Surah Al-Ahzab 33:22

The Command to follow the Messenger ﷺ

This Ayah is an important principle, to follow the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in all his words, and deeds, etc. Hence Allah commanded the people to take the Prophet as an example on the day of Al-Ahzab, with regard to patience, guarding, striving and waiting for Allah to provide the way out; may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him forever, until the Day of Judgement. Allah says to those who were anxious and impatient and were shaken by feelings of panic on the day of Al-Ahzab:

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ

(Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow) meaning, `why do you not take him as an example and follow his lead' Allah says:

لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الاٌّخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً

(for him who hopes in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.)

The Attitude of the Believers towards the Confederates

Then Allah tells us about His believing servants who believed Allah's promise to them and how He will make the consequences good for them in this world and in the Hereafter. He says:

وَلَمَّا رَأَى الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الاٌّحْزَابَ قَالُواْ هَـذَا مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

(And when the believers saw the Confederates, they said: "This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us; and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth.") Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Qatadah said: "They mean what Allah said in Surat Al-Baqarah:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَآءُ وَالضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ أَلاَ إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ

(Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said,"When (will come) the help of Allah" Yes! Certainly, the help of Allah is near!) (2:214) meaning, `this is the trial and test that Allah and His Messenger promised us would be followed by the help and victory of Allah that is near.' Allah says:

وَصَدَقَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

(and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth. )

وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلاَّ إِيمَانًا وَتَسْلِيماً

(And it only added to their faith and to their submissiveness.) This indicates that faith can increase and strengthen in accordance with people's circumstances, as the majority of scholars stated: faith can increase and decrease. We have stated this at the beginning of our commentary on Al-Bukhari, praise be to Allah.

وَمَا زَادَهُمْ

(And it only added) means, at that time of stress and difficulty

إِلاَّ إِيمَانًا

(to their faith) in Allah,

وَتَسْلِيماً

(and to their submissiveness.) means their submission to His commands and their obedience to His Messenger .

Pada ayat ini, Allah menerangkan sikap dan tindakan kaum Muslimin dalam menghadapi Perang Ahzab. Mereka bekerja dan berjuang semata-mata karena Allah dan mengikuti perintah Nabi, bukan karena kepentingan diri sendiri. Seluruh harta bahkan jiwa raga mereka serahkan kepada Nabi untuk kepen-tingan perjuangan. Mereka berjuang dengan tabah dan sabar. Semakin besar bahaya mengancam, semakin kuat iman dan ketabahan mereka. Ketika mereka melihat keadaan tentara sekutu yang jumlahnya sangat besar dan akan menyerbu mereka, sedang jumlah mereka hanya sedikit, mereka berkata, "Inilah yang telah dijanjikan Allah dan Rasul Nya kepada kita, berupa ujian dan cobaan, sebagai pendahuluan dari kemenangan yang akan datang. Oleh karena itu, kita harus tabah dan sabar dalam menghadapinya."

Pada ayat yang lain diterangkan syarat-syarat kebahagiaan dan kemenangan yang akan diperoleh orang-orang yang beriman. Allah berfirman:

Ataukah kamu mengira bahwa kamu akan masuk surga, padahal belum datang kepadamu (cobaan) seperti (yang dialami) orang-orang terdahulu sebelum kamu. Mereka ditimpa kemelaratan, penderitaan dan diguncang (dengan berbagai cobaan), sehingga Rasul dan orang-orang yang beriman bersamanya berkata, "Kapankah datang pertolongan Allah?" Ingatlah, sesungguhnya pertolongan Allah itu dekat. (al-Baqarah/2: 214)

Dan firman-Nya lagi:

Apakah manusia mengira bahwa mereka akan dibiarkan hanya dengan mengatakan, "Kami telah beriman," dan mereka tidak diuji? (al- 'Ankabut/29: 2)

Diriwayatkan oleh Ibnu Kasir bahwa pada waktu menggali parit sebelum tentara sekutu datang, Rasulullah saw pernah menyampaikan bahwa Jibril mengatakan kepadanya bahwa kerajaan Persia dan Romawi akan takluk di bawah kekuasaan kaum Muslimin. Mendengar kabar berita itu, kaum Muslimin sangat senang karena mereka percaya bahwa itu adalah janji Allah.

Tatkala datang tentara sekutu mengepung, mereka menganggap bahwa kedatangan tentara sekutu itu adalah ujian dan cobaan bagi mereka sebelum memperoleh kemenangan dan sebelum mereka menaklukkan Persia dan Romawi, sehingga mereka mengucapkan, "Benar apa yang dijanjikan Allah itu dengan meluaskan agama Islam ke seluruh penjuru dunia di kemudian hari, dan benar pula apa yang diisyaratkan Allah untuk mencapai kemenangan dan kebahagiaan itu, yaitu bertawakal dan sabar dalam menerima cobaan dan halangan."