Surah Al-Fath 48:16

Allah conveys the News that there will be Many Cases of Jihad, and that Jihad distinguishes the Ranks of the Believers and exposes the Hypocrite

Scholars of Tafsir differ over who the people mentioned here are. They are people experienced at warfare who will be called to fight. There are many opinions, first, they are the tribe of Hawazin, as Shu`bah narrated from Abu Bishr from Sa`id bin Jubayr, or `Ikrimah, or both of them. Hushaym narrated this explanation from Abu Bishr, from both Sa`id bin Jubayr and `Ikrimah. Qatadah, as narrated from him in one version, held the same view. The second view is that these people are the tribe of Thaqif, according to Ad-Dahhak. The third view is that they are Banu Hanifah, according to Juwaybir and Az-Zuhri, as Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated from him. Similar was narrated from Sa`id bin Jubayr and `Ikrimah. The fourth opinion is that they are the Persians, according to `Ali bin Abi Talhah who reported that from `Abdullah bin `Abbas. This is also the view of `Ata', Mujahid, and `Ikrimah. Ka`b Al-Ahbar said that they are the Romans, while Ibn Abi Layla, `Ata, Al-Hasan and Qatadah -- in a different narration from him, said that they are the Persians and Romans. Mujahid also said that they are the idolators. In another narration Mujahid said, "They are men given to great warfare," and did not specify any particular people. This last explanation is the view preferred by Ibn Jurayj and Ibn Jarir. Allah's statement,

(Then you shall fight them, or they shall surrender.) means, `you are called to fight them in Jihad, through constant warfare, until you become victorious over them or they surrender. Or, they will embrace your religion without a fight, but with their full consent.' Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said next,

(Then if you obey,) `if you accept the call to Jihad and prepare for it and fulfill your duty in this regard,'

(Allah will give you a fair reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before,) `on the day of Al-Hudaybiyyah, when you were called to Jihad, yet lagged behind,'

(He will punish you with a painful torment.)

Acceptable Reasons for not joining Jihad

Allah then mentions the legal reasons that allow one to be excused from joining the Jihad, such as blindness and being lame, and various illnesses that strike one and are remedied in few days. When one is ill, he is allowed to remain behind and will have a valid excuse to do so, until his illness ends. Allah the Exalted and Most honored then said, while ordaining joining the Jihad and obeying Allah and His Messenger ,

(And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and whosoever turns back,) from joining the Jihad and busies himself in his livelihood,

(He will punish him with a painful torment.) in this life with humiliation and in the Hereafter with the Fire. Allah the Exalted has the best knowledge.

Ayat ini seakan-akan menguji isi hati dan kemauan orang-orang munafik Arab Badui, dengan memerintahkan Rasulullah agar mengatakan bahwa jika mereka benar-benar ingin bergabung dengan barisan kaum Muslimin, maka mereka akan diajak memerangi orang-orang yang mempunyai kekuatan yang besar. Mereka diharuskan untuk memerangi musuh itu kecuali kalau mereka menyerah dan memeluk agama Islam.

Kemudian kepada orang-orang Arab Badui itu dijanjikan bahwa jika mereka ikut berjihad, Allah akan melimpahkan nikmat-Nya kepada mereka, baik di dunia berupa kemenangan dan harta rampasan, maupun di akhirat berupa surga yang penuh kenikmatan. Sebaliknya jika mereka menyalahi perintah Allah, tidak mau berjihad, dan melaksanakan perintah itu, mereka akan menerima azab yang pedih di akhirat.

Dengan ayat ini, seakan-akan Allah memberikan kesempatan bertobat kepada mereka dengan menerima ajakan jihad itu. Akan tetapi, di wajah mereka tampak keingkaran dan ketakutan untuk menerima ajakan dan kesempatan bertobat itu.

Maksud "kaum yang mempunyai kekuatan" di sini ialah orang-orang kafir Mekah. Sedangkan menurut sebagian yang lain mengartikan suku Hawazin dan Bani hanifah di Nejed.