Surah Al-Baqarah 2:114

Of the Most Unjust are Those Who prevent People from the Masjids and strive for their Ruin

The Quraysh idolators are those who hindered the people from the Masjids of Allah and wanted to destroy them. Ibn Jarir reported that Ibn Zayd said that Allah's statement,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَـجِدَ اللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ وَسَعَى فِى خَرَابِهَآ

(And who are more unjust than those who forbid that Allah's Name be mentioned (i.e. prayers and invocations) in Allah's Masjids and strive for their ruin) is about the Quraysh idolators who prevented the Prophet from entering Makkah from Al-Hudaybiyyah, until he slaughtered the Hadi (animal for sacrifice) at Dhi-Tuwa. He then agreed to a peace treaty with the idolators and said to them, (No one before has ever prevented people from entering the House. One would even see the killer of his father and brother, but would not prevent him (from entering the House of Allah).) They said, "Whoever killed our fathers at Badr, shall never enter it while there is one of us alive." Allah's statement,

وَسَعَى فِى خَرَابِهَآ

(and strive for their ruin) means those who prevent whoever maintain the Masjids with Allah's remembrance and who visit Allah's House to perform Hajj and `Umrah. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Quraysh prevented the Prophet from praying at the Ka`bah in Al-Masjid Al-Haram, so Allah revealed,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن مَّنَعَ مَسَـجِدَ اللَّهِ أَن يُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ

(And who are more unjust than those who forbid that Allah's Name be mentioned (i.e. prayers and invocations) in Allah's Masjids)"

After Allah chastised the Jews and Christians, He also criticized the idolators who expelled the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions from Makkah, preventing them from praying in Al-Masjid Al-Haram, which they kept exclusively for their idols and polytheism. Allah said,

وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلاَّ يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُواْ أَوْلِيَآءَهُ إِنْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُ إِلاَّ الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(And why should not Allah punish them while they hinder (men) from Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and they are not its guardians None can be its guardians except Al-Muttaqun (the pious), but most of them know not.) (8:34)

مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَن يَعْمُرُواْ مَسَاجِدَ الله شَـهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِم بِالْكُفْرِ أُوْلَـئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ وَفِى النَّارِ هُمْ خَـلِدُونَ - إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَـجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَى الزَّكَوةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ فَعَسَى أُوْلَـئِكَ أَن يَكُونُواْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ

(It is not for the Mushrikin (polytheists), to maintain the Masjids of Allah while they witness against their own selves of disbelief. The works of such are in vain and in Fire shall they abide. The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform the Salah, and give the Zakah and fear none but Allah. It is they who are on true guidance.) (9:17-18)

and,

هُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْىَ مَعْكُوفاً أَن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوْلاَ رِجَالٌ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَآءٌ مُّؤْمِنَـتٌ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَن تَطَئُوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكمْ مِّنْهُمْ مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لِّيُدْخِلَ اللَّهُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَآءُ لَوْ تَزَيَّلُواْ لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ عَذَاباً أَلِيماً

(They are the ones who disbelieved and hindered you from Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (at Makkah) and detained the sacrificial animals, from reaching their place of sacrifice. Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, that you may kill them and on whose account a sin would have been committed by you without (your) knowledge, that Allah might bring into His mercy whom He wills ـ if they (the believers and the disbelievers) had been apart, We verily, would have punished those of them who disbelieved with painful torment) (48:25). Therefore, Allah said here,

إِنَّمَا يَعْمُرُ مَسَـجِدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَوةَ وَءاتَى الزَّكَوةَ وَلَمْ يَخْشَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ

(The Masjids of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day; perform the Salah, and give the Zakah and fear none but Allah). Therefore, if those believers who follow the virtues mentioned in the Ayah were prevented from attending the Masjid, then what cause for destruction is worse than this Maintaining the Masjids not only means beautifying them, but it involves remembering Allah, establishing His Shari`ah in the Masjids and purifying them from the filth of Shirk.

The Good News that Islam shall prevail

Allah said next,

أُوْلَـئِكَ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ أَن يَدْخُلُوهَآ إِلاَّ خَآئِفِينَ

(It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them (Allah's Masjids) except in fear).

This Ayah means, "Do not allow them - the disbelievers - to enter the Masjids, except to satisfy the terms of an armistice or a treaty." When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conquered Makkah in 9 H, he commanded that someone announce at Mina, "After the current year, no idolators shall perform Hajj, and no naked persons shall perform Tawaf around the House, except for those who have a treaty. In this case, the treaty will be carried to the end of its term." This Ayah supports the Ayah,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِنَّمَا الْمُشْرِكُونَ نَجَسٌ فَلاَ يَقْرَبُواْ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ بَعْدَ عَامِهِمْ هَـذَا

(O you who believe! (in Allah's Oneness and in His Messenger Muhammad )! Verily, the Mushrikun (idolators) are Najasun (impure). So let them not come near Al-Masjid-Al-Haram (at Makkah) after this year) (9:28).

It was also said that this Ayah (2:114) carries the good news for the Muslims from Allah that He will allow them to take over Al-Masjid Al-Haram and all the Masjids and disgrace the idolators. Soon after, the Ayah indicated, no idolator shall enter the House, except out of fear of being seized or killed, unless he embraces Islam. Allah fulfilled this promise and later decreed that idolators not be allowed to enter Al-Masjid Al-Haram. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated that no two religions should remain in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Jews and Christians should be expelled from it, all praise is due to Allah. All of these rulings ensure maintaining the honor of Al-Masjid Al-Haram and purifying the area where Allah sent His Messenger to warn and bring good news to all of mankind, may Allah's peace and blessings be on him.

This Ayah also described the disgrace that the disbelievers earn in this life, and that the punishment comes in a form comparable to the deed. Just as they prevented the believers from entering Al-Masjid Al-Haram, they were prevented from entering it in turn. Just as they expelled the believers from Makkah, they were in turn expelled from Makkah,

وَلَهُمْ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

(and they will have a great torment in the Hereafter) because they breached the sanctity of the House and brought filth to it by erecting idols all around it, invoking other than Allah and performing Tawaf around it while naked, etc.

Here it is worth mentioning the Hadith about seeking refuge from disgrace in this life and the torment of the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad recorded that Busr bin Artah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate,

«اللَّهُمَّ أَحْسِنْ عَاقِبَتَنَا فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا وَأَجِرْنَا مِنْ خِزْيِ الدُّنْيَا وَعَذَابِ الْآخِرَة»

(O Allah! Make our end better in all affairs, and save us from disgrace in this life and the torment of the Hereafter.)

This Hadith is Hasan.

Di antara tindakan orang yang paling zalim ialah:

1. Menghalang-halangi orang menyebut nama Allah di dalam masjid-masjid-Nya. Termasuk di dalamnya menghalang-halangi segala perbuatan yang berhubungan dengan urusan agama, seperti mempelajari dan mengamalkan agama, iktikaf ), salat, zikir dan sebagainya.

2.Merobohkan masjid-masjid Allah (tempat ibadah). Termasuk di dalamnya perbuatan, usaha, atau tindakan yang bertujuan untuk merusak, merobohkan, serta menghalang-halangi pendirian masjid dan sebagainya.

Kedua macam perbuatan itu merupakan perbuatan zalim, karena mengakibatkan hilangnya syiar agama Allah. Para mufasir sependapat bahwa ayat di atas mengisyaratkan "tindakan yang umum" dan "tindakan yang khusus".

"Tindakan yang umum" ialah segala macam tindakan yang berhubungan dengan menghalang-halangi manusia beribadah di dalam masjid dan tindakan merobohkan masjid-masjid Allah (tempat ibadah). "Tindakan yang khusus" ialah bahwa ayat di atas diturunkan untuk menjelaskan atau mengisyaratkan bahwa telah terjadi suatu peristiwa dalam sejarah yang sifatnya sama dengan sifat-sifat tindakan atau perbuatan yang disebut di dalam ayat. Para mufasir berbeda pendapat tentang peristiwa yang dimaksud oleh ayat ini.

Pendapat pertama: Ayat di atas mengisyaratkan tindakan orang-orang musyrik Mekah yang menghalang-halangi keinginan Rasulullah saw beserta para sahabatnya yang hendak mengerjakan ibadah umrah pada bulan Zulhijah tahun ke 6 Hijri (bulan Maret 628 M). Sikap kaum Musyrik itu akhirnya melahirkan Perjanjian Hudaibiah ). Timbulnya keinginan itu kembali karena dalam Perjanjian Hudaibiah Nabi Muhammad saw dan para sahabat dibolehkan memasuki kota Mekah pada tahun setelah perjanjian itu ditanda-tangani. Tindakan mereka inilah yang dimaksud Allah dengan menghalang-halangi manusia menyebut nama Allah di dalam Masjidilharam dan usaha merobohkan masjid. )

Pendapat golongan pertama ini selanjutnya menegaskan bahwa pada lanjutan ayat terdapat perkataan:

¦Mereka itu tidak pantas memasukinya kecuali dengan rasa takut (kepada Allah). ¦(al-Baqarah/2:114)

Ayat ini menggambarkan bahwa akan tiba saatnya kaum Muslimin memasuki kota Mekah dengan aman dan tenteram dan orang musyrik Mekah akan memasuki Masjidilharam dengan penuh rasa takut. Hal ini terbukti di kemudian hari dengan terjadinya pembebasan kota Mekah oleh kaum Muslimin dan orang musyrik Mekah meninggalkan agama mereka dan masuk agama Islam.

Pendapat kedua: Ayat di atas mengisyaratkan tindakan raja Titus (70 M) dari bangsa Romawi, anak dari kaisar Vespacianus, yang menghancurkan Haikal Sulaiman dan tempat-tempat ibadah orang-orang Yahudi dan Nasrani di Yerusalem.

Tindakan orang musyrik Mekah menghalang-halangi Rasulullah saw dan kaum Muslimin memasuki kota Mekah untuk melaksanakan ibadah umrah dan tindakan raja Titus menghancurkan Baitulmakdis, termasuk di dalam "tindakan yang umum". Sedang yang dimaksud "tindakan khusus" yang sesuai dengan ayat ini ialah pendapat kedua karena adanya perkataan "merobohkan masjid" Allah di dalam ayat. Kaum musyrik Mekah tidak pernah merobohkan Masjid Allah dalam arti yang sebenarnya; mereka hanya mengotori Baitullah dan menghalangi kaum Muslim beribadah. Sedang Titus dan tentaranya benar-benar telah merobohkan Baitullah di Yerusalem dan membunuh orang-orang yang beribadah kepada Allah.

Lanjutan ayat menerangkan sifat-sifat yang harus dilakukan oleh manusia ketika memasuki masjid Allah, dengan tunduk, patuh dan memurnikan ketaatannya hanya kepada Allah semata. Dari ayat ini dapat dipahami bahwa manusia dilarang memasuki masjid Allah dengan sikap-angkuh dan ria ). Dilarang memasuki masjid orang yang bermaksud menghalangi manusia beribadah di dalamnya, dan orang-orang yang bermaksud merusak atau merobohkannya.

Pada akhir ayat, Allah mengancam orang yang melakukan tindakan-tindakan di atas dengan kehinaan di dunia dan azab yang pedih di akhirat. Kehinaan di dunia mungkin berupa malapetaka, kehancuran dan segala macam kehinaan baik yang langsung atau tidak langsung dirasakan oleh manusia. Bentuk azab di akhirat hanya Allah yang lebih mengetahuinya.

Allah melarang manusia melakukan segala macam tindakan yang berhubungan dengan menghalang-halangi manusia berdoa, salat, iktikaf, mempelajari agama, beribadah dan perbuatan-perbuatan yang lain dalam menegakkan syiar agama Allah di dalam masjid-masjid-Nya serta usaha merusak dan merobohkannya.

Perbuatan itu zalim dalam pandangan Allah, karena langsung atau tidak langsung berakibat lenyapnya agama Allah di bumi. Perbuatan itu demikian zalimnya sehingga Allah mengancam para pelakunya dengan kehinaan di dunia dan azab yang pedih di akhirat. Yang diperintahkan Allah ialah agar manusia memakmurkan masjid-masjid Allah, mendirikan dan memeliharanya dengan baik, masuk ke dalamnya dengan rasa tunduk dan berserah diri kepada Allah.