Surah An-Nahl 16:47

How the Guilty can feel Secure

Allah informs us about His patience, and how He delays the punishment for the sinners who do evil things and call others to do likewise, plotting to call others to do evil - even though He is able to make the earth swallow them or to bring His wrath upon them.

مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ

(from where they do not perceive it), meaning in such a way that they do not know where it comes from. As Allah says:

أَءَمِنتُمْ مَّن فِى السَّمَآءِ أَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الاٌّرْضَ فَإِذَا هِىَ تَمُورُ - أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ مِّن فِى السَّمَآءِ أَن يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَـصِباً فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ كَيْفَ نَذِيرِ

(Do you feel secure that He Who is over the heaven (Allah), will not cause you to sink into the earth, when it quakes Or do you feel secure that He Who is over the heaven (Allah), will not send a storm of stones upon you Then you shall know how My warning really is.) (67:16-17).

أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ فِى تَقَلُّبِهِمْ

(Or that He may punish them in the midst of their going to and fro) meaning, when they are busy with their daily business, travel, and other distracting activities. Qatadah and As-Suddi said:

تَقَلُّبِهِمْ

(Their going to and fro) means their journeys." As Allah says:

أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَـتاً وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ - أَوَ أَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَى أَن يَأْتِيَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

(Did the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of Our punishment by night while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing) (7:97-98)

فَمَا هُم بِمُعْجِزِينَ

(so that there be no escape for them (from Allah's punishment)) meaning, it is not impossible for Allah, no matter what their situation.

أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ عَلَى تَخَوُّفٍ

(Or that He may punish them where they fear it most) meaning, or Allah will take from them what they most fear, which is even more frightening, because when the thing you most fear to happen does happen, this is even worse. Hence Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that,

أَوْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ عَلَى تَخَوُّفٍ

(Or that He may punish them where they fear it most) means that Allah is saying: If I wish, I can take him after the death of his companion and after he has become frightened of that.' This was also reported from Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others. Then Allah says:

فَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَرَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(Indeed your Lord is full of kindness, Most Merciful.) meaning, because He does not hasten to punish, as was reported in the Two Sahihs:

«لَا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ، إِنَّهُمْ يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم»

(No one is more patient in the case of hearing offensive speech than Allah, for they attribute to Him a son, while He alone is giving them provision and good health.) And it is also recorded in Two Sahihs,

«إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْه»

(Allah will let the wrongdoer continue until, when He begins to punish him, He will never let him go.) Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited:

وَكَذلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌ

(Such is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Indeed, His punishment is painful, (and) severe) (11:102) And Allah says:

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِىَ ظَـلِمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهَا وَإِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ

(And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing. Then I punished it. And to Me is the (final) return (of all).) (22:48)

Allah memberi peringatan kepada orang-orang musyrik, yang selalu berusaha membuat rencana dan tipu muslihat yang jahat dan menghalangi dakwah Islam, bahwa mereka tidak akan pernah merasa aman dari ancaman-ancaman Allah yang akan ditimpakan kepada mereka. Ancaman-ancaman itu ialah:

Pertama: Allah akan menenggelamkan mereka dari permukaan bumi dan memusnahkan mereka dari alam ini, seperti yang dialami oleh Qarun.

Kedua: Allah akan menurunkan siksa bagi mereka dari langit pada saat yang tidak mereka duga sebelumnya, seperti yang dialami oleh kaum Nabi Lut.

Ketiga: Mereka ditimpa azab pada saat berada dalam perjalanan mencari rezeki atau sibuk dalam berdagang, sehingga mereka tidak mempunyai kesempatan untuk menolaknya. Artinya, mereka tidak akan dapat lari untuk melindungi dagangan dan jiwa mereka, karena azab itu menyerang dengan tiba-tiba.

Keempat: Mereka akan mengalami siksaan sebagai hukuman setelah mengalami kerugian harta benda dan nyawa, sehingga mereka tidak dapat melepaskan diri dari siksaan itu.

Kemudian Allah swt mengakhiri firman-Nya dengan menyatakan bahwa Allah Maha Pengasih dan Maha Penyayang. Hal ini untuk menunjukkan bahwa Allah tidak akan menghukum mereka dengan segera, tetapi mengancam mereka dengan siksaan yang berat. Hal ini untuk memberikan kesempatan berpikir dan waktu kepada mereka untuk mengubah sikap terhadap ajakan rasul. Ini adalah bukti rahmat Allah yang sangat luas bagi para hamba-Nya.