Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:54

Threatening to Replace the Believers With Another People if They Revert from Islam

Allah emphasizes His mighty ability and states that whoever reverts from supporting His religion and establishing His Law, then Allah will replace them with whomever is better, mightier and more righteous in Allah's religion and Law. Allah said in other Ayat,

الْفُقَرَآءُ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْاْ يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُونُواْ

(And if you turn away, He will exchange you for some other people and they will not be your likes.) and,

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالأَرْضَ بِالْحقِّ إِن يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَأْتِ بِخَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ - وَمَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ بِعَزِيزٍ

(Do you not see that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with truth If He will, He can remove you and bring (in your place) a new creation! And for Allah that is not hard or difficult.)14:19-20. Verily this is not difficult or hard on Allah. Allah said here,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ

(O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion...) and turns back from the truth to falsehood, from now until the commencement of the Last Hour. Allah said next,

أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَـفِرِينَ

(humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers.) These are the qualities of perfect believers, as they are humble with their believing brothers and allies, stern with their enemies and adversaries. In another Ayah, Allah said,

مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ

(Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.) The Prophet is described as the smiling fighter, smiling to his allies and fighting his enemies. Allah's statement,

يُجَـهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ يَخَـفُونَ لَوْمَةَ لائِمٍ

(Fighting in the way of Allah, and never fearing the blame of the blamers.) Nothing prevents them from obeying Allah, establishing His Law, fighting His enemies, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil. Certainly, nothing prevents them from taking this path, neither someone who seeks to hinder them, nor one who blames or chastises them. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr said, "My Khalil (intimate friend, the Messenger) has commanded me to do seven deeds. He commanded me to love the poor and to be close to them. He commanded me to look at those who are less than me and not those who are above me. He commanded me to keep the relations of the womb, even if they cut it. He commanded me not to ask anyone for anything, to say the truth even if it was bitter, and to not fear the blame of anyone for the sake of Allah. He commanded me to often repeat, `La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no strength or power except from Allah)', for these words are from a treasure under the Throne (of Allah)." It is confirmed in the Sahih;

«مَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُؤْمِنِ أَنْ يُذِلَّ نَفْسَه»

(The believer is not required to humiliate himself.) He was asked; "How does one humiliate himself, O Messenger of Allah" So he replied;

«يَتَحَمَّلُ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ مَا لَا يُطِيق»

(He takes on tests that he cannot bear.)

ذلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ

(That is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He wills.) meaning, those who have these qualities, acquired it by Allah's bounty and favor and because He granted them these qualities.

وَاللَّهُ وَسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower,) His favor is ever extending, and He has perfect knowledge of those who deserve or do not deserve His favor and bounty. Allah's statement,

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(Verily, your Protector is Allah, His Messenger, and the believers...) means, the Jews are not your friends. Rather, your allegiance is to Allah, His Messenger and the faithful believers.

الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَوةَ

(those who perform the Salah, and give the Zakah...) referring to the believers who have these qualities and establish the prayer, which is one of the most important pillars of Islam, for it includes worshipping Allah alone without partners. They pay Zakah, which is the right of the creation and a type of help extended to the needy and the poor. As for Allah's statement,

وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

(and they bow down,) some people thought that they give the Zakah while bowing down. If this were the case, then paying the Zakah while bowing would be the best form of giving Zakah. No scholar from whom religious rulings are taken says this, as much as we know. Therefore,

وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ

(and they bow down,) means, they attend the prayer in congregation in Allah's Masjids and spend by way of charity on the various needs of Muslims. Allah said;

وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ

(And whosoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed, as protectors, then the party of Allah will be the victorious.) similarly Allah said;

كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لاّغْلِبَنَّ أَنَاْ وَرُسُلِى إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ - لاَّ تَجِدُ قَوْماً يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنْ حَآدَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُواْ ءَابَآءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَنَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ أُوْلَـئِكَ كَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الإِيمَـنَ وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ أَلاَ إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

(Allah has decreed: "Verily, it is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious." Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty. You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a Ruh (proof) from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow to dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the party of Allah. Verily, it is the party of Allah that will be the successful.) Therefore, those who accept the allegiance of Allah - His Messenger and the faithful believers - will gain success in this life and the Hereafter. Hence Allah's statement here,

وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَـلِبُونَ

(And whosoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed, as protectors, then the party of Allah will be the victorious.)

Dalam ayat ini terkandung berita tantangan yang akan terjadi, yaitu akan murtadnya sebagian orang mukmin. Mereka akan keluar dari Islam dengan terang-terangan. Keluarnya mereka dari Islam, tidaklah akan membahayakan orang mukmin, tetapi sebaliknya yang akan terjadi, yaitu Allah akan menggantinya dengan orang-orang yang lebih kuat imannya dan Iebih baik amal perbuatannya, sebagai pengganti mereka yang murtad itu.

Menurut riwayat Ibnu Jarir dari Qatadah, diceritakan bahwa setelah ayat ini diturunkan, beberapa kelompok manusia akan murtad, keluar dari agama Islam. Peristiwa itu kemudian benar-benar terjadi, ketika Nabi Muhammad saw. berpulang ke rahmatullah, murtadlah sebagian orang Islam, terkecuali dari tiga tempat, yaitu penduduk Medinah, penduduk Mekah dan penduduk Bahrain. Di antara tanda-tanda murtad mereka ialah bahwa mereka tidak mau lagi mengeluarkan zakat. Mereka mengatakan: "Kami akan tetap salat, tetapi kami tidak mau mengeluarkan zakat. Demi Allah, harta kami tidak boleh dirampas." Maka Khalifah Abu Bakar ketika itu terpaksa mengambil tindakan keras. Orang-orang yang murtad itu diperangi, sehingga di antara mereka ada yang mati, ada yang terbakar dan ada pula yang ditangkap, dan akhirnya mereka kembali bersedia membayar zakat.

Peristiwa terjadinya kemurtadan ini banyak sekali. Di dalam sejarah disebutkan bahwa pada masa Nabi Muhammad saw. masih hidup telah terjadi tiga kali peristiwa murtad, yaitu:

1.Golongan Bani Madzhij yang dipelopori oleh Zulkhimar, yaitu al-Aswad al-Ansi seorang tukang tenung. Dia mengaku sebagai nabi di Yaman, dia dibunuh oleh salah seorang dari Muslimin.

2.Golongan Bani Hanifah, yaitu Musailimah al-Kadzdzab, Musailimah mengaku dirinya sebagai nabi. Dia pernah berkirim surat kepada Nabi Muhammad saw. mengajak beliau untuk membagi dua kekuasaan di negeri Arab. Dia memerintah separuh negeri dan Nabi Muhammad saw. memerintah sisanya. Nabi Muhammad saw. membalas suratnya dengan mengatakan bahwa bumi ini adalah kepunyaan Allah dan Allah akan mempusakakan bumi ini kepada siapa yang dikehendaki di antara hamba-Nya dan bahwa kemenangan terakhir akan berada pada orang yang bertakwa kepada-Nya. Akhirnya Musailimah diperangi oleh Khalifah Abu Bakar dan ia mati dibunuh oleh Wahsyi yang dulu pernah membunuh Hamzah, paman Nabi dalam Perang Uhud.

3.Golongan Bani Asad, pemimpinnya bernama thulaihah bin Khuwailid, dia juga mengaku dirinya menjadi nabi, maka Abu Bakar memeranginya dengan memerintahkan Khalid bin Walid untuk membunuhnya. Dia mundur dan lari ke negeri Syam dan akhirnya dia kembali menjadi seorang Muslim yang baik.

Sesudah Nabi Muhammad saw. meninggal, pada masa Khalifah Abu Bakar, banyak terjadi golongan-golongan yang murtad terdiri dari 7 golongan, yaitu: (1) Gatafan, (2) Khuza'ah, (3) Bani Sulaim, (4) Bani Yarbu', (5) sebagian Bani Tamim, (6) Kindah, dan (7) Bani Bakr.

Orang-orang yang menggantikan orang-orang murtad itu selalu mengatakan kebenaran dan membantu perjuangan Islam, ditandai oleh Allah dengan enam sifat yang penting, yaitu:

1.Allah mencintai mereka, karena keimanan dan keyakinan mereka dalam berjuang.

2.Mereka cinta kepada Allah, karena perintah Allah lebih diutamakan dari urusan-urusan yang lain,

3.Mereka bersikap lemah lembut terhadap orang mukmin,

4.Mereka bersikap keras dan tegas terhadap orang kafir.

5.Berjihad fi sabilillah, yaitu bersungguh-sungguh dalam menegakkan agama Allah, mau berkorban dengan harta dan dirinya dan tidak takut berperang menghadapi musuh agama,

6.Mereka tidak takut terhadap cacian dan celaan, tidak takut kepada gertakan dan ancaman. Sebab mereka senantiasa dalam beramal, berjuang, bukan mencari pujian dan sanjungan manusia, bukan juga mencari pangkat dan kedudukan dan bukan pula mencari nama dan pengaruh. Yang mereka cari hanyalah keridaan Allah semata.

Sifat-sifat yang tersebut di atas adalah karunia Allah kepada hamba-Nya yang dikehendaki. Dengan sifat-sifat itulah derajat seseorang menjadi tinggi dan mulia di hadapan manusia, dan lebih-lebih di hadapan Allah yang mempunyai karunia yang besar. Semuanya itu akan dapat diperoleh dengan jalan mendekatkan diri kepada Allah serta memperbanyak ibadah dan bersyukur.