Surah Al-A'raf 7:97

Blessings come with Faith, while Kufr brings Torment

Allah mentions here the little faith of the people of the towns to whom He sent Messengers. In another instance, Allah said,

(Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment) -- Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.) 10:98 This Ayah indicates that no city believed in its entirety, except the city of Prophet Yunus, for they all believed after they were stricken by punishment. Allah said (about Prophet Yunus),

(And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while.) 37:147-148 Allah said in another Ayah,

(And We did not send a warner to a township....) 34:34 Allah said here,

(And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa. ..) meaning their hearts had faith in what the Messenger brought them, believed and obeyed him, and had Taqwa by performing the acts of obedience and abstaining from the prohibitions,

(We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth,) in reference to the rain that falls from the sky and the vegetation of the earth. Allah said,

(but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn.) They denied their Messengers, so that We punished them and sent destruction on them as a result of the sins and wickedness that they earned. Allah then said, while warning and threatening against defying His orders and daring to commit His prohibitions,

(Did the people of the towns then feel secure),meaning the disbelievers among them,

(that should come to them our punishment), Our torment and punishing example,

(Bayatan) during the night,

(while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing) while they are busy in their affairs and unaware.

(Did they then feel secure against Allah's plan) His torment, vengeance, and His power to destroy them while they are inattentive and heedless,

(None feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who are the losers.) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The believer performs the acts of worship, all the while feeling fear, in fright and anxiety. The Fajir (wicked sinner, or disbeliever) commits the acts of disobedience while feeling safe (from Allah's torment)!"

Dalam ayat ini Allah memberi peringatan kepada orang-orang yang ingkar, dalam bentuk suatu pertanyaan, "Apakah penduduk negeri-negeri itu merasa aman ketika siksaan Kami kepada mereka datang di malam hari pada waktu mereka tidur?" Maksudnya ialah bahwa azab Allah itu ditimpakan kepada mereka yang telah mendapatkan seruan para rasul tetapi mereka ingkar dan tidak menggunakan akalnya. Sebab seandainya mereka itu mau berpikir dan mengambil pelajaran dari peristiwa-peristiwa yang telah dialami oleh umat-umat yang terdahulu, akibat tenggelam dalam kenikmatan hidup sehingga mereka lupa kepada Allah yang memberikan nikmat, niscaya mereka akan merasa cemas tentang kemungkinan datangnya azab Allah kepada mereka. Kecemasan semacam itu, tentu akan mendorong mereka segera memperbaiki tingkah-laku, antara lain dengan menjauhkan diri dari segala macam kemusyrikan dan kemaksiatan, akan tetapi kenyataannya tidak demikian. Mereka bahkan merasa aman dan tidak mempunyai kekhawatiran sedikitpun akan datangnya siksa Allah kepada mereka. Hal ini tampak dari tingkah-laku mereka, yang terus tenggelam dalam kenikmatan, serta tetap dalam kemusyrikan dan bermacam-macam kemaksiatan kepada Allah.