Surah Fatir 35:22

The Believer and the Disbeliever are not equal

Allah says that these antonyms are clearly not equal, the blind and the seeing are not equal, there is a difference and a huge gap between them. Darkness and light are not equal, neither are shade and the sun's heat. By the same token, the living and the dead are not equal. This is the parable Allah makes of the believers who are the living, and the disbelievers who are the dead. This is like the Ayat:

(Is he who was dead and We gave him life and set for him a light (of belief) whereby he can walk amongst men -- like him who is in the (depths of) darkness from which he can never come out) (6:122),

(The parable of the two parties is as that of the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal when compared) (11:24) The believer sees and hears, and walks in the light upon a straight path in this world and the Hereafter, until he comes to settle in Gardens (Paradise) wherein is shade and springs. The disbeliever is blind and deaf, walking in darkness from which he cannot escape, he is lost in his misguidance in this world and the Hereafter, until he ends up in fierce hot wind and boiling water, and shadow of black smoke, neither cool nor good.

(Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear,) means. He guides them to listen to the proof and accept it and adhere it.

(but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.) means, `just as the dead cannot benefit from guidance and the call to truth after they have died as disbelievers and ended up in the graves, so too you cannot help these idolators who are decreed to be doomed, and you cannot guide them.'

You are only a warner means, all you have to do is to convey the Message and warn them, and Allah leaves astray whomsoever He wills and guides whomsoever He wills.

(Verily, We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.) means, a bearer of glad tidings to the believers and a warner to the disbelievers.

(And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them.) means, there was never any nation among the sons of Adam but Allah sent warners to them, and left them with no excuse. This is like the Ayat:

(You are only a warner, and to every people there is a guide) (13:7).

(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid all false deities." Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified) (16:36). And there are many similar Ayat.

(And if they deny you, those before them also denied. Their Messengers came to them with clear signs,) means, clear miracles and definitive proofs.

(and with the Scriptures,) means, the Books.

(and with the Book giving light.) means, clear and obvious.

(Then I took hold of those who disbelieved,) means, `despite all of this, they denied the Messengers and the Message they brought, so I seized them, i.e., with My punishment.'

and how terrible was My denial! means, how great and intense and terrible do you think My punishment was؟ And Allah knows best.

Pada awal ayat ini, Allah menerangkan bahwa orang-orang yang hatinya hidup karena beriman kepada Allah dan rasul-Nya, serta mengetahui Al-Qur'an dan isinya, tidak sama dengan orang yang mati hatinya akibat ditutupi kekafiran. Mereka yang terakhir ini tidak mau mengetahui perintah dan larangan Allah, tidak dapat membedakan antara petunjuk dan kesesatan. Ini adalah perumpamaan bagi orang-orang yang mukmin dan bagi orang-orang kafir. Firman Allah:

Dan apakah orang yang sudah mati lalu Kami hidupkan dan Kami beri dia cahaya yang membuatnya dapat berjalan di tengah-tengah orang banyak, sama dengan orang yang berada dalam kegelapan, sehingga dia tidak dapat keluar dari sana? (al-An'am/6: 122)

Dan firman-Nya:

Perumpamaan kedua golongan (orang kafir dan mukmin), seperti orang buta dan tuli dengan orang yang dapat melihat dan dapat mendengar. Samakah kedua golongan itu? Maka tidakkah kamu mengambil pelajaran? (Hud/11: 24)

Orang mukmin itu melihat, mendengar, dan bermandikan cahaya terang-benderang ketika melintasi shirathal mustaqim sampai ke surga yang sejuk, mempunyai naungan, dan mata air yang banyak. Sedangkan orang kafir buta dan tuli berjalan di dalam gelap gulita tidak dapat keluar daripadanya, bahkan selalu bersikap sombong di dalam kesesatannya di dunia dan akhirat sampai diberi keputusan masuk neraka yang sangat panas, penuh api menyala-nyala. Allah memberi petunjuk kepada orang-orang yang dikehendaki-Nya, mau mendengar hujjah atas kebenaran rasul, dan menerima agama yang dibawanya yaitu Islam dengan baik. Sebagaimana halnya orang yang telah mati dimasukkan dalam kubur, tidak dapat mendengar nasihat-nasihat dan saran-saran yang akan membimbingnya ke jalan yang benar, begitu pula orang yang mati hatinya. Tidak akan bermanfaat baginya peringatan-peringatan Allah. Mereka tidak dapat memahami isi Al-Qur'an dan ajaran-ajaran agama.