Surah Al-Isra 17:77

The Reason why these Ayat were revealed

This was revealed concerning the disbelievers among the Quraysh, when they wanted to expel the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from among themselves. So Allah issued a warning to them in this Ayah, telling them that if they expelled him, they would not stay in Makkah for very long after that. And this is what happened after he migrated from them when their persecution became so intense. Only a year and a half after that, Allah brought him and them together on the battlefield of Badr, without any pre-arranged appointment, and He caused him to prevail over them and defeat them, so he killed their leaders and took their families as captives. Hence Allah said:

سُنَّةَ مَن قَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا

(A Sunnah with which We sent) meaning this is what We usually do to those who reject Our Messengers and persecute them by driving the Messenger out from among themselves - the punishment comes to them. If it were not for the fact that the Prophet was the Messenger of Mercy, vengeance would have come upon them such as had never been seen before in this world. So Allah says:

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ

(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them.) 8:33

أَقِمِ الصَّلَوةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ الَّيْلِ وَقُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

Dalam ayat ini dijelaskan tentang hukum-hukum Allah yang berlaku umum, sebagaimana yang telah dialami oleh para rasul dan nabi sebelum-nya. Mereka mengalami tekanan-tekanan yang berat dan diusir oleh kaum-nya. Tetapi akhirnya, Allah memenangkan kaum Muslimin dan menghukum mereka yang ingkar. Demikian pula Rasulullah saw dan para pengikutnya, mereka tidak luput dari tekanan dan penganiayaan kaum musyrikin Mekah. Namun, hal itu tidak mempengaruhi keteguhan hati Rasulullah dan pengikut-pengikutnya, meskipun mereka terpaksa hijrah. Janji kemenangan dari Allah akan datang pada waktunya, dan musuh-musuh Allah akan mengalami kekalahan yang besar.

Perlu dijelaskan bahwa hukuman dengan memusnahkan mereka yang durhaka seperti yang terjadi pada kaum 'Ad, Samud, kaum Lut, dan lain-lain yang dikenal dengan istilah azab al-isti'shal (hukuman dengan pemusnahan) tidak diberlakukan lagi setelah Rasulullah Muhammad saw diutus karena beliau pembawa rahmat ke seluruh umat manusia, dan adanya harapan bahwa kaum kafir Quraisy atau keturunannya akan masuk Islam.

Allah swt berfirman:

Tetapi Allah tidak akan menghukum mereka, selama engkau (Muhammad) berada di antara mereka. Dan tidaklah (pula) Allah akan menghukum mereka, sedang mereka (masih) memohon ampunan. (al-Anfal/8: 33)