Surah Al-Isra 17:109

Those Who were given Knowledge before truly admit the Qur'an

Allah says to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:

قُلْ

(Say) O Muhammad to these disbelievers concerning what you have brought to them of this Glorious Qur'an:

ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ

("Believe in it (the Qur'an) or do not believe (in it).) meaning, it is all the same whether you believe in it or not, for it is true in and of itself. It was revealed by Allah, Who mentioned it previously in the Books that He revealed to other Messengers. Hence He says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ

(Verily, those who were given knowledge before it,) meaning righteous people among the People of the Book, who adhered to their Books and appreciated them without distorting them.

إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ

(when it is recited to them,) means, when this Qur'an is recited to them,

يَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا

(fall down on their chins (faces) in humble prostration. ) means, to Allah, in gratitude for the blessing He has bestowed on them by considering them fit to live until they met this Messenger to whom this Book was revealed. Hence they say:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ

(Glory be to our Lord!), meaning, they extol and glorify their Lord for His perfect power and for not delaying the fulfillment of the promise which He made through His earlier Prophets, that He would send Muhammad ﷺ. Hence they said:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً

(Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.)

وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ

(And they fall down on their chins (faces) weeping) means, in submission to Allah, may He be glorified, and in expression of their belief and faith in His Book and His Messenger .

وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا

(and it increases their humility.) means, it increases them in faith and submission. As Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَـهُمْ تَقُوَاهُمْ

(While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their Taqwa. ) (47:17).

وَيَخِرُّونَ

(And they fall down) is a description rather than an action (i.e., this is a further description of their humility as referred to in Ayah 107; it does not imply that they prostrate twice).

Kemudian Allah swt menambahkan dalam ayat ini sifat-sifat yang terpuji pada orang-orang yang diberi ilmu itu. Mereka menelungkupkan muka, bersujud kepada Allah sambil menangis disebabkan bermacam-macam perasaan yang menghentak dada mereka, seperti perasaan takut kepada Allah, dan perasaan syukur atas kelahiran rasul yang dijanjikan. Pengaruh ajaran-ajaran Al-Qur'an meresap ke dalam jiwa mereka ketika mendengar ayat-ayat yang dibacakan, serta menambah kekhusyukan dan kerendahan hati mereka. Dengan demikian, mereka merasakan betapa kecilnya manusia di sisi Allah swt. Demikianlah sifat orang berilmu yang telah mencapai martabat yang mulia. Hatinya menjadi tunduk dan matanya mencucurkan air mata ketika Al-Qur'an dibacakan kepadanya. Mencucurkan air mata ketika mendengar atau membaca Al-Qur'an sangat terpuji dalam pandangan Islam.

Bersabda Rasulullah saw:

Bacalah Al-Qur'an dan menangislah, jika kamu tidak bisa menangis, maka usahakanlah sekuat-kuatnya agar dapat menangis.(Riwayat at-Tirmidzi dari Saad bin Abi Waqash)

Sabda Rasulullah saw lagi:

Dua mata yang tidak disentuh api neraka, yaitu yang menangis karena takut kepada Allah swt, dan mata yang berjaga-jaga di malam hari pada jalan Allah (jihad). (Riwayat at-Tirmidzi dari Ibnu 'Abbas)

Tidaklah masuk neraka seseorang yang menangis karena takut kepada Allah, kecuali bila air susu sapi dapat kembali ke dalam kantong susunya, dan tidaklah berkumpul pada seorang hamba, debu dalam peperangan di jalan Allah dengan asap api neraka. (Riwayat Muslim dan an-Nasa'i dari Abu Hurairah)