Surah Al-Mujadila 58:11

Manners for Assemblies

Allah teaches His servants good manners and orders them to be kind to each other when they are sitting together,

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُواْ فِى الْمَجَـلِسِ

(O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies,)

فَافْسَحُواْ يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

(make room. Allah will give you room.) Indeed, the reward or recompense depends on the type of action. In a Hadith, the Prophet said,

«مَنْ بَنَىىِللهِ مَسْجِدًا بَنَى اللهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّة»

(Whoever builds a Masjid for Allah, Allah builds for him a house in Paradise.) In another Hadith, the Prophet said,

«وَمَنْ يَسَّرَ عَلى مُعْسِرٍ يَسَّرَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْاخِرَةِ، وَاللهُ فِي عَوْنِ الْعَبْدِ مَا كَانَ الْعَبْدُ فِي عَوْنِ أَخِيه»

(He who relieves a difficulty for a person living in straitened circumstances, then Allah will relieve the difficulties of this life and the Hereafter for him. Surely, Allah helps the servant as long as the servant helps his brother.) There are many similar Hadiths. This is why Allah the Exalted said,

فَافْسَحُواْ يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

(make room. Allah will give you room.) Qatadah said, "This Ayah was revealed about gatherings in places where Allah is being remembered. When someone would come to join in assemblies with the Messenger , they would hesitate to offer them space so that they would not loose their places. Allah the Exalted commanded them to spread out and make room for each other." Imam Ahmad and Imam Ash-Shafi`i recorded that `Abdullah bin `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«لَا يُقِمِ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ فَيَجْلِسَ فِيهِ، وَلَكِنْ تَفَسَّحُوا وَتَوَسَّعُوا»

(One of you should not remove someone from his place and sit in it, but instead, spread out and make room.) This Hadith is recorded in the Two Sahihs. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

«لَا يُقِمِ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فِيهِ، وَلَكِنِ افْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللهُ لَكُم»

(A man should not remove another man from his place and then sit in it. Rather spread out and make room and Allah will make room for you.) Imam Ahmad also recorded this Hadith with the wording:

«لَا يَقُومُ الرَّجُلُ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ، وَلَكِنِ افْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللهُ لَكُم»

(A man should not leave his place for another man, but rather spread out and make room, and Allah will make room for you)." It has been reported that Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others said that:

إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُواْ فِى الْمَجَـلِسِ فَافْسَحُواْ يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

(When you are told to make room in the assemblies, make room. Allah will give you room.) means to war assemblies, and that,

وَإِذَا قِيلَ انشُزُواْ فَانشُزُواْ

(And when you are told to rise up, then rise up.) means, "Get up to fight." Qatadah said

وَإِذَا قِيلَ انشُزُواْ فَانشُزُواْ

(And when you are told to rise up, then rise up.) means, "When you are called to any type of good, then respond."

The Virtues of Knowledge and People of Knowledge

Allah's statement,

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَـتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ

(Allah will exalt in degrees those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do.) means, do not think that if one of you makes room for his brother, or rises up when he is commanded to do so, that this will diminish his right or honor. Rather, this will increase his virtue and status with Allah, and Allah the Exalted will never make his good deed be lost. To the contrary, He will reward him for it in this life and the Hereafter. Surely, he who humbles himself by and before the command of his Lord, then Allah will elevate his status and make him known by his good behavior. the statement of Allah the Exalted,

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَـتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ

m(Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well--Acquainted with what you do.) meaning, surely, Allah is Aware of those who deserve this reward and those who are not worthy of it. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu At-Tufayl `Amir bin Wathilah said that Nafi` bin `Abdul--Harith met `Umar bin Al-Khattab in the area of `Usfan. `Umar appointed Abu At-Tufayl to be the governor of Makkah. `Umar asked him, "Whom did you appoint as your deputy for the valley people (that is, Makkah)." `Amir said, "I appointed Ibn Abza, one of our freed slaves, as my deputy." `Umar said, "You made a freed slave their governor in your absence" He said, "O Leader of the faithful! He has memorized Allah's Book and has knowledge of regulations of inheritance, along with being a proficient judge." `Umar said, "Surely, your Prophet has said,

«إِنَّ اللهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهذَا الْكِتَابِ قَوْمًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِين»

(Verily, Allah elevates some people and degrades others, on account of this Book.)" Muslim collected this Hadith.

Ayat ini memberikan penjelasan bahwa jika di antara kaum Muslimin ada yang diperintahkan Rasulullah saw berdiri untuk memberikan kesempatan kepada orang tertentu untuk duduk, atau mereka diperintahkan pergi dahulu, hendaklah mereka berdiri atau pergi, karena beliau ingin memberikan penghormatan kepada orang-orang itu, ingin menyendiri untuk memikirkan urusan-urusan agama, atau melaksanakan tugas-tugas yang perlu diselesaikan dengan segera.

Dari ayat ini dapat dipahami hal-hal sebagai berikut:

1.Para sahabat berlomba-lomba mencari tempat dekat Rasulullah saw agar mudah mendengar perkataan yang beliau sampaikan kepada mereka.

2.Perintah memberikan tempat kepada orang yang baru datang merupakan anjuran, jika memungkinkan dilakukan, untuk menimbulkan rasa persahabatan antara sesama yang hadir.

3.Sesungguhnya tiap-tiap orang yang memberikan kelapangan kepada hamba Allah dalam melakukan perbuatan-perbuatan baik, maka Allah akan memberi kelapangan pula kepadanya di dunia dan di akhirat.

Memberi kelapangan kepada sesama Muslim dalam pergaulan dan usaha mencari kebajikan dan kebaikan, berusaha menyenangkan hati saudara-saudaranya, memberi pertolongan, dan sebagainya termasuk yang dianjurkan Rasulullah saw. Beliau bersabda:

Allah selalu menolong hamba selama hamba itu menolong saudaranya. (Riwayat Muslim dari Abu Hurairah)

Berdasarkan ayat ini para ulama berpendapat bahwa orang-orang yang hadir dalam suatu majelis hendaklah mematuhi ketentuan-ketentuan yang berlaku dalam majelis itu atau mematuhi perintah orang-orang yang mengatur majelis itu.

Jika dipelajari maksud ayat di atas, ada suatu ketetapan yang ditentukan ayat ini, yaitu agar orang-orang menghadiri suatu majelis baik yang datang pada waktunya atau yang terlambat, selalu menjaga suasana yang baik, penuh persaudaraan dan saling bertenggang rasa. Bagi yang lebih dahulu datang, hendaklah memenuhi tempat di muka, sehingga orang yang datang kemudian tidak perlu melangkahi atau mengganggu orang yang telah lebih dahulu hadir. Bagi orang yang terlambat datang, hendaklah rela dengan keadaan yang ditemuinya, seperti tidak mendapat tempat duduk. Inilah yang dimaksud dengan sabda Nabi saw:

Janganlah seseorang menyuruh temannya berdiri dari tempat duduknya, lalu ia duduk di tempat tersebut, tetapi hendaklah mereka bergeser dan berlapang-lapang." (Riwayat Muslim dari Ibnu 'Umar)

Akhir ayat ini menerangkan bahwa Allah akan mengangkat derajat orang yang beriman, taat dan patuh kepada-Nya, melaksanakan perintah-Nya, menjauhi larangan-Nya, berusaha menciptakan suasana damai, aman, dan tenteram dalam masyarakat, demikian pula orang-orang berilmu yang menggunakan ilmunya untuk menegakkan kalimat Allah. Dari ayat ini dipahami bahwa orang-orang yang mempunyai derajat yang paling tinggi di sisi Allah ialah orang yang beriman dan berilmu. Ilmunya itu diamalkan sesuai dengan yang diperintahkan Allah dan rasul-Nya.

Kemudian Allah menegaskan bahwa Dia Maha Mengetahui semua yang dilakukan manusia, tidak ada yang tersembunyi bagi-Nya. Dia akan memberi balasan yang adil sesuai dengan perbuatan yang telah dilakukannya. Perbuatan baik akan dibalas dengan surga dan perbuatan jahat dan terlarang akan dibalas dengan azab neraka.