Surah Al-Isra 17:7

It was mentioned in the Tawrah that the Jews would spread Mischief twice

Allah tells us that He made a declaration to the Children of Israel in the Scripture, meaning that He had already told them in the Book which He revealed to them, that they would cause mischief on the earth twice, and would become tyrants and extremely arrogant, meaning they would become shameless oppressors of people, Allah says:

وَقَضَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ الاٌّمْرَ أَنَّ دَابِرَ هَـؤُلآْءِ مَقْطُوعٌ مُّصْبِحِينَ

(And We made known this decree to him, that the root of those (sinners) was to be cut off in the early morning.)(15:66), meaning, We already told him about that and informed him of it.

The First Episode of Mischief caused by the Jews, and their Punishment for it

فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ أُولَـهُمَا

(So, when the promise came for the first of the two) meaning the first of the two episodes of mischief.

بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَآ أُوْلِى بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ

(We sent against you servants of Ours given to terrible warfare.) means, `We unleashed soldiers against you from among Our creatures who were given to terrible warfare,' i.e., they had great strength and weapons and power. They entered the very innermost parts of your homes, meaning they took possession of your land and invaded the very innermost parts of your homes, going between and through your houses, coming and going freely with no fear of anyone. This was the promise (completely) fulfilled. The earlier and later commentators differed over the identity of these invaders. Many Isra'iliyyat (reports from Jewish sources) were narrated about this, but I did not want to make this book too long by mentioning them, because some of them are fabricated, concocted by their heretics, and others may be true, but we have no need of them, praise be to Allah. What Allah has told us in His Book (the Qur'an) is sufficient and we have no need of what is in the other books that came before. Neither Allah nor His Messenger required us to refer to them. Allah told His Messenger that when (the Jews) committed transgression and aggression, Allah gave their enemies power over them to destroy their country and enter the innermost parts of their homes. Their humiliation and subjugation was a befitting punishment, and your Lord is never unfair or unjust to His servants. They had rebelled and killed many of the Prophets and scholars. Ibn Jarir recorded that Yahya bin Sa`id said: "I heard Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib saying: `Nebuchadnezzar conquered Ash-Sham (Greater Syria, including Palestine), destroying Jerusalem and killing them, then he came to Damascus and found blood boiling in a censer. He asked them: What is this blood They said: We found our forefathers doing this. Because of that blood, he killed seventy thousand of the believers and others, then the blood stopped boiling. This report is Sahih from Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, and this event is well-known, as he (Nebuchadnezzar) killed their nobles and scholars, and did not leave alive anyone who knew the Tawrah by heart. He took many prisoners from the sons of the Prophets and others, and did many other things that would take too long to mention here. If we had found anything that was correct or close enough, we could have written it and reported it here. And Allah knows best. Then Allah says:

إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لاًّنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا

((And We said): "If you do good, you do good for your own selves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves.") As Allah says elsewhere:

مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا

(Whosoever does a righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit of) himself; and whosoever does evil, it is against himself.) 45:15

The Second Episode of Mischief

Then Allah says:

فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ الاٌّخِرَةِ

(Then, when the second promise came to pass,) meaning, the second episode of mischief, when your enemies came again,

لِيَسُوءُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ

((We permitted your enemies) to disgrace your faces) meaning, to humiliate you and subdue you,

وَلِيَدْخُلُواْ الْمَسْجِدَ

(and to enter the Masjid) meaning, Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).

كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

(as they had entered it before,) when they entered the very innermost parts of your homes.

وَلِيُتَبِّرُواْ

(and to destroy) wrecking and inflicting ruin upon it.

مَا عَلَوْاْ

(all that fell in their hands.) everything they could get their hands on.

تَتْبِيرًاعَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يَرْحَمَكُمْ

(with utter destruction. It may be that your Lord may show mercy unto you) meaning that He may rid you of them.

وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا

(but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our punishment).) meaning, if you return to causing mischief,

عُدْنَا

(We shall return) means, We `will once again punish you in this world, along with the punishment and torment We save for you in the Hereafter.'

وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ حَصِيرًا

(And We have made Hell a prison Hasir for the disbelievers.) meaning, a place of permanent detention, a prison which cannot be avoided or escaped. Ibn `Abbas said, "Hasir here means a jail." Mujahid said, "They will be detained in it." Others said like- wise. Al-Hasan said, "Hasir means a bed of Fire." Qatadah said: "The Children of Israel returned to aggres- sion, so Allah sent this group against them, Muhammad ﷺ and his companions, who made them pay the Jizyah, with willing submission, and feeling themselves subdued."

Allah menegaskan bahwa apabila Bani Israil berbuat baik, maka hasil kebaikan itu untuk mereka sendiri. Namun demikian, ketentuan yang terdapat dalam ayat ini tidak khusus untuk mereka sendiri, melainkan berlaku umum untuk seluruh manusia sepanjang masa. Dengan demikian, apabila manusia berbuat baik atau berbuat kebajikan, maka balasan dari kebajikan itu akan dirasakannya, baik di dunia maupun di akhirat.

Kebaikan yang akan mereka terima di dunia ialah mereka akan menjadi umat yang kuat mempertahankan diri dari maksud jahat yang direncanakan oleh para musuh mereka. Mereka akan memperoleh kesempatan untuk melipatgandakan harta sebagai sarana hidup, dan melanjutkan keturunan sebagai khalifah di muka bumi. Mereka akan menjadi bangsa yang kuat, yang dapat mewujudkan budaya yang tinggi untuk lebih menggairahkan kehidupan mereka, dan menjamin kelancaran usaha dan ibadah mereka kepada Allah swt. Sedangkan kebahagiaan yang abadi adalah surga yang penuh dengan kenikmatan yang disediakan dan dijanjikan kepada mereka, sebagai bukti keridaan Allah swt atas kebajikan yang mereka lakukan.

Apabila mereka berbuat jahat dengan melakukan perbuatan yang bertentangan dengan wahyu dan fitrah kejadian mereka sendiri, seperti menentang kebenaran dan norma-norma dalam tata kehidupan mereka sendiri, maka akibat dari perbuatan mereka itu adalah kemurkaan Allah kepada mereka.

Dengan demikian, mereka akan menjadi bangsa yang bercerai-berai karena diperbudak hawa nafsu, sehingga kelompok yang satu berusaha menundukkan kelompok yang lain. Itulah sebabnya mereka tidak dapat mempertahankan kelangsungan hidup dan diri mereka dari kehancuran dan maksud-maksud jahat musuh. Mereka akan menjadi bangsa yang tertindas dan terjajah. Sedang keburukan yang mereka rasakan di akhirat ialah azab api neraka sebagai siksaan yang paling pedih.

Lalu Allah mengungkapkan kembali hukuman sebagai akibat kejahatan yang dilakukan Bani Israil untuk kedua kalinya. Pada saat itu, Allah membiarkan mereka dalam keadaan kacau-balau ketika musuh-musuh datang untuk menaklukkan mereka. Kekalahan kedua ini benar-benar mereka rasakan sebagai penderitaan yang tiada tara dan mempermalukan mereka. Musuh memasuki Masjidil Aqsa secara paksa dan sewenang-wenang untuk merampas kekayaan yang mereka simpan dan menghancurkan syiar-syiar agama mereka, seperti yang dilakukan pada penaklukan pertama. Dengan demikian, mereka merasakan penderitaan yang berlipat ganda. Mereka mengalami penderitaan materil berupa kehilangan kekuasaan, harta benda, dan wanita-wanita yang dijadikan tawanan oleh musuh. Mereka juga mengalami penderitaan moril karena tempat-tempat suci dan lambang-lambang kesucian agama mereka dilecehkan dan dihancurkan.

Menurut sejarah, yang menghancurkan mereka untuk kedua kalinya adalah bangsa Romawi yang kemudian menguasai Palestina. Mereka membunuh dan menawan orang-orang Yahudi serta menghancurkan Baitul Makdis dan kota-kota yang lain. Kaisar Romawi pertama yang memasuki Baitul Makdis adalah Kaisar Titus pada tahun 70 Masehi. Ia membakar Masjidil Aqsa, dan merampas barang-barang berharga yang terdapat di dalamnya, sehingga dalam peristiwa ini kurang lebih 1 juta orang Yahudi tewas. Selanjutnya Kaisar Hadrianus yang memerintah dari tahun 117 sampai dengan 158 Masehi, juga menguasai Baitul Makdis dan melakukan berbagai tindakan perusakan di masjid itu.

Hadrianus mengubah kota ini menjadi Aelina Capitolian (kota Aelina). Masjidil Aqsa diruntuhkan dan di atasnya didirikan sebuah bangunan yang dinamai Yupiter Capitolina. Lalu kerajaan Yahudi juga dihancurkan sehingga bangsa Yahudi tidak mempunyai kerajaan lagi. Mereka bercerai-berai ke segenap penjuru dunia. Peristiwa ini terjadi tahun 132 Masehi.