Surah 59: Al-Hashr
The Holy Qur’an with English Translation and Commentary (Five Volume Commentary)
[a]In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
[a] See 1:1.
[b]All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.[4189]
[b] 17:45; 24:42; 61:2; 62:2; 64:2.
[4189] Commentary:
For note on سبح للّٰه see 57:2. But whereas تسبیح (glorifying) is used with regard to God’s attributes, تقدیس (extolling His holiness) is used concerning His actions.
He it is Who turned out the disbelievers among the People of the Book from their homes at the time of the first banishment. You did not think that they would go forth, and they thought that their fortresses would defend them against Allah. But Allah came upon them[c] whence they did not expect, and cast terror into their hearts,[d] so that they destroyed their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take a lesson, O ye who have eyes![4190]
[c] 16:27; 39:26.
[d] 3:152; 8:13.
[4190] Commentary:
There lived at Medina three Jewish tribes—Banu Qainuqa‘, Banu Nadir and Banu Quraizah. The present verse refers to the banishment from Medina of the Banu Nadir. This tribe like Banu Qainuqa‘ before them, had acted treacherously towards Muslims on several occasions. They had hatched plots and had entered into secret alliances against them, with their enemies. They had repeatedly broken their plighted word and had repudiated the solemn agreement that they would remain neutral between the Holy Prophet and his enemies, and even had conspired to take his life. Their leader Ka‘b bin Ashraf had gone to Mecca to enlist the help of the Quraish and of other pagan tribes around Mecca in order to drive out the Muslims from Medina. After the temporary reverse suffered by Muslims at Uhud, their machinations and defiance of the Prophet had greatly increased. It was when the cup of their iniquities had become full to the brim and their presence in Medina had proved to be a constant source of mortal danger to Muslims and the Islamic State that the Holy Prophet had to take action against them. They were told to leave Medina. But the Prophet was exceptionally kind and considerate to them. He allowed them to carry their goods and chattels with them, and they departed from Medina in perfect safety, but not until they had despaired of the help they had expected from their Meccan allies and from the hypocrites of Medina, and had also found that their fortresses which they thought were impregnable could not save them. The Holy Prophet laid siege to the fortresses and after vainly holding out for about 21 days, they surrendered. They all left for Syria, only two families choosing to remain behind at Khaibar.
The reference in the words, "at the time of the first banishment" may be to the banishment of the Jewish tribe of Banu Qainuqa‘ who had been expelled from Medina, sometime after the Battle of Badr, for their intrigues and defiance of the authority of the Holy Prophet, to whom they had pledged allegiance as the acknowledged Head of the Medina Republic. Or the words may refer to the banishment by the Holy Prophet from Medina of the three above-mentioned Jewish tribes. This was the first banishment. ‘Umar, the Holy Prophet’s Second Successor, however, banished all Jews from the whole of Arabia for the second and last time. Thus the words, "at the time of the first banishment" may be taken as embodying a prophecy that after the Jewish tribes of Medina will have been banished by the Holy Prophet, all the Jews of Arabia would suffer the same fate at some later time.
Before departing from Medina the Banu Nadir had destroyed their houses and other movable property before the very eyes of Muslims, because the Holy Prophet had given them ten days to dispose of their affairs as they liked. Thus the Jews of Medina were the originators of the scorched earth policy, centuries before the Russians had adopted it in the World War II. The reference in the words "they destroyed their houses with their own hands," is to that policy.
The words, "you would not think that they would go forth," show that in view of the material resources, political alliances and organization of the Jews of Medina, the Muslims could not conceive that they could be driven out of Medina so easily and without any loss of human life on either side.
And had it not been that Allah had decreed exile for them, He would have surely punished them otherwise in this world. And in the Hereafter they will certainly have the punishment of the Fire.[4191]
[4191] Important Words:
الجلاء (the banishment) is derived from جلا (jala). They say جلا عن بلدہ i.e. he migrated from his home. جلا عنه الھم means, he removed the grief from him or banished him. أجلاہ means he exiled (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse means that by their persistent evil designs and treachery the Jews of Medina, particularly the Banu Nadir, had incurred God’s wrath. Their exile from Medina was a very light punishment. They had deserved a much heavier punishment, and had they not been exiled they would have been severely punished in some other form.
That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger;[a] and whoso opposes Allah—then surely Allah is Severe in retribution.[4191A]
[a] 4:116; 8:14; 47:33.
[4191A] Commentary:
The verse shows that opposition to a Prophet is tantamount to opposing God Himself.
Whatever palm-trees you cut down or left standing on their roots, it was by Allah’s leave, and that He might disgrace the transgressors.[4192]
[4192] Important Words:
لینة (palm tree) is derived from لان which means, it was or became tender, smooth, gentle. لینة means, a palm tree. It is a kind of palm tree of which the dates are of very inferior quality and are unfit for human consumption (Aqrab & Ar-Raudul-Anaf).
Commentary:
The reference in the verse is to the cutting, by orders of the Holy Prophet, of the palm trees of the Banu Nadir who, as stated in v. 3, had shut themselves up in their fortresses in defiance of the Holy Prophet’s orders to surrender. After the siege had lasted for a few days, the Holy Prophet, in order to compel them to surrender, ordered that some of their palm trees of the lina (لینة) kind of which the dates are of very inferior quality and are quite unfit for human consumption should be cut down. It was after only six trees had been cut down, that the Banu Nadir surrendered (Zurqani). The orders of the Holy Prophet were extremely lenient and were legitimate and quite in conformity with the laws of civilized warfare.
And whatever Allah has given to His Messenger as spoils from them, you urged neither horse nor camel for that; but Allah gives authority to His Messenger over whomsoever He pleases; and Allah has power over all things.[4193]
[4193] Important Words:
أفاء (given as spoils) is transitive verb from فاء which means, he returned, particularly he returned to a good state or condition. أفاته means, I made it to return. فییء means, afternoon shade; spoil or booty, so called because it returns from one party without difficulty; such of the possessions of disbelievers as accrue to Muslims without war or such as are obtained from them after laying down of arms. Loosely, the three words نفل and غنیمة and فییء are used synonymously. But whereas according to some غنیمة signifies, what is obtained from disbelievers by force during war, فییء signifies, what is obtained from them after laying down of arms or what God has given to Muslims of the goods of disbelievers such as poll-tax and that for which peace has been made with them or which they acquire without difficulty. According to some authorities غنیمة is more general in signification than نفل, and فییء is more so than غنیمة. According to the lawyers everything that may be lawfully taken of the property and goods of disbelievers is فییء. Thus غنیمة is that which is acquired with or without difficulty or labour, before or after the victory and نفل is that which is had before the division of غنیمة or which is acquired without fighting, and it differs from فییء in this respect that whereas فییء is applied to the spoil from the disbelievers after they have made preparation for war against Muslims, this condition does not apply to نفل (Lane & Aqrab).
رکاب (camels) is derived from رکب. They say رکب الدابة او علی الدابة i.e. he rode upon the beast. رکاب means camels used for riding. It has no proper singular; the word used for singular is راحلة. رکاب السحاب means, the winds (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse may have special reference to the spoils the Muslims got from the Jews of Khaibar. See next verse also.
Whatever Allah has given to His Messenger as spoils[a] from the people of the towns is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, that it may not circulate only among those of you who are rich. And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it[b]; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it. And fear Allah; surely, Allah is Severe in retribution.[4194]
[a] 8:2, 42.
[b] 47:34; 49:8.
[4194] Important Words:
دولة (to circulate) is derived from دال. They say دالت الایام i.e. the days came round in their turns. دالت له الدولة means, good fortune came to him i.e. the turn of fortune was his. داول اللّٰه الایام بین الناس means, God made days to compound among men in turns. دولة (daulatun) as also دولة (dulatun) means, a turn of good fortune; a turn to share in wealth and to prevail in war; a turn of taking a thing. Or دولة (dulatun) is in wealth and دولة (daulatun) is in war; according to some the former signifies a thing that is taken by turns and the latter the act of taking by turns and a transition from one state to another. Or the former relates to the next world and the latter to the present world and it is said that the former signifies the transition of wealth from one people to another and the latter, prevalence, predominance or victory (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verse deals with the subject as to how فییء should be spent. As فییء consists of such booty as is attained without difficulty or labour and accrues to Muslims without war, the soldiers have no share in it and the whole of it forms part of the public treasury to be spent as mentioned in the verse.
Where soldiers are paid by the State, all spoils of war go to the public treasury i.e. Baitul-Mal. Islam being a great advocate and protagonist of the cause of the poor and supporter and protector of their interests, the verse incidentally lays down the principle that the circulation of wealth should not remain confined to the privileged and propertied class. As an individual’s health requires that his physical needs be reasonably met, a society’s health requires that material goods be widely distributed and wealth be in easy circulation. This is the basic principle of Muslim economics and nowhere did the Holy Prophet’s democratic thunder speak with greater force or clarity than in this field. Finding humanity ground down under the tyranny of vested interests, he propounded measures that broke the barriers of economic caste and enormously reduced the injustices of special privilege. The main principle of Muslim economics is that the wealth of the people be widely shared. Islam does not oppose the profit motive or economic competition. It does not discourage a man from working harder than his neighbour, nor does it object to his earning a large income. It simply insists that acquisitiveness and competition be balanced by fair play and compassion. Since human nature automatically takes care of the former, it falls to social laws to safeguard the latter. The Zakah is Islam’s basic device for institutionalizing regard for others, but it is supplemented by a number of other measures (The Religions of Man by Huston Smith).
The words, "whatever the Messenger gives you, take it," shows conclusively that the Sunnah forms an integral part of the Islamic Law.
These spoils are for the poor Refugees who have been driven out from their homes and their possessions while seeking grace from Allah and His pleasure,[a] and helping Allah and His Messenger. These it is who are true in their faith.[4195]
[a] 5:3; 48:30.
[4195] Commentary:
الفقراء seems to be case in apposition to the categories of recipients of the فییء mentioned in the preceding verse. From Hadith it appears that the poor Refugees were the greatest beneficiaries from فییء obtained from Banu Nadir.
And for those who had established their home in this city and had accepted the faith before them, they love those who come to them for refuge, and find not in their breasts any desire for that which is given them (Refugees), but prefer the Refugees above themselves, even though poverty be their own lot. And whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul—it is these who will be successful.[a][4196]
[a] 64:17.
[4196] Important Words:
حاجة (desire) is derived from حاج which means, he was or became poor; he desired, sought or sought after. حاج و احتاج الیه means, he needed it. حاجة means, want, need, necessity; a thing wanted; an object of want; desire (Lane & Aqrab).
خصاصة (poverty) is inf. noun from خص which means, he was or became poor, in a state of poverty. خصاصة means, poverty, need; straitness or difficulty; an evil state or condition; thirst; hunger (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
Whereas the preceding verse constituted an eloquent commentary on the sincerity and devotion of the Refugees (مھاجرین) to their faith, in that they left their hearths and homes for the sake of God and his Messenger, the verse under comment embodies a great testimonial to the spirit of self-sacrifice, hospitality and goodwill of the Helpers (انصار). The Refugees from Mecca came to the Helpers, deprived and denuded of all their possessions, and the latter received them with open arms and made them equal partners in their belongings. The bond of love and brotherhood which the Holy Prophet established between the Refugees and the Helpers, and to which this verse bears an eloquent testimony, stands unrivalled in the whole history of human relationships. The verse may have special reference to the Helpers having foregone their share in the spoils that accrued to Muslims from the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir.
And the spoils are also for those who came after them. They say, ‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in the faith, and leave not in our hearts any rancour against those who believe. Our Lord! Thou art indeed Compassionate, Merciful.’[4197]
[4197] Commentary:
The words "those who came after them," may apply to the Refugees who came later to Medina, or to all the coming generations of Muslims, or particularly to the followers of the Promised Messiah to whom a pointed reference is made in 62:3.
The later generations of Muslims have been commanded here to pray for their brethren in Faith of earlier generations and to pray also that their own hearts be completely cleansed of all bitterness and spite towards true and sincere Muslims. What a beautiful recipe by which Muslims can become cemented into a well-knit community!
Hast thou not seen those who are hypocrites? They say to their brethren who disbelieve among the People of the Book, ‘If you are turned out, we will surely go out with you, and we will never obey anyone against you: and if you are fought against, we will certainly help you.’ But Allah bears witness that surely they are liars.[4198]
[4198] Commentary:
A hypocrite is a liar and a coward. He is completely unreliable and devoid of all honour. The hypocrites of Medina had urged the Jews of Medina to defy the Holy Prophet and break their plighted word with him, holding out to them false promises of help and succour in time of need. But when relying upon their promises the Jews defied the Prophet and he, in order to punish them, marched against them, the Hypocrites left them in the lurch.