Surah Al-Hashr 59:16

The False Promise of Support the Hypocrites gave to the Jews

Allah states that the hypocrites, `Abdullah bin Ubayy and his like, sent a messenger to Bani An-Nadir promising them help. Allah the Exalted said,

(Have you not observed the hypocrites who say to their friends among the People of the Scripture who disbelieve: "If you are expelled, we indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you; and if you are attacked, we shall indeed help you.") Allah then said,

(But Allah is Witness that they verily are liars.) meaning, the hypocrites lied when they issued this promise, because it was just words that they did not intend to fulfill. Also, what they said they would do, would never have been fulfilled by them, and this is why Allah said,

(and if they are attacked, they will never help them.) meaning, the hypocrites will not fight along with the Jews,

(And (even) if they do help them, ) and even if the hypocrites did fight along their side,

(they will turn their backs, and they will not be victorious.) This Ayah contains good news, just as the good news that this following Ayah conveys,

(Verily, you are more fearful in their breasts than Allah.) meaning, the hypocrites fear you more than they fear Allah, as He says;

(Behold! a section of them fear men as they fear Allah or even more.)(4:77) This is why Allah said,

(That is because they are a people who comprehend not.) Allah then said,

(They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls.) meaning, they will not fight Muslims except from behind besieged fortified forts, because of their cowardice and fear of Muslims. They only fight when they have to defend themselves (even though they threaten Muslims of reprisals). Allah the Exalted said,

(Their enmity among themselves is very great.) meaning, the enmity they feel against each other is intense,

(And make you to taste the violence of one another.)(6:65) Allah said in the Ayah,

(You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided.) meaning, even though one might see them combining forces and think that these forces are harmonious, yet in reality, they are divided severely. Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites and the People of the Scriptures,

(That is because they are a people who understand not.) Allah said,

(They are like their immediate predecessors; they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and for them a painful torment.) referring to the Jewish tribe of Bani Qaynuqa`, according to Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Muhammad bin Ishaq.

The Parable of the Hypocrites and the Jews

Allah said,

(Like Shaytan, when he says to man: "Disbelieve." But when (man) disbelieves, Shaytan says: "I am free of you...") meaning, the example of the Jews being deceived by the promises of the hypocrites, who said that they will help them if Muslims fight them, is that of the devil. When matters got serious and the Jews were besieged, the hypocrites betrayed them and abandoned them to taste utter defeat. Likewise, the devil lures mankind into disbelief and when they obey him, he disowns them and declares himself free of their actions, saying,

(I fear Allah, the Lord of all that exists!) Allah said,

(So, the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein.) meaning, the end of both he, Shaytan, who commanded that dis- belief be committed, and those who accep- ted his call, was in the fire of Hell forever,

(Such is the recompense of the wrongdoers. ) means, this is the recompense of every unjust person.

Ayat ini menjelaskan bahwa perbuatan khianat orang-orang munafik yang berjanji akan menolong Bani Nadhir bila diserang kaum Muslimin dan ikut mereka bila diusir dari Medinah, adalah seperti perbuatan setan.

Setan selalu merayu manusia agar mengingkari Allah dan tidak mengikuti agama yang telah disampaikan rasul-Nya. Akan tetapi, bila manusia itu memerlukan pertolongan dalam menghadapi kesengsaraan dan malapetaka yang datang kepada mereka, setan berlepas diri dan tidak menepati janjinya. Mereka bahkan berkata, "Sesungguhnya aku takut kepada Allah Tuhan semesta alam."

Allah menyamakan orang-orang munafik dengan setan untuk menunjukkan bahwa sifat-sifat orang-orang munafik itu sama dengan sifat-sifat setan. Setan yang durhaka mematuhi hukum-hukum Allah, percaya bahwa Allah itu ada, Maha Esa, dan hanya Dia yang berhak disembah. Setan juga percaya bahwa syarat-syarat memperoleh kebahagiaan hidup di dunia dan di akhirat hanya dengan mengikuti agama Allah. Akan tetapi, mereka adalah kaum yang fasik. Mereka mengetahui kebenaran sesuatu tetapi tidak melaksanakannya. Demikian pula halnya dengan orang-orang munafik, mereka tahu mana yang benar dan mana yang salah, tetapi mereka tidak melaksanakan kebenaran itu. Mereka bahkan melakukan perbuatan-perbuatan menghasut dan terlarang. Allah berfirman:

Dan setan berkata ketika perkara (hisab) telah diselesaikan, "Sesungguhnya Allah telah menjanjikan kepadamu janji yang benar, dan aku pun telah menjanjikan kepadamu, tetapi aku menyalahinya. Tidak ada kekuasaan bagiku terhadapmu, melainkan (sekedar) aku menyeru kamu lalu kamu mematuhi seruanku, oleh sebab itu janganlah kamu mencerca aku, tetapi cercalah dirimu sendiri. Aku tidak dapat menolongmu, dan kamu pun tidak dapat menolongku. Sesungguhnya aku tidak membenarkan perbuatanmu mempersekutukan aku (dengan Allah) sejak dahulu." Sungguh, orang yang zalim akan mendapat siksaan yang pedih. (Ibrahim/14: 22)

Jadi bentuk perumpamaan dalam ayat ini ialah orang-orang munafik diserupakan dengan setan. Orang-orang Yahudi Bani Nadhir disamakan dengan orang-orang yang teperdaya oleh bujukan setan. Ketakutan mereka kepada kaum Muslimin disamakan dengan ketakutan mereka kepada Allah, bahkan lebih dari itu.