Surah Al-Qamar 54:45

The Story of Fir`awn and His People

Allah the Exalted narrates to us the story of Fir`awn and his people. A Messenger came to them from Allah, Musa supported by his brother Harun. Their Messengers delivered good news if they believe, and a warning if they rejected the Message. Allah supported Musa and Harun with tremendous miracles and great signs, but Fir`awn and his people rejected all of them. Allah took them the way the All-Mighty, the All-Capable would; He destroyed them all leaving none surviving to tell the story of what happened to them. Advising and Threatening the Quraysh Allah said,

أَكُفَّـرُكُمْ

(Are your disbelievers) meaning, `O idolators of the Quraysh,'

خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أُوْلَـئِكُمْ

(better than these) meaning better than the nations that were mentioned here, who were destroyed on account of their disbelief in the Messengers and rejecting the Scriptures. `Are you better than these'

أَمْ لَكُم بَرَآءَةٌ فِى الزُّبُرِ

(Or have you immunity in the Divine Scriptures), `do you have immunity from Allah that the torment and punishment will not touch you' Allah said about the Quraysh,

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌ مُّنتَصِرٌ

(Or say they: "We are a great multitude, victorious") stating that they believed they will support each other and their great gathering will avail them against those who intend to harm them. Allah the Exalted responded,

سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ

(Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs.) affirming that their gathering shall scatter, and they shall be defeated. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Prophet , while in a dome-shaped tent on the day of the battle of Badr, said,

«أَنْشُدُكَ عَهْدَكَ وَوَعْدَكَ، اللْهُمَّ إِنْ شِئْتَ لَمْ تُعْبَدْ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَبَدًا»

(O Allah! I ask you for the fulfillment of Your covenant and promise. O Allah! If You wish (to destroy the believers), You will never be worshipped on the earth after today.) Abu Bakr caught him by the hand and said, `This is sufficient, O Allah's Messenger! You have sufficiently asked and petitioned Allah.' The Prophet was clad in his armor at that time and went out, saying,

سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ - بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ

(Their multitude will be put to flight and they will show their backs. Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time and that Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.)" Al-Bukhari also recorded that Yusuf bin Mahak said, "I was with the Mother of the faithful, `A'ishah, when she said, `When I was still a young playful girl in Makkah, this Ayah was revealed to Muhammad ﷺ,

بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ

(Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time and that Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.)" This is the abridged narration that Al-Bukhari collected, but he also collected a longer narration of it in the Book of the Virtues of the Qur'an. Muslim did not collect this Hadith.

إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِينَ فِى ضَلَـلٍ وَسُعُرٍ - يَوْمَ يُسْحَبُونَ فِى النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ ذُوقُواْ مَسَّ سَقَرَ

Allah menegaskan bahwa kesatuan mereka akan diceraiberaikan dan kekuatan mereka akan dipatahkan oleh pasukan Islam. Janji Allah itu terbukti dalam Perang Badar, dimana lebih dari 70 orang pemuka-pemuka mereka tewas dan sisanya lari terbirit-birit kembali ke Mekah. Bukti tentang benarnya kenabian Muhammad saw, karena ayat ini turun di Mekah, sedang Nabi saw belum mempunyai pasukan, bahkan pengikut-pengikut Nabi terpencarpencar, diburu dan disiksa oleh orang-orang musyrik di mana saja mereka berada, 'Umar bin al-Khaththab berkata, "Ketika ayat itu turun saya tidak mengerti apa maksudnya. Tetapi pada Perang Badar, saya lihat Nabi saw memakai baju besi dan saya dengan beliau membaca ayat ini, 'Golongan itu pasti akan dikalahkan, waktu itu barulah saya mengerti maksud ayat tersebut." Diriwayatkan oleh al-Bukhari dari Ibnu 'Abbas bahwa Nabi saw berkata ketika beliau masih dalam kemah, pada hari Perang Badar: "Aku menagih pesan-Mu dan janji-Mu! Ya Allah, jika Engkau menghendaki (kekalahan kami) niscaya Engkau tidak akan disembah lagi sesudah hari ini". Lalu Abu Bakar memegang tangan Nabi dan berkata, "Cukup sudah ya Rasulullah! Engkau telah begitu mendesak Tuhanmu."Lalu beliau keluar (dari kemah) melompat dengan memakai baju besi sambil membaca ayat ini. (Riwayat alBukhari)

Kemudian Allah menyatakan bahwa yang tersebut itu adalah azab dunia dan mereka akan menemui azab yang lebih hebat lagi pada hari Kiamat.