang kepadamu seorang manusia yang memandang kamu dengan dua matanya seperti mata setan. Apabila ia datang, janganlah kamu berkata-kata." Kemudian tiba-tiba muncullah seorang laki-laki yang warna matanya biru langit lalu Rasulullah memanggilnya dan berkata, "Atas dasar apa engkau dan sahabat-sahabatmu memaki aku?" Lalu laki-laki itu pergi kemudian datang kembali membawa sahabat-sahabatnya, seraya bersumpah dengan nama Allah bahwa mereka tidak sekali-kali mengucapkan apa yang ditanyakan oleh Nabi; maka Nabi memaafkan mereka kemudian turunlah ayat ini.

Orang-orang munafik itu bersumpah dengan nama Allah untuk meyakinkan orang-orang mukmin dan Nabi Muhammad, bahwa apa yang dilaporkan kepada Nabi tentang tipu-muslihat”yang merendahkan martabat Nabi Muhammad saw, atau mengurangi kemahasucian Allah swt”yang mereka ucapkan tidaklah benar dan merupakan fitnah belaka. Mereka tidak mengaku telah mengucapkan kata-kata kufur terhadap Nabi Muhammad. Allah mendustakan pernyataan mereka itu meskipun mereka bersumpah dengan nama Allah. Mereka yang telah mengucapkan kalimat kufur berarti telah murtad dan menjadi kafir kembali sesudah Islam karena mereka telah melampaui batas untuk membinasakan Nabi.

Adapun maksud mereka yang gagal untuk menjebak Nabi ketika pulang kembali dari Perang Tabuk adalah ketika Nabi menuju Medinah. Di tengah perjalanan beberapa orang munafik berkomplot untuk mencelakakan Rasulullah. Mereka membuat keputusan rahasia untuk melemparkan Nabi dari salah satu bukit. Ketika mereka sampai di bukit itu mereka menunggu kedatangan Nabi. Ketika Nabi datang kepada mereka (yang sedang menunggu) Nabi diberitahu tentang rencana mereka itu, maka Nabi berkata, "Barang siapa di antara kamu hendak menempuh jalan lembah, hal itu adalah lebih menyenangkan kamu." Rasulullah sendiri menempuh jalan di atas bukit dan rombongan lainnya menempuh jalan lembah kecuali orang-orang yang telah bermaksud melakukan makar terhadap Nabi. Ketika mendengar bahwa Rasul akan menempuh jalan bukit, maka mereka bersiap-siap dan menyamar dengan menutup muka. Sesungguhnya mereka telah membulatkan tekad untuk melakukan perbuatan keji. Rasulullah menyeru Hudhaifah al-Yamani dan Ammar bin Yasir agar berjalan bersama-sama Rasulullah, Ammar ditugaskan memegang tali unta dan Hudhaifah al-Yamani ditugaskan menghalau unta. Dalam keadaan demikian, tiba-tiba Nabi bersama Ammar dan Hudzaifah mendengar suara kaki orang-orang yang datang dari belakang, maka Rasulullah menjadi marah dan menugaskan Hudzaifah untuk menahan mereka. Setelah Hudzaifah melihat Rasulullah marah, ia berbalik ke belakang, sedang ditangannya ada sebuah tongkat. Hudzaifah menghadapi orang-orang itu dan memukul kendaraan mereka dengan tongkat. Hudzaifah melihat orang-orang itu menyamar yang dianggap oleh Hudzaifah sekedar perbuatan biasa yang dilakukan oleh orang-orang yang sedang dalam perjalanan (musafir). Ketika orang-orang itu melihat Hudzaifah, Allah menjadikan mereka ketakutan karena menyangka bahwa penyamaran dan niat jahat mereka telah diketahui.

Karena itu komplotan tersebut segera bergabung lagi dengan rombongan. Hudzaifah kembali menemui Rasulullah, kemudian Rasul menyuruh Hudzaifah melecut untanya, dan menyuruh Ammar berjalan di belakang sehingga Rasulullah dapat melewati bukit dengan selamat. Kemudian Nabi berkata kepada Hudzaifah, "Adakah engkau mengenal salah seorang dari kalangan pengendara itu?" Dia menjawab, "Aku kenal unta si Fulan. Malam terlalu gelap dan aku datang kepada mereka dimana mereka berpakaian menyamar." Rasulullah berkata, "Mereka itu telah merencanakan suatu makar untuk berjalan bersamaku dan manakala mereka sampai ke bukit, mereka akan melempar aku." Hudzaifah berkata, "Tidakkah engkau (Ya Rasulullah) memberi suatu perintah di mana kami akan cepat memenggal leher mereka itu?" Rasulullah menjawab:

Tidak, aku tidak ingin menjadi buah pembicaraan orang bahwa Muhammad telah membunuh sahabat-sahabatnya. (Tafsir Ibnu Kasir, 2/461)

Maka Nabi mengemukakan kepada Hudzaifah dan Ammar nama-nama orang yang berkomplot itu agar mereka berdua merahasiakannya. Demikianlah peristiwa jahat yang dilakukan orang-orang munafik yang diungkapkan oleh ayat itu.

Orang-orang munafik itu ialah orang-orang Islam yang keimanan mereka hanya secara lahir tidak pada batin. Mereka memusuhi Rasul dan orang-orang mukmin dengan cara yang sangat licik sebagai musuh dalam selimut. Mereka sangat berbahaya bagi Islam. Namun Nabi memperlakukan mereka sebagaimana memperlakukan orang-orang mukmin karena iman tempatnya di hati. Urusan hati hanyalah Allah yang mengetahuinya. Oleh sebab itu satu hukuman hanya bisa diputuskan berdasarkan bukti lahir yang ada.

Orang-orang munafik itu diperlakukan sebagaimana orang-orang mukmin. Kepada mereka diberikan zakat demikian juga harta rampasan (ganimah). Kebanyakan mereka dari kalangan orang-orang yang kurang mampu (miskin) sebagaimana orang-orang Anshar. Dengan masuk Islam mereka dapat menikmati harta dunia ini. Semestinya kalau mereka orang yang sadar tentulah mereka akan menanggalkan sifat-sifat kemunafikan mereka dan bersyukur kepada Allah dengan bertobat kepada-Nya. Karena dengan Islamlah mereka mendapat keuntungan duniawi, yang menjadi tujuan hidup mereka. Tetapi mereka tidak menyadari. Bahkan mereka merasa tidak puas menerima keuntungan dan kekayaan yang merupakan karunia Allah dari pembagian harta rampasan (ganimah) atau zakat.

Demikianlah keadaan orang yang telah sesat pikirannya. Jika mereka bertobat dari kemunafikan dan perbuatan yang buruk, baik berupa ucapan maupun perbuatan, maka tobat mereka akan membawa kebaikan bagi mereka di dunia dan di akhirat. Di dunia mereka akan menjadi orang Islam sejati dengan iman yang murni. Mereka akan menjadi orang yang bertawakal kepada Allah dan sabar atas cobaan-cobaan-Nya dan banyak beramal kebaikan untuk mencapai kebahagiaan di akhirat dan mereka akan bahu-membahu, bantu membantu, santun menyantuni dengan orang-orang yang lebih dahulu masuk Islam. Di akhirat nanti mereka akan mendapat karunia Allah berupa surga sebagaimana yang dijanjikan Allah kepada orang-orang mukmin. Akan tetapi jika mereka tidak bertobat, berpaling menjauhkan diri dari petunjuk-petunjuk Allah, dan mereka tetap dalam kemunafikan, niscaya Allah akan mengazab mereka di dunia ini seperti hati mereka selalu dalam kecemasan, kegelisahan dan kekhawatiran sebagaimana yang diutarakan di dalam firman Allah:

Sekiranya mereka memperoleh tempat perlindungan, gua-gua atau lubang-lubang (dalam tanah), niscaya mereka pergi (lari) ke sana dengan secepat-cepatnya. (at-Taubah/9: 57)

Di akhirat nanti mereka memperoleh apa yang diancamkan Allah yaitu api neraka tingkatan yang paling bawah di mana mereka tinggal abadi di dalamnya sebagaimana diutarakan dalam firman Allah:

Sungguh, orang-orang munafik itu (ditempatkan) pada tingkatan yang paling bawah dari neraka. Dan kamu tidak akan mendapat seorang penolong pun bagi mereka. Kecuali orang-orang yang bertobat dan memperbaiki diri dan berpegang teguh pada (agama) Allah dan dengan tulus ikhlas (menjalankan) agama mereka karena Allah. Maka mereka itu bersama-sama orang-orang yang beriman dan kelak Allah akan memberikan pahala yang besar kepada orang-orang yang beriman. (an-Nisa'/4: 145-146)

Pada akhir ayat ini Allah menegaskan bahwa orang-orang munafik itu tidak akan mendapat pembela di dunia dan di akhirat, karena tiap-tiap orang yang telah mendapat kehinaan dari Allah tidak seorang manusiapun sanggup menolongnya.