Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:96

The Command to call on Allah when Calamity strikes, to repel Evil with that which is better, and to seek refuge with Allah

Allah commands His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to call on Him with this supplication when calamity strikes:

رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّى مَا يُوعَدُونَ

(My Lord! If You would show me that with which they are threatened.) meaning, `if You punish them while I am witnessing that, then do not cause me to be one of them.' As was said in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih:

«وَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ بِقَومٍ فِتْنَةً فَتَوفَّنِي إِلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مَفْتُون»

(If You want to test people, then take me to You cause me to die without having to undergo the test.)

وَإِنَّا عَلَى أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَـدِرُونَ

(And indeed We are able to show you that with which We have threatened them.) means, `if We willed, We could show you the punishment and test that We will send upon them.' Then Allah shows him the best way to behave when mixing with people, which is to treat kindly the one who treats him badly, so as to soften his heart and turn his enmity to friendship, and to turn his hatred to love. Allah says:

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ

(Repel evil with that which is better. ) This is like the Ayah:

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌوَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ

(Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient) 41:34-35. meaning, nobody will be helped or inspired to follow this advice or attain this quality,

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ

(except those who are patient) meaning, those who patiently bear people's insults and bad treatment and deal with them in a good manner when they are on the receiving end of bad treatment from them.

وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ

(and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion) means, in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah says:

وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ

(And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings of the Shayatin.") Allah commanded him to seek refuge with Him from the Shayatin, because no trick could help you against them and you cannot protect yourself by being kind to them. We have already stated, when discussing Isti`adhah (seeking refuge), that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say,

«أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِه»

(I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, from the accursed Shayatin, from his whisperings, evil suggestions and insinuations.) His saying:

وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ

("And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me.") means, in any issue of my life. So we are commanded to mention Allah at the beginning of any undertaking, in order to ward off the Shayatin at the time of eating, intercourse, slaughtering animals for food, etc. Abu Dawud recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say:

«اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَرَمِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَدْمِ وَمِنَ الْغَرَقِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَتَخَبَّطَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ عِنْدَ الْمَوْت»

(O Allah, I seek refuge with You from old age, I seek refuge with You from being crushed or drowned, and I seek refuge with you from being assaulted by the Shayatin at the time of death.)

Kemudian Allah memberikan tuntunan kepada Nabi Muhammad bagaimana cara yang sebaik-baiknya menghadapi sikap kaum musyrik itu. Di antaranya, Nabi harus tetap bersikap lemah lembut terhadap mereka dan jangan sekali-kali membalas kejahatan dengan kejahatan, kekerasan dengan kekerasan karena memang belum waktunya bersikap demikian. Bila mereka mencemooh dan mencaci maki hendaknya Nabi memaafkan ucapan-ucapan mereka yang tidak pada tempatnya itu, karena ucapan itu tidak mengenai sasarannya tetapi hendaklah dibalas dengan kata-kata yang mengandung patunjuk dan ajaran dengan mengemukakan dalil-dalil dan alasan yang masuk akal. Bila mereka hendak melakukan tindakan penganiayaan, hindari mereka dan jauhi sedapat mungkin kesempatan yang membawa kepada tindakan seperti itu dan hendaklah dihadapi dengan penuh kesabaran dan ketabahan. Nabi juga diperintahkan untuk menunjukkan kepada mereka bahwa beliau memang seorang ksatria yang tidak ada niat sedikit pun untuk mencelakakan mereka. Dengan sikap lemah lembut dan kebijaksanaan itu, mereka tidak akan merajalela terhadap kaum Muslimin. Lambat laun mereka yang keras seperti batu itu akan menjadi lembut dan menyadari sendiri kesalahan yang sudah mereka lakukan. Nabi juga diminta untuk meyakini dalam hati bahwa Allah mengetahui semua ucapan dan tindakan mereka. Allah lebih mengetahui apa saja yang mereka lakukan dan apa saja yang tersembunyi dalam dada mereka.

Sesuai dengan petunjuk ini Allah berfirman dalam ayat yang lain:

Dan tidaklah sama kebaikan dengan kejahatan. Tolaklah (kejahatan itu) dengan cara yang lebih baik, sehingga orang yang ada rasa permusuhan antara kamu dan dia akan seperti teman yang setia. (Fussilat/41: 34)

Anas bin Malik berkata mengomentari ayat ini, "Seorang laki-laki mengatakan terhadap saudaranya hal yang tidak-tidak." Maka dia menjawab, "Jika ucapanmu itu bohong maka saya memohon kepada Allah supaya Dia mengampuni kebohonganmu itu. Jika ucapanmu itu benar maka saya memohon kepada Allah supaya mengampuniku."