Surah Al-Qalam 68:9

Prohibition of giving in to the Pressure of the Disbelievers and Their Suggestions, and that They like to meet in the Middle of the Path

Allah says, `just as We have favored you and given you the upright legislation and great (standard of) character,'

فَلاَ تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ - وَدُّواْ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

(So, do not obey the deniers. They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.) Ibn `Abbas said, "That you would permit them (their idolatry) and they also would permit you (to practice your religion)." Mujahid said,

وَدُّواْ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

(They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.) "This means that you should be quiet about their gods and abandon the truth that you are upon." Then Allah says,

وَلاَ تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلاَّفٍ مَّهِينٍ

(And do not obey every Hallaf (one who swears much) Mahin (liar or worthless person).) This is because the liar, due to his weakness and his disgracefulness, only seeks protection in his false oaths which he boldly swears to while using Allah's Names, and he uses them (false oaths) all the time and out of place (i.e., unnecessarily). Ibn `Abbas said, "Al-Mahin means the liar." Then Allah says,

هَمَّازٍ

(A Hammaz, ) Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah both said, "This is slander."

مَّشَّآءِ بِنَمِيمٍ

(going about with Namim,) This refers to the one who goes around among people instigating discord between them and carrying tales in order to corrupt relations between people when they are good and pleasant. It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs that Mujahid reported from Tawus that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once passed by two graves and he said,

«إِنَّهُمَا لَيُعَذَّبَانِ وَمَا يُعَذَّبَانِ فِي كَبِيرٍ، أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا فَكَانَ لَا يَسْتَتِرُ مِنَ الْبَوْلِ، وَأَمَّا الْاخَرُ فَكَانَ يَمْشِي بِالنَّمِيمَة»

(Verily, these two are being punished, and they are not being punished for something major. One of them was not careful about protecting himself from urine (when relieving himself). The other one used to spread Namimah.)" This Hadith has been recorded by the Group in their books through routes of transmission that are all on the authority of Mujahid. Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,

«لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ قَتَّات»

(The slanderer will not enter into Paradise.)" This Hadith has been reported by the Group except for Ibn Majah. Concerning Allah's statement,

مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ

(Hinderer of good, transgressor, sinful,) it means, he refuses to give and withholds that which he has of good.

مُعْتَدٍ

(transgressor,) this means, in attaining that which Allah has made permissible for him, he exceeds the legislated bounds.

أَثِيمٍ

(sinful,) meaning, he delves into the forbidden things. Concerning Allah's statement,

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

(`Utul, and moreover Zanim.) `Utul means one who is cruel, harsh, strong, greedy and stingy. Imam Ahmad recorded from Al-Harithah bin Wahb that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ؟ كُلُّ ضَعِيفٍ مُتَضَعِّفٍ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللهِ لَأَبَرَّهُ. أَلَا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِأَهْلِ النَّارِ؟ كُلُّ عُتُلَ جَوَّاظٍ مُسْتَكْبِر»

(Shall I inform you of the people of Paradise (They will be) every weak and oppressed person. When he swears by Allah, he fulfills his oath. Shall I inform you of the people of the Fire Every `Utul (cruel person), Jawwaz and arrogant person.) Al-Waki` said, "It (`Utul) is every Jawwaz, Ja`zari and arrogant person." Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this in their Two Sahihs, as well as the rest of the Group, except for Abu Dawud. All of its routes of transmission are by way of Sufyan Ath-Thawri and Shu`bah who both reported it from Sa`id bin Khalid. The scholars of Arabic language have said that Ja`zari means rude and harsh, while Jawwaz means greedy and stingy. Concerning the word Zanim, Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn `Abbas that he said concerning the Ayah,

عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ

(`Utul (cruel), and moreover Zanim.) "A man from the Quraysh who stands out among them like the sheep that has had a piece of its ear cut off." The meaning of this is that he is famous for his evil just as a sheep that has a piece of its ear cut off stands out among its sister sheep. In the Arabic language the Zanim is a person who is adopted among a group of people (i.e., he is not truly of them). Ibn Jarir and others among the Imams have said this. Concerning Allah's statement,

أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ - إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ ءَايَـتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

((He was so) because he had wealth and children. When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old!") Allah is saying, `this is how he responds to the favors that Allah has bestowed upon him of wealth and children, by disbelieving in Allah's Ayat and turning away from them while claiming that they are a lie that has been taken from the tales of the ancients.' This is similar to Allah's statement,

ذَرْنِى وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيداً - وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ مَالاً مَّمْدُوداً - وَبَنِينَ شُهُوداً - وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُ تَمْهِيداً - ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ - كَلاَّ إِنَّهُ كان لاٌّيَـتِنَا عَنِيداً - سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُوداً - إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ - فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ نَظَرَ - ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ - ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ - فَقَالَ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ - إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ - سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ - وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ - لاَ تُبْقِى وَلاَ تَذَرُ - لَوَّاحَةٌ لِّلْبَشَرِ - عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ

(Leave Me alone (to deal) with whom I created lonely (without any wealth and children etc.). And then granted him resources in abundance. And children to be by his side. And made life smooth and comfortable for him. After all that he desires that I should give more. Nay! Verily, he has been opposing Our Ayat. I shall oblige him to face a severe torment! Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed, how he plotted! And once more let him be cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought. Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way. Then he turned back, and was proud. Then he said: "This is nothing but magic from that of old, this is nothing but the word of a human being!" I will cast him into Hellfire. And what will make you know what Hellfire is It spares not (any sinner), nor does it leave (anything unburned)! Burning and blackening the skins! Over it are nineteen (angels as keepers of Hell).) 74:11-30 Then Allah said here,

سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ

(We shall brand him on the snout!) Ibn Jarir said, "We will make his matter clear and evident so that they will know him and he will not be hidden from them, just as the branding mark on the snouts (of animals)." Others have said,

سَنَسِمُهُ

(We shall brand him) This is the mark of the people of the Hell-fire; meaning, `We will blacken his face on the Day of Judgement,' and the face has been referred to here as snout.

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَآ أَصْحَـبَ الْجَنَّةِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُواْ لَيَصْرِمُنَّهَا مُصْبِحِينَ - وَلاَ يَسْتَثْنُونَ - فَطَافَ عَلَيْهَا طَآئِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ - فَأَصْبَحَتْ كَالصَّرِيمِ - فَتَنَادَوْاْ مُصْبِحِينَ - أَنِ اغْدُواْ عَلَى حَرْثِكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـرِمِينَ - فَانطَلَقُواْ وَهُمْ يَتَخَـفَتُونَ - أَن لاَّ يَدْخُلَنَّهَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِّسْكِينٌ - وَغَدَوْاْ عَلَى حَرْدٍ قَـدِرِينَ - فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهَا قَالُواْ إِنَّا لَضَآلُّونَ بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ قَالَ أَوْسَطُهُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَّكُمْ لَوْلاَ تُسَبِّحُونَ

Ayat ini menerangkan bahwa orang-orang musyrik ingin agar Rasulullah mengikuti dan memenuhi permintaan, dan memperkenankan ajakan mereka agar Rasulullah bersikap lunak terhadap mereka. Jika Rasulullah dan kaum Muslimin mau bersikap lunak terhadap mereka, maka mereka akan bersikap lunak pula terhadap beliau dan kaum Muslimin.

Menurut suatu riwayat, orang-orang Quraisy pernah menawarkan kepada Rasulullah agar bersedia mengurangi kegiatan dakwahnya, dan tidak lagi mencela berhala-berhala mereka. Bahkan mereka bersedia mengikuti ajaran Nabi selama sekali waktu, asalkan setelah itu Nabi dan pengikutnya mengikuti ajaran mereka sekali waktu, begitu secara bergilir. Ajakan ini tentu saja ditolak oleh Nabi karena tidak sesuai dengan dakwah yang dibawanya untuk meninggalkan kemusyrikan dan mengganti dengan ajaran tauhid.

Ajakan ini bermula ketika Rasulullah menyampaikan agama Allah kepada orang-orang musyrik Mekah dengan terang-terangan dan penuh keberanian, walaupun pada waktu itu kaum Muslimin dalam keadaan lemah dan musuh dalam keadaan kuat. Seluruh alasan-alasan yang dikemukakan Rasulullah yang berhubungan dengan bukti kebenaran risalahnya tidak dapat dijawab oleh orang-orang musyrik. Bahkan sebaliknya, jawaban mereka itu menunjukkan kelemahan kepercayaan yang mereka anut. Oleh karena itu, mereka meminta Rasulullah agar bersikap lunak terhadap mereka dan menghentikan celaan-celaan beliau kepada berhala-berhala yang mereka sembah. Jika Rasulullah saw bersedia menerima tawaran itu, maka mereka bersedia pula memenuhi keinginan-keinginan beliau, seperti bersikap lunak terhadap Rasulullah saw dan kaum Muslimin. Mereka juga bersedia ikut menyembah Allah di samping tetap dibolehkan menyembah tuhan-tuhan mereka dan melaksanakan kebiasaan nenek moyang mereka. Mereka juga bersedia mencarikan istri yang disenangi Nabi saw atau mengumpulkan harta yang diinginkannya.

Dilandasi keinginan untuk meringankan penderitaan yang sedang dialami sahabat-sahabatnya akibat siksaan yang dilakukan orang-orang musyrik, maka terlintas dalam pikiran Nabi Muhammad untuk bersikap lunak terhadap orang-orang musyrik dengan menerima sebahagian tawaran mereka. Maka turunlah ayat ini yang memperingatkan Nabi saw agar jangan sekali-kali bersikap lunak terhadap mereka, tetapi tetap seperti biasa, yaitu mengambil sikap keras dan tegas.

Ayat ini senada dengan firman Allah:

Dan sekiranya Kami tidak memperteguh (hati)mu, niscaya engkau hampir saja condong sedikit kepada mereka. Jika demikian, tentu akan Kami rasakan kepadamu (siksaan) dua kali lipat di dunia ini dan dua kali lipat setelah mati, dan engkau (Muhammad) tidak akan mendapat seorang penolong pun terhadap Kami. (al-Isra'/17: 74-75)

Jika dikaji maksud ayat ini, akan diketahui bahwa ada tujuan tertentu dari orang-orang musyrik, yang tidak boleh diketahui oleh Rasulullah, dalam mengemukakan tawaran mereka kepada beliau. Mereka ingin menipu Rasulullah saw dengan ajakan itu, dimana jika diterima, maka agama Islam yang baru disampaikan itu akan bercampur dengan unsur-unsur syirik. Akan terjadi saling mempengaruhi antara kedua macam kepercayaan itu, sehingga agama Islam tidak lagi mempunyai akidah tauhid yang murni.

Teguran Allah kepada Rasulullah saw ini juga merupakan teguran kepada seluruh kaum Muslimin, agar mereka berhati-hati dalam soal akidah. Jangan sekali-kali memasukkan ke dalam akidah Islam unsur syirik walaupun sedikit.