Surah Ali 'Imran 3:117

Virtues of the People of the Scriptures Who Embrace Islam

Muhammad bin Ishaq and others, including Al-Awfi who reported it from Ibn Abbas, said;"These Ayat were revealed about the clergy of the People of the Scriptures who embraced the faith. For instance, there is Abdullah bin Salam, Asad bin Ubayd, Tha`labah bin Sa`yah, Usayd bin Sa`yah, and so forth.

This Ayah means that those among the People of the Book whom Allah rebuked earlier are not at all the same as those among them who embraced Islam.Hence Allah's statement,

لَيْسُواْ سَوَاء ...

Not all of them are alike."Therefore, these two types of people are not equal, and indeed, there are believers and also criminals among the People of the Book, just as Allah said,

... مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ ...

a party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right,for they implement the Book of Allah, adhere to His Law and follow His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Therefore, this type is on the straight path,

... يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللّهِ آنَاء اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ

they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer.They often stand in prayer at night for Tahajjud, and recite the Qur'an in their prayer.

يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin Al-Ma`ruf and forbid Al-Munkar; and they hasten in (all) good works; and they are among the righteous. (3: 114)This is the same type of people mentioned at the end of the Surah;

وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِينَ لِلّهِ

And there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. (3:199)Allah said here,

وَمَا يَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَلَن يُكْفَرُوْهُ ...

And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them;meaning, their good deeds will not be lost with Allah. Rather, He will award them the best rewards.

... وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ

for Allah knows well the Muttaqin (the pious).for no deed performed by any person ever escapes His knowledge, nor is any reward for those who do good deeds ever lost with Him.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ...

Surely, those who disbelieve,Allah mentions the disbelieving polytheists:

... لَن تُغْنِيَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلاَدُهُم مِّنَ اللّهِ شَيْئًا ...

neither their properties nor their offspring will avail them against Allah,meaning, nothing can avert Allah's torment and punishment from striking them.

... وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

They are the dwellers of the Fire, therein they will abide.

The Parable of What the Disbelievers Spend in This Life

Allah gave a parable for what the disbelievers spend in this life, as Mujahid, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi said.

مَثَلُ مَا يُنْفِقُونَ فِى هِـذِهِ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ

(The likeness of what they spend in this world is the likeness of a wind of Sir;) a frigid wind, as Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and others have said. `Ata' said that Sir, means, `cold and snow.' Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid are also reported to have said that Sir means, `fire'. This latter meaning does not contradict the meanings we mentioned above, because extreme cold weather, especially when accompanied by snow, burns plants and produce, and has the same effect fire has on such growth.

أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ

(It struck the harvest of a people who did wrong against themselves and destroyed it) 3:117, by burning. This Ayah mentions a calamity that strikes produce that is ready to harvest, destroying it by burning and depriving its owner of it when he needs it the most. Such is the case with the disbelievers, for Allah destroys the rewards for their good deeds in this life, just as He destroyed the produce of the sinner because of his sins. Both types did not build their work on firm foundations,

وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَـكِنْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

(And Allah wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.)

Perumpamaan harta yang mereka nafkahkan itu seperti angin dingin yang berhembus sangat kencang menghabiskan segala tanaman yang ditanam, sehingga pemiliknya tidak dapat memetik hasilnya walau sedikit pun. Meskipun pada lahirnya mereka telah menafkahkan hartanya untuk kepentingan umum seperti membangun benteng pertahanan, jembatan-jembatan, sekolah-sekolah, rumah sakit-rumah sakit dan lain-lain dengan harapan yang besar bahwa kebaikan mereka itu akan mendapat ganjaran dari Allah dan dapat menolong mereka di akhirat nanti, namun harapan itu akan sia-sia belaka. Firman Allah:

Dan Kami akan perlihatkan segala amal yang mereka kerjakan, lalu Kami akan jadikan amal itu (bagaikan) debu yang beterbangan. (al-Furqan/25:23).

Dan orang-orang yang kafir, amal perbuatan mereka seperti fatamorgana di tanah yang datar, yang disangka air oleh orang-orang yang dahaga, tetapi apabila (air) itu didatangi tidak ada apa pun. (an-Nur/24:39).

Sebenarnya Allah tidak menganiaya orang kafir karena tidak memberi ganjaran bagi amal perbuatan mereka yang baik, tetapi mereka sendirilah yang menganiaya diri sendiri karena tidak mau beriman, padahal bukti-bukti telah banyak sekali di tangan mereka yang menunjukkan kebenaran dan kerasulan Nabi Muhammad saw.

Menurut kajian ilmiah, salah satu fenomena penting yang terjadi pada tanaman yang terkena hawa (angin) yang sangat dingin di antaranya adalah fenomena rusaknya sel-sel, terutama sel daun. Seperti telah umum diketahui bahwa kira-kira 70% dari kandungan sel adalah air. Ketika terkena hawa yang sangat dingin maka air di dalam sel membeku. Apabila air sudah membeku maka terbentuklah kristal-kristal es yang volumenya lebih besar daripada air. Adanya pembekuan itu menyebabkan dinding-dinding sel hancur karena tergerus molekul-molekul air yang mengembang karena pembekuan. Kenampakan fenomena ini dari luar: daun terlihat menjadi kering seperti terbakar. Fenomena ini seperti sering terjadi pada tanaman teh di pegunungan Jawa Barat yang dikenal dengan fenomena Ibun Bajra (Embun Api). Perumpamaan harta yang dibelanjakan tidak sesuai dengan kehendak Allah, akan membawa kehancuran bagi pelakunya, seperti cairan sel yang menghancurkan dirinya sendiri ketika kena hawa dingin.

Dalam ayat di atas juga diperlihatkan akibat perubahan perilaku cuaca terhadap kehidupan, dalam hal ini tanaman pertanian. Secara biologis, suatu perubahan cuaca yang tidak biasa, misal kenaikan maupun penurunan suhu yang tajam, akan sangat mengganggu proses metabolisme tumbuhan. Akibatnya jelas, yaitu akan terjadi disfungsi dari berbagai organ yang ada yang mengakibatkan pertumbuhan yang tidak normal, atau tanaman akan mati.