Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:67

Commanding the Prophet to Convey the Message; Promising Him Immunity and Protection

Allah addresses His servant and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ by the title `Messenger' and commands him to convey all that He has sent him, a command that the Prophet has fulfilled in the best manner. Al-Bukhari recorded that `A'ishah said, "Whoever says to you that Muhammad hid any part of what Allah revealed to him, then he is uttering a lie. Allah said,

يَـأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ

(O Messenger! Convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord.)" Al-Bukhari collected the short form of this story here, but mentioned the full narration in another part of his book. Muslim in the Book of Iman, At-Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i in the Book of Tafsir of their Sunans also collected this Hadith. In is recorded in the Two Sahihs that `A'ishah said, "If Muhammad hid anything from the Qur'an, he would have hidden this Ayah,

وَتُخْفِى فِى نِفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَـهُ

(But you did hide in yourself that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people while Allah had a better right that you should fear Him.)" Al-Bukhari recorded that Az-Zuhri said, "From Allah comes the Message, for the Messenger is its deliverance and for us is submission to it." The Ummah of Muhammad has testified that he has delivered the Message and fulfilled the trust, when he asked them during the biggest gathering in his speech during the Farewell Hajj. At that time, there were over forty thousand of his Companions. Muslim recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in his speech on that day,

«أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ مَسْؤُولُونَ عَنِّي، فَمَا أَنْتُمْ قَائِلُونَ؟»

(O people! You shall be asked about me, so what are you going to reply) They said, "We bear witness that you have conveyed (the Message), fulfilled (the trust) and offered sincere advice." The Prophet kept raising his finger towards the sky and then pointing at them, saying,

«اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ؟ اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ؟»

(O Allah! Did I convey O Allah! Did I convey) Allah's statement,

وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ

(And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message.) meaning: If you do not convey to the people what I sent to you, then you have not conveyed My Message. Meaning, the Prophet knows the consequences of this failure. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ

(And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message.) "It means, if you hide only one Ayah that was revealed to you from your Lord, then you have not conveyed His Message." Allah's statement,

وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ

(Allah will protect you from mankind.) means, you convey My Message and I will protect, aid and support you over your enemies and will grant you victory over them. Therefore, do not have any fear or sadness, for none of them will be able to touch you with harm. Before this Ayah was revealed, the Prophet was being guarded, as Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said that the Prophet was vigilant one night when she was next to him; she asked him, "What is the matter, O Allah's Messenger" He said,

«لَيْتَ رَجُلًا صَالِحًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِي يَحْرُسُنِي اللَّيْلَة»

(Would that a pious man from my companions guard me tonight!) She said, "Suddenly we heard the clatter of arms. The Prophet said,

«مَنْ هَذَا؟»

(Who is that".) He (the new comer) replied, "I am Sa`d bin Malik (Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas)." The Prophet asked,

«مَا جَاءَ بِكَ؟»

(What brought you here) He said, "I have come to guard you, Allah's O Messenger." `A'ishah said, "So, the Prophet slept (that night) and I heard the noise of sleep coming from him.)" This Hadith is recorded in Two Sahihs. Another narration for this Hadith reads, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was vigilant one night, after he came to Al-Madinah...", meaning, after the Hijrah and after the Prophet consummated his marriage to `A'ishah in the second year of Hijrah. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `A'ishah said, "The Prophet was being guarded until this Ayah,

وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ

(Allah will protect you from mankind) was revealed." She added; "The Prophet raised his head from the room and said;

«يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ انْصَرِفُوا فَقَدْ عَصَمَنِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَل»

(O people! Go away, for Allah will protect me.)"' At-Tirmidhi recorded it and said,"This Hadith is Gharib." It was also recorded by Ibn Jarir, and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, where he said, "Its chain is Sahih, but they did not record it." Allah's statement,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الْكَـفِرِينَ

(Verily, Allah guides not those who disbelieve.) means, O Muhammad, you convey, and Allah guides whom He wills, and misguides whom He wills. In other Ayat, Allah said,

لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ

(Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills,) and,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(Your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning.)

Ayat ini memerintahkan kepada Nabi Muhammad supaya menyampaikan apa yang telah diturunkan kepadanya tanpa menghiraukan besarnya tantangan di kalangan Ahli Kitab, orang musyrik dan orang-orang fasik.

Ayat ini menganjurkan kepada Nabi Muhammad agar tidak perlu takut menghadapi gangguan dari mereka dalam membentangkan rahasia dan keburukan tingkah laku mereka itu karena Allah menjamin akan memelihara Nabi Muhammad dari gangguan, baik masa sebelum hijrah oleh kafir Quraisy maupun sesudah hijrah oleh orang Yahudi. Apa yang telah diturunkan oleh Allah kepada Muhammad adalah amanat yang wajib disampaikan seluruhnya kepada manusia. Menyampaikan sebagian saja dari amanat-Nya dianggap sama dengan tidak menyampaikan sama sekali. Demikianlah kerasnya peringatan Allah kepada Muhammad. Hal tersebut menunjukkan bahwa tugas menyampaikan amanat adalah kewajiban Rasul. Tugas penyampaian tersebut tidak boleh ditunda meskipun penundaan itu dilakukan untuk menunggu kesanggupan manusia untuk menerimanya, karena masa penundaan itu dapat dianggap sebagai suatu tindakan penyembunyian terhadap amanat Allah.

Ancaman terhadap penyembunyian sebagian amanat Allah sama kerasnya dengan ancaman terhadap sikap sesesorang yang beriman kepada sebagian rasul saja dan beriman kepada sebagian ayat Al-Qur'an saja. Meskipun seorang rasul bersifat maksum yakni terpelihara dari sifat tidak menyampaikan, namun ayat ini menegaskan bahwa tugas menyampaikan amanat adalah kewajiban yang tidak dapat ditawar-tawar atau ditunda-tunda meskipun menyangkut pribadi Rasul sendiri seperti halnya yang kemudian terjadi antara Zainab binti Jahsy dengan Nabi Muhammad sebagaimana yang diuraikan dalam al-Ahzab/33: 37 :

"Dan (ingatlah) ketika engkau (Muhammad) berkata kepada orang yang telah diberi nikmat oleh Allah dan engkau (juga) telah memberi nikmat kepadanya, "pertahankanlah terus istrimu dan bertakwalah kepada Allah", sedang engkau menyembunyikan di dalam hatimu apa yang akan dinyatakan oleh Allah, dan engkau takut kepada manusia padahal Allah lebih berhak engkau takuti. (al-Ahzab/33:37).

Dalam hubungan ini Aisyah dan Anas berkata, "Kalaulah kiranya Nabi Muhammad akan menyembunyikan sesuatu dalam Al-Qur'an, tentu ayat inilah yang disembunyikannya." Dari keterangan 'Aisyah dan Anas ini jelaslah peristiwa yang kemudian terjadi antara Zainab binti Jahsy dengan Zaid ialah perceraian yang berkelanjutan dengan berlakunya kehendak Allah yaitu menikahkan Zainab dengan Nabi Muhammad. Hal tersebut tidak dikemukakan oleh Nabi Muhammad kepada Zaid ketika ia mengadukan peristiwanya kepada Nabi Muhammad pada hal beliau sudah mengetahuinya dengan perantaraan wahyu. Nabi Muhammad saw, menyembunyikan hal-hal yang diketahuinya sesuai dengan kesopanan disamping menghindarkan tuduhan-tuduhan yang dilancarkan oleh golongan orang-orang munafik. Meskipun demikian Nabi Muhammad masih juga menerima kritik Allah seperti diketahui pada ayat dalam surah al-Ahzab tersebut.

Tegasnya, ayat 67 ini mengancam orang-orang yang menyembunyikan amanat Allah sebagaimana tersebut dalam firman-Nya:

"Sungguh, orang-orang yang menyembunyikan apa yang telah Kami turunkan berupa keterangan-keterangan dan petunjuk, setelah Kami jelaskan kepada manusia dalam Kitab (Al-Qur'an), mereka itulah yang dilaknat Allah dan dilaknat (pula) oleh mereka yang melaknat." (al-Baqarah/2:159).

Sejalan dengan ancaman Al-Qur'an ini, Nabi Muhammad bersabda mengingatkan orang-orang yang menyembunyikan ilmu pengetahuan:

Barang siapa ditanya tentang sesuatu ilmu pengetahuan lalu disembunyikannya maka ia akan dikekang pada hari Kiamat dengan kekangan dari api neraka. (Riwayat Abu Daud, at-Tirmidzi dari Abu Hurairah).

Selanjutnya akhir ayat ini menegaskan bahwa Allah tidak akan memberi petunjuk kepada orang-orang kafir yang mengganggu Nabi Muhammad dan pekerjaan mereka itu pastilah sia-sia karena Allah tetap melindungi Nabi-Nya dan tetap akan meninggikan kalimat-Nya.