Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:35

Commanding Taqwa, Wasilah, and Jihad

Allah commands His faithful servants to fear Him in Taqwa, which if mentioned along with acts of obedience, it means to refrain from the prohibitions and the prohibited matters. Allah said next,

وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ

(seek the Wasilah to Him.) Sufyan Ath-Thawri said that Talhah said that `Ata' said that Ibn `Abbas said that Wasilah means `the means of approach'. Mujahid, Abu Wa'il, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Abdullah bin Kathir, As-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and others gave the same meaning for Wasilah. Qatadah said that the Ayah means, "Seek the means of approach to Him by obeying Him and performing the acts that please Him."

أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ

(Those whom they call upon seek a means of access to their Lord (Allah).) 17:57 Wasilah is a means of approach to achieve something, and it is also used to refer to the highest grade in Paradise, and it is the grade of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his residence and the nearest grade in Paradise to Allah's Throne. Al-Bukhari recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ،إِلَّا حَلَّتْ لَهُ الشَّفَاعَةُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»

(Whoever, after hearing to the Adhan says, "O Allah! Lord of this perfect call and of the regular prayer which is going to be established! Grant Muhammad the Wasilah and superiority and send him on the Day of Judgment to the praiseworthy station which You have promised him," then intercession from me will be permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection.) Muslim recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As said that he heard the Prophet saying,

«إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَقُولُوا مِثْلَ مَا يَقُولُ، ثُمَّ صَلُّوا عَلَيَّ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ صَلَاةً صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ عَشْرًا، ثُمَّ سَلُوا لِيَ الْوَسِيلَةَ، فَإِنَّهَا مَنْزِلَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لَا تَنْبَغِي إِلَّا لِعَبْدٍ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللهِ، وَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا هُوَ، فَمَنْ سَأَلَ لِيَ الْوَسِيلَةَ حَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّفَاعَة»

(When you hear the Mu'adhdhin, repeat what he says, and then ask for Salah (blessing, mercy from Allah) for me. Verily, whoever asks for Salah for me, then Allah will grant ten Salah to him. Then, ask for the Wasilah for me, for it is a grade in Paradise that only one servant of Allah deserves, and I hope that I am that servant. Verily, whoever asks (Allah) for Wasilah for me, he will earn the right of my intercession.) Allah said,

وَجَـهِدُواْ فِى سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

(and strive hard in His cause as much as you can. So that you may be successful.) After Allah commanded Muslims to avoid the prohibitions and to work towards obedience, He commanded them to fight against their enemies, the disbelievers and idolators who have deviated from the straight path and abandoned the correct religion. Allah encouraged the believers by reminding them of the unending success and great happiness that He prepared for them for the Day of Resurrection, which will never change or decrease for those who join Jihad in His cause. They will remain in the lofty rooms of Paradise that are safe and beautiful. Those who live in these dwellings will always be comfortable and will never be miserable, living, never dying, and their clothes will never grow thin, nor will their youth ever end.

No Amount of Ransom Shall Be Accepted from the Disbelievers onthe Day of the Judgment and They Will Remain in the Fire

Allah then describes the painful torment and punishment that He has prepared for His disbelieving enemies for the Day of Resurrection. Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ مَّا فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعاً وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ لِيَفْتَدُواْ بِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ مَا تُقُبِّلَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(Verily, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would never be accepted of them. And theirs would be a painful torment.) So if a disbeliever brought the earth's fill of gold, and twice as much as that amount on the Day of Judgment to ransom himself from Allah's torment that has surrounded him, and he is certain that he will suffer from it, it will not be accepted of him. Rather, there is no escaping the torment, and he will not be able to evade or save himself from it. Hence Allah's statement,

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(And theirs would be a painful torment.) meaning, hurtful,

يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا هُم بِخَـرِجِينَ مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ

(They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out therefrom, and theirs will be a lasting torment.) In another Ayah, Allah said,

كُلَّمَآ أَرَادُواْ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُواْ فِيهَا

(Every time they seek to get away therefrom, in anguish, they will be driven back therein.) Therefore, they will still long to leave the torment because of the severity and the pain it causes. They will have no way of escaping it. The more the flames lift them to the upper part of Hell, the more the angels of punishment will strike them with iron bars and they will fall down to its depths,

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّقِيمٌ

(And theirs will be a lasting torment.) meaning, eternal and everlasting, and they will never be able to depart from it or avoid it. Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيُقَالُ لَهُ:يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ كَيْفَ وَجَدْتَ مَضْجَعَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: شَرَّ مَضْجَعٍ، فَيُقَالُ: هَلْ تَفْتَدِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ ذَهَبًا؟ قَالَ: فَيَقُولُ: نَعَمْ يَارَبِّ فَيَقُولُ اللهُ: كَذَبْتَ، قَدْ سَأَلْتُكَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ذلِكَ فَلَمْ تَفْعَلْ، فَيُؤْمَرُ بِهِ إِلَى النَّار»

(A man from the people of the Fire will be brought forth and will be asked, `O son of Adam! How did you find your dwelling' He will say, `The worst dwelling.' He will be told, `Would you ransom yourself with the earth's fill of gold' He will say, `Yes, O Lord!' Allah will say to him, `You have lied. I asked you for what is less than that and you did not do it,' and he will be ordered to the Fire.) Muslim and An-Nasa'i recorded it.

Allah memerintahkan orang-orang mukmin supaya selalu berhati-hati, mawas diri jangan sampai terlibat di dalam suatu pelanggaran, melakukan larangan-larangan agama yang telah diperintahkan Allah untuk menjauhinya.

Menurut sebagian mufasir, menjauhi larangan Allah lebih berat dibandingkan dengan mematuhi perintah-Nya. Tidak heran kalau di dalam Al-Qur'an, kata ittaqu yang maksudnya supaya kita menjaga diri jangan sampai melakukan larangan agama, disebut berulang sampai 69 kali, sedang kata ati'u yang berarti supaya kita patuh kepada perintah agama hanya disebutkan 19 kali.

Di samping menjaga diri memperketat terhadap hal-hal yang mungkin menyebabkan kita berbuat pelanggaran atau ketentuan-ketentuan agama, kita harus pula selalu mencari jalan untuk mendekatkan diri kepada Allah yaitu dengan jalan melaksanakan perintah-Nya dan mengamalkan segala sesuatu yang diridai.

Ibnu 'Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Wali, al-hasan, Zaid, 'Ata, as-sauri dan lain-lain, mengartikan al-wasilah di dalam ayat ini dengan mendekatkan diri. Mengenai pengertian ini, Ibnu Kasir dalam tafsirnya (2/52), berkata:

Pengertian yang telah diberikan oleh para imam ini, tidak terdapat perbedaan antara para mufasir.

Kata wasilah ada kalanya berarti tempat tertinggi di surga, sebagaimana sabda Rasulullah saw:

"Apabila engkau bersalawat kepadaku, maka mintakanlah untukku "wasilah". Lalu beliau ditanya: "Wahai Rasullullah, apakah wasilah itu?." Rasullulah menjawab, "Wasilah itu ialah derajat yang paling tinggi di Surga tidak ada yang akan mencapainya kecuali seorang saja dan saya berharap, sayalah orang itu." (Riwayat Ahmad dari Abu Hurairah).

Menjauhi dan meninggalkan larangan Allah serta melaksanakan perintah-Nya adalah hal-hal yang tidak mudah, karena nafsu yang ada pada tiap manusia itu selalu mengajak melakukan hal-hal yang bertentangan dengan yang baik, yaitu melanggar dan meninggalkan perintah Allah sebagaimana firman-Nya:

"Sesungguhnya nafsu itu selalu menyuruh kepada kejahatan." (Yusuf /12:53).

Oleh karena itu kita harus berjuang untuk mengekang hawa nafsu, mengatasi segala kesulitan dan mengelakkan semua rintangan yang akan menyebabkan kita bergeser dari jalan Allah agar kita berada di atas garis yang telah ditetapkan. Dengan demikian kita akan memperoleh kebahagiaan yang telah dijanjikan oleh Allah.