Surah Al-Ahqaf 46:20

Mention of the Undutiful Children and Their End

In the previous Ayat, Allah mentions the dutiful offspring who supplicate for their parents and treat them with kindness. He describes the success and salvation He has prepared for them. Here He connects to that discussion the situation of the wretched offspring who are undutiful toward their parents. Allah says,

وَالَّذِى قَالَ لِوَلِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَآ

(But he who says to his parents: "Uff to you! ...") As for the saying "Uff" in this Ayah, it is a general description applying to anyone who says it to his parents. Some people claim that it was revealed about `Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr. But this claim is weak and rejected, because `Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr embraced Islam after this was revealed. His adherence to Islam was excellent, and he was among the best of his contemporaries. Al-Bukhari recorded from Yusuf bin Mahak that Marwan (bin Al-Hakam) was governor of Hijaz (Western Arabia), appointed by Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. He (Marwan) delivered a speech in which he mentioned Yazid bin Mu`awiyah and urged the people to give a pledge of allegiance after his father. `Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr said something to him in response to that, upon which Marwan commanded his men: "Arrest him!" But he entered `Aishah's house, and they were not able to capture him. Marwan then said: "This is the one about whom Allah revealed:

وَالَّذِى قَالَ لِوَلِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَآ أَتَعِدَانِنِى أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدْ خَلَتِ الْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِى

(But he who says to his parents: "Uff to you! Do you promise me that I will be raised -- when generations before me have passed")" From behind the curtain, `Aishah responded: "Allah did not reveal any Qur'an in our regard (i.e. the children of Abu Bakr), except for the declaration of my innocence." In another report recorded by An-Nasa'i, Muhammad bin Ziyad reported that when Mu`awiyah was soliciting people to pledge allegiance to his son, and Marwan declared: "This follows the tradition of Abu Bakr and `Umar." On hearing this, `Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Bakr said: "Rather, this is the tradition of Heraclius and Caesar." Marwan responded: "This is the one about whom Allah revealed,

وَالَّذِى قَالَ لِوَلِدَيْهِ أُفٍّ لَّكُمَآ

(But he who says to his parents: "Uff to you!")" When that was conveyed to `A'ishah, she said: "Marwan is lying! By Allah, that was not revealed about him. If I wish to name the person meant by it, I could. On the other hand, Allah's Messenger ﷺ placed a curse on Marwan's father (Al- Hakam bin Abi Al-`As when Marwan was still in his loins, so Marwan (bin Al-Hakam) is an outcome of Allah's curse." As for Allah's statement:

أَتَعِدَانِنِى أَنْ أُخْرَجَ

(Do you promise me that I will be raised) meaning, resurrected.

وَقَدْ خَلَتِ الْقُرُونُ مِن قَبْلِى

(when generations before me have passed) meaning, generations of people have already passed away, and none of them has ever returned to tell (what happened to them)

وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيثَانِ اللَّهَ

(While they invoke Allah for help) meaning, they ask Allah to guide him, and they say to their son,

وَيْلَكَ ءَامِنْ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَيَقُولُ مَا هَـذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

("Woe to you! Believe! Verily, the promise of Allah is true." But he says: "This is nothing but the legends of the ancient.") Allah then says,

أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ فِى أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ خَـسِرِينَ

(They are those against whom the Word (of torment) has justified among the previous generations of Jinn and mankind that have passed away.Verily, they are ever the losers.) This indicates that all such people will be among their likes and their peers among the disbelievers, who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Allah's saying,

أُوْلَـئِكَ

(Those are) after He said,

وَالَّذِى قَالَ

(But he who says ) confirms what we have mentioned above that the latter is a general description of a type of people including all those who fall under that description. Al-Hasan and Qatadah both said, "This applies to the disbelieving, sinful person who is undutiful to his parents and who denies resurrection." Allah then says,

وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَـتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُواْ

(And for all, there will be degrees according to that which they did,) meaning that there will be degrees of punishment for each of them according to what they did.

وَلِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ

(so that He might fully recompense them for their deeds, and they will not be wronged.) which means Allah will not be unjust to them even in the amount of a speck of dust or less. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said: "The levels of the Fire descend, and those of Paradise ascend." Allah then says,

وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَـتِكُمْ فِى حَيَـتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهَا

(On the Day when those who disbelieve will be exposed to the Fire (it will be said): "You received your good things in the life of the world, and you took your pleasure therein...") which means that this will be said to them by way of blame and reprimand. The Commander of the faithful, `Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, gave up many of the joys of food and drink and refrained from them while saying, "I am afraid of being like those whom Allah has reproached and condemned by saying,

أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَـتِكُمْ فِى حَيَـتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهَا

(You received your good things in the life of the world, and you took your pleasure therein)." Abu Mijlaz said: "Some people will lose good deeds that they had in the worldly life, and they will be told,

أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَـتِكُمْ فِى حَيَـتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا

(You received your good things in the life of the world)." Then Allah says,

فَالْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَفْسُقُونَ

(Today, you will be recompensed with the torment of extreme humiliation, because you were arrogant upon the earth without a right, and because you used to rebel against Allah's command.) which indicates that their punishment will be of a type comparable to their deeds. They enjoyed themselves, were arrogant in their denial of the truth, and were involved in sinning and disobedience. Thus, Allah punishes them with extreme humiliation, disgrace, severe pains, continued sorrow, and positions in the terrible depths of Hell -- may Allah protect us from all of that.

Setelah menerangkan bahwa setiap jin dan manusia akan memperoleh balasan yang adil dari-Nya, Allah menerangkan keadaan orang-orang kafir pada saat mereka dihadapkan ke neraka. Allah memerintahkan kepada Rasulullah saw agar menyampaikan kepada orang- orang kafir keadaan mereka ketika dibawa ke dalam neraka. Kepada mereka dikatakan bahwa segala macam kebahagiaan dan kenikmatan yang diperuntukkan bagi mereka telah lengkap dan sempurna mereka terima semasa hidup di dunia. Tidak ada satu pun bagian yang akan mereka nikmati lagi di akhirat. Yang tinggal hanyalah kehinaan, kerendahan, azab pedih yang akan mereka alami sebagai pembalasan atas kesombongan, kefasikan, kezaliman, kemaksiatan, dan kekafiran yang mereka lakukan selama hidup di dunia.

Ayat ini memperingatkan manusia agar meninggalkan hidup mewah yang berlebih-lebihan, meninggalkan perbuatan mubazir, maksiat, dan menganjurkan agar kaum Muslimin hidup sederhana, tidak berlebih-lebihan menggunakan sesuatu sesuai dengan keperluan dan keadaan, dan disesuaikan dengan tujuan hidup seorang muslim. Seandainya ada kelebihan harta, hendaklah diberikan kepada orang-orang miskin, orang-orang terlantar, dan anak yatim yang tidak ada yang bertanggung jawab atasnya, dan gunakanlah harta itu untuk keperluan meninggikan kalimat Allah.

Diriwayatkan oleh al-Baihaqi dan lain-lain dari Ibnu 'Umar bahwa 'Umar melihat uang dirham di tangan Jabir bin 'Abdullah, maka beliau berkata, "Uang dirham apakah itu?" Jabir menjawab, "Aku bermaksud membeli sepotong daging yang sudah lama diidamkan oleh keluargaku." 'Umar berkata, "Apakah setiap kamu menginginkan sesuatu, lalu kamu beli? Bagaimana pendapatmu tentang ayat ini? Kamu telah menghabiskan rezekimu yang baik dalam kehidupan duniamu saja, dan kamu telah bersenang-senang dengannya?"

Dari riwayat di atas dapat kita tarik pelajaran bahwa 'Umar bin al-Khaththab menasihati Jabir bin 'Abdullah dengan ayat ini agar tidak terlalu menuruti keinginannya dan mengingatkan bahwa kesenangan dan kebahagiaan di dunia ini hanya bersifat sementara, sedangkan kebahagiaan yang abadi ada di akhirat. Oleh karena itu, kita harus menggunakan segala rezeki yang telah dianugerahkan Allah dengan sebaik-baiknya, sesuai dengan ketentuan yang digariskan agama.

Tentang hidup sederhana ini tergambar dalam kehidupan keluarga Rasulullah saw sebagaimana disebutkan dalam hadis:

Diriwayatkan dari sauban, ia berkata, "Rasulullah saw apabila akan bepergian, keluarga terakhir yang dikunjunginya adalah Fatimah. Dan keluarganya yang lebih dahulu didatanginya apabila ia kembali dari perjalanan ialah Fatimah. Beliau kembali dari Gazah (peperangan), lalu beliau datang ke rumah Fatimah, dan beliau mengusap pintu rumah dan melihat gelang perak di tangan Hasan dan Husein, beliau kembali dan tidak masuk. Tatkala Fatimah melihat yang demikian, ia berpendapat bahwa Rasulullah saw tidak masuk ke rumahnya itu karena beliau melihat barang-barang itu. Maka Fatimah menyobek-nyobek kain pintu itu dan mencabut gelang-gelang dari tangan kedua anaknya dan memotong-motongnya, lalu kedua anaknya menangis, maka ia membagi-bagikannya kepada kedua anak itu. Maka keduanya pergi menemui Rasulullah saw dalam keadaan menangis, lalu Rasulullah saw mengambil barang-barang itu dari keduanya seraya berkata, 'Hai sauban, pergilah membawa barang-barang itu kepada Bani Fulan dan belikanlah untuk Fatimah kalung dari kulit lokan dan dua gelang dari gading, maka sesungguhnya mereka adalah keluargaku, dan aku tidak ingin mereka menghabiskan rezeki mereka yang baik sewaktu hidup di dunia ini." (Riwayat Ahmad dan al-Baihaqi)

Hadis ini maksudnya bukan melarang kaum Muslimin memakai perhiasan, suka kepada keindahan, menikmati rezeki yang telah dianugerahkan Allah, melainkan untuk menganjurkan agar orang hidup sesuai dengan kemampuan diri sendiri, tidak berlebih-lebihan, selalu menenggang rasa dalam hidup bertetangga dan dalam berteman. Jangan sampai harta yang dimiliki dengan halal itu menjadi sumber iri hati dan rasa dengki tetangga dan sahabat. Jangan pula hidup boros, dan berbelanja melebihi kemampuan. Ingatlah selalu bahwa banyak orang-orang lain yang memerlukan bantuan, masih banyak biaya yang diperlukan untuk meninggikan kalimat Allah. Rasulullah saw selalu merasa cukup bila memperoleh sesuatu dan bersabar bila sedang tak punya; makan kue jika ada kesanggupan membelinya, minum madu bila kebetulan ada, makan daging bila mungkin mendapatkannya. Hal yang demikian itu menjadi pegangan dan kebiasaan hidup beliau. Beliau selalu bersyukur kepada Allah setiap menerima nikmat-Nya.

Yang dilarang ialah memakai perhiasan secara berlebih-lebihan, bersenang-senang tanpa mengingat adanya kehidupan abadi di akhirat nanti. Memakai perhiasan dengan tidak berlebih-lebihan dan tidak menimbulkan iri hati orang lain itu dibolehkan. Allah berfirman:

Katakanlah (Muhammad), "Siapakah yang mengharamkan perhiasan dari Allah yang telah disediakan untuk hamba-hamba-Nya dan rezeki yang baik- baik? Katakanlah, "Semua itu untuk orang-orang yang beriman dalam kehidupan dunia, dan khusus (untuk mereka saja) pada hari Kiamat. Demikianlah Kami menjelaskan ayat-ayat itu untuk orang-orang yang mengetahui. (al-A'raf/7: 32)