النص المفهرس

381
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
Allah. Allah has to a very large extent kept the distribution of man's
natural and basic needs in His own Hands, so that every class, every
region, every weak and strong people might be able to benefit equally.
Allah has, through His consummate wisdom, kept all such needs beyond
man's personal domination. No human being dare take possession of these
things personally. Air, wind, atmosphere, the Sun, the Moon, the light of
the stars and planets, the rain-laden clouds - all these things are such
without which no human can survive for a moment. Allah, the Almighty,
has declared all natural resources a public endowment for all. Not even
the greatest of sovereign authorities, by virtue of their ruling powers , can
ever monopolize or take possession of them. Allah's creation avails of them
equally everywhere.
The second category of necessities of life is what the earth produces, as
for instance water and other food-stuff. This is not commonly available.
However, Islamic law has declared hills and mountains, unpopulated
jungles and natural springs as public endowments. However, legitimate
right of ownership of some parts of the earth are allowed under special
laws to specific human beings. Some people illegitimately grab the land,
but naturally even the greatest capitalist cannot derive benefit from the
land without the help of the poor, the farmers or the laborers. Thus
despite a sort of ownership of it, he is forced to give shares to other
powerless and the indigent.
The third category is gold, silver and money, which do not fall under
the basic and natural necessities of life. But Allah has made them the
means of acquiring all essentials of life. People who mine gold and silver
from the ground become their owners subject to certain rules. The right
of their ownership is transferred in various ways to other people. If they
are widely distributed and are in easy circulation in human society, no
individual will go without food and clothing. But what happens in our
days is that the greedy people want to benefit from the wealth to the
exclusion of others. This led to miserliness and greed which, in turn, led to
some old and some new systems of monopolization and concentration of
wealth. As a result, people's wealth concentrated in the hands of a few
capitalists and people at the helm of affairs. The rest of the population
who were poor and indigent had to suffer, because they were deprived of
their share in the nation's wealth. This economic situation, as a reaction,
gave birth to such unreasonable economic systems as communism and

382
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
socialism.
Islamic economic system, on the one hand, shows the highest respect
to individual property rights, in that an individual's lawful property is as
sacred and inviolable as human life itself, and human life is as sacred and
inviolable as the House of Allah. Its violation has been most strongly
prohibited. On the other hand, if a hand filches or steals it, it is, under
penal law, amputated. In the third place, all such doors have been shut,
through which a particular individual or group of individuals might
monopolize it and deprive the general public.
The unjust and unbalanced way of acquisition of wealth, such as by
usury, speculation, gambling and betting, allows wealth to concentrate
and circulate in the hands of a few individuals. Islam has declared all
such gains as unlawful and cut at the root of all such transactions in
trade and tenancy that are based on unlawful practices. Wealth that is
gained through lawful means has specific ways of spending: The needy
and the indigent are shareholders in the wealth in the form of Zakah,
'Ushr, Sadaqat-ul-Fitr ['Id charity], various forms of expiation and so on.
The surplus wealth may be given away in voluntary charity. If a man
leaves behind assets at the time of his death, Divine wisdom has set down
specific rules according to which it must be distributed. The shareholders
in the assets are the relatives of the deceased, the principle in this case
being al-'agrab- fal-'agrab, that is 'relatives in order of relationship'. In
other words, Islamic law of succession is based on blood relationship; the
nearer in degree to the deceased excludes the more remote. The needy in
general have not been made the shareholders, because if that were the
case, the dying person would have felt the need to spend his assets
anyhow, rightly or wrongly, before his death. When he sees only his near
and dear ones receiving, this urge does not develop in his heart.
This means of acquiring wealth blocks the way to monopolization. The
second means of acquiring wealth is war and jihad. The gains made in
this way are distributed according to the Islamic rules. Some of them have
been set down in Surah Al-Anfal and others in this Surah. How unwise
and short-sighted are those people who give up Islam's balanced system of
economics based on justice, fair-play and compassion, and innovate new
systems of wealth distribution, which are unjust and unbalanced, and
disturb world peace?

383
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
Whatever the ... ) وَمَآ اتنكُمُ الرَّسُوُلُ فَخُذُوُهُ قَ وَمَا نَهْكُمُ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوُا ◌َ وَاتَّقُوا اللّهَ
Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever thing he forbids you, abstain
[from it]. And fear Allah .... 59:7). This verse is in connection with fai'
property, and it purports to say that Allah has set down the beneficiaries
of this property. However, the question which beneficiary will receive how
much have been left to the discretion of the Holy Prophet g. Therefore,
the Muslims are advised to happily accept the amount the Holy Prophet
grants them, and they should not be anxious to receive what he has
not given to them. This has been further emphasized by the injunction
di ggấn (Fear Allah). If anyone collects under false pretext more than what
he is granted, Allah is fully aware and will punish him.
The Messenger's Command is Binding like the Qur'anic Command
Although the verse was revealed in connection with fai', its words are
general. They are not specific to wealth. They cover all the commands as
well. Hence, the generalized meaning of the verse is that whatever the
Holy Prophet
gives to a person, be it wealth, any other grant or any
command, the people must show their willingness to accept it. And
whatever he forbids them, they should stay away from it.
Many of the Companions took the generalized sense of the verse, and
on the basis of it, they took the Holy Prophet's
commandment as
binding as the Qur'anic commandment. Qurtubi said that in this verse
the antonym of 'ata [gives] is naha [forbids]. This shows that the verb 'ata
[gives] is used in the sense of amara [commands] which is the direct
antonym of naha [forbids]. The Qur'an, instead of using the direct
opposite of naha [forbids] which is amara [commands], employed the verb
'ata [gives] presumably to embrace the context of the subject-matter
where the verse occurs, that is, the disbursement of fai' property.
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud
once saw a person in the state of
ihram wearing sewn clothes (which is impermissible in that state). He
asked him to take off the clothes. The person asked him to recite a
Qur'anic verse in support of his claim that a pilgrim is prohibited to put on
a sewn garb. Sayyidna 'Abdullan Ibn Mas'ud 4% recited this very verse
." .... Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it) اتنكُمُ الرَّسُوُلُ فَخُذُوُهُ
Imam Shafiq رحمه الله تعالى once said to his congregation: (Ask whatever
question you wish, and I will answer from the Qur'an.) A person said that

384
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
a pilgrim killed a wasp in the state of ihram and asked: "What is the rule
مآ اتنكُمُ recited this verse of the Qur'an رحمه اللّه تعالى about it?" Imam Shafiq
Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it .... " and coupled it) الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوُهُ
with a Tradition which gives the injunction relating to the killing of a
wasp. [Qurțubi].
."[59:8] ... And fai' is especially] for the poor emigrants]) لِلْفُقَرَآءِ الْمُهْجِرِينَ
The few verses from here till the end of the section describe the poor
emigrants (muhajirin), helpers (Anşar) and the general members of
Ummah that were yet to come in this world. Grammatically, the
prepositional phrase 'for the emigrants' is a complement to the
prepositional phrase 'for the kinsmen' occurring in verse [7] [Mazhari].
What this verse purports to say is that although the beneficiaries of fai'
are orphans, the needy and the wayfarers as mentioned in the preceding
verse, priority and precedence will be given to those whose service to
religion, personal qualities and religious perfection are well- known.
Priority should be given to the Indigent Righteous and Religious
Scholars serving the Cause of Islam when distributing Charity
This shows that although charities, especially fai' are meant to fulfill
the needs of the indigent Muslims in general, the righteous, especially
students and learned scholars serving the cause of religion should be
given priority over all others. This is the reason why Islamic governments
gave allowance from the fai' fund to learned scholars, muftis and judges
for serving the cause of education, propagation of Islam and reform of
human beings, because these verses establish two categories of the noble
Companions. Under the first category fall the emigrants who in the very
first instance made great sacrifices for Islam and the Messenger of Allah
They endured great hardships, and eventually bid farewell to their
wealth and property, to their land and country, and to their relatives and
the near and dear ones, and emigrated to Madinah. Under the second
category fall the Ansar, the natives of Madinah who helped the emigrants
and cooperated with them. They invited the Messenger of Allah
and
with him the emigrants and thus caused the whole world around them to
stand in their opposition. Their hospitality is unparalleled in the annals of
the nations of the world. After these two major categories, comes a third
category which comprises those people who embraced Islam after the
blessed Companions and followed their footsteps closely. The last category

385
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
embraces all Muslims who will follow until the Last Hour. The three
categories are discussed below, in succession.
The Merits of al-Muhajirin [The Emigrants]
لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمُ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ يَبْتَغُوْنَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللّهِ
وَرِضْوَانًا وَيَنْصُرُوْنَ اللهَ وَرَسُوْلَةً ﴿ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الصُّدِقُوْنَ
([And fai' is especially] for the poor emigrants who were expelled
from their homes and properties, while they were seeking the
grace of Allah and (His) pleasure, and were helping Allah and
His Messenger. They are the truthful .... 59:8)
This verse describes all the characteristics of the emigrants. The first
of them is that they were driven from their homes and wealth, that is to
say, their only crime was that they had embraced Islam and supported
the Messenger of Allah
, as a result of which the pagans of Makkah
persecuted them, so much so that they had to abandon their hearths and
homes and emigrate to Madinah. Some of them had to tie stones to their
stomach on account of unbearable hunger, and others used to protect
themselves against cold by digging holes in the ground, because they did
not have clothes to save them from the chill of winter. [Mazhari, Qurtubi]
An Important Issue: The rule about the control of unbelievers
over the wealth and property of the Muslims
This verse describes the emigrants as poor, whereas a faqir [poor] in
Islamic law refers to a person who has no property whatever, or a person
who possesses a little property, but is poor because he does not possess the
minimum amount of property constituting nişab of Zakah. However, most
of the emigrants were rich, wealthy and affluent while they were in
Makkah. Even after migration, if the wealth had remained in their
ownership, it would be inappropriate to refer to them as 'poor' because
they had nisab of Zakah. But the Qur'an refers to them as 'poor' and thus
points out that the wealth and property which they had left behind in
Makkah, and the pagans subsequently took possession of them, became
the property of the pagans and the Muslims lost its ownership.
Therefore, Imams Abu Hanifah and Malik (le al , ruled that if
Muslims abandon their homes and possessions and migrate to some other
land, and the non-believers take control of their abandoned homes and
property, the ownership passes into their hands and Muslims lose

386
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
ownership. Similarly, if - God forbid! - the unbelievers conquer an Islamic
country, usurping Muslim property and wealth, then after having full
control over it, they are deemed as owners of that property. Consequently,
their transactions of sale and purchase of such properties are recognized
in Shari'ah. Mazharī has, on this occasion in his commentary, cited all the
relevant Traditions supporting this view.
The second characteristic of the emigrants is described thus: Was s'
seeking the grace of Allah and [His] pleasure ... 59:8). When ... ) مِّنَ اللهِ وَرِضُوَانًا
they embraced Islam, abandoned their country and wealth and migrated,
they did not have any ulterior motive. They did all this only to seek
Divine favour and gain His good pleasure. This indicates their perfect
sincerity. The word fadl [bounty, grace] is normally used for worldly
blessings and ridwan [good pleasure] for blessings of the Hereafter. From
this viewpoint, the verse purports to describe that the emigrants gave up
all their previous means of luxury, such as their hearths and homes, and
now they were in quest of their worldly needs and the blessings of the
Hereafter in the shade of Islam. Their objective was to seek the necessities
of worldly life under the banner of Allah's and His Messenger's
efficacious grace.
The third characteristic of the emigrants is described thus: 1 35-25
J'55 ( ... and were helping Allah and His Messenger ... 59:8). The phrase
'help Allah' means to help His religion, for which they made tremendous
and amazing self-sacrifices.
The fourth characteristic of the emigrants is described thus: 4 5J,f
Sản ( ... They are the truthful ... 59:8). That is, such people are sincerely
true in words and deeds. The covenant they made with Allah and His
Messenger by reciting the kalimah, they duly fulfilled it and proved
themselves to be true about it. This verse candidly testifies to the
truthfulness of all emigrant Companions. Anyone calling any of them a
'liar' cannot be a Muslim, because he is rejecting this verse. God forbid!
Rawafid call these Companions 'hypocrites'. This is a clear rejection of the
verse. The Messenger of Allah
g held the emigrant Companions in such
high esteem that when he prayed to Allah, he would supplicate through
their wasilah. [as transmitted by Al-Baghawi and Mazharī].
The Merits of Anşar [The Helpers]
And [fai' is also for ] those who established) وَالَّذِيْنَ تَبَوَّءُوُ الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ

387
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
themselves in the homeland [of Madinah] and in faith before the former
ones [arrived in Madinah] ... 59:9). The word tabawwu' means 'to make
dwelling in the abode'. The word dar refers to Madinah which has a
special distinction. Therefore, Imam Malik 46, from one point of view,
regarded Madinah Tayyibah as the most distinguishable of all the cities
in the world. He used to say that wherever Islam reached and any city
that was conquered, it was conquered by means of jihad - including
Makkah Mukarramah. Madinah Tayyibah is the only exception. It was
conquered by means of 'Iman. [Qurtubi].
In this verse, under the word tabawwu' [to settle in an abode] the
words dar [home] and 'iman [faith] are coupled. It could be objected that
a 'home' can be found in a place where a person might settle in, but 'faith'
is not an 'abode' where a person might find a place to settle in. Some of
the scholars take the position that in this context the following verbs
to be understood and they mean "These are the people who تَمَكِّنُوا or اَخْلَصُوا
settled in their abode and became sincere and strong in their faith". It is
possible to take the word 'faith' in its metaphorical sense, that is in the
sense that 'it is a fortified house' where refuge is taken. The phrase min
qablihim [before them] describes another characteristic of Ansar, which
means that they had settled in Madinah before the Emigrants, while
Madinah was so important a city that all the Muslims living in Makkah
were ordered to emigrate to it and it became the center of Islam.
يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيُهمُ The second characteristic of the Helpers is described in
( ... have love for those who emigrated to them ... 59:9) The Emigrants from
Makkah came to the Helpers, deprived and denuded of all their
possessions. Normally, no community is willing to allow such a large
number of distressed people to settle in their city. Instead, the quarrels
between natives and emigrants are found everywhere. But the Ansar
received them with open arms and made them equal partners in their
belongings. The bond of love and brotherhood which the Messenger of
Allah
established between the Emigrants and the Helpers, and to
which this verse bears an eloquent testimony, stands unrivalled in the
whole history of human relationships. There was no dearth of the Helpers
who were eager to take on the Emigrants. In fact, for each Emigrant
there were several applications to take him on. There were many
instances in which lots had to be cast. When the lot of a particular Helper

388
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
fell in favour of a particular Emigrant, he was handed to him. [Mazhari]
وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِى صُدُورِهِمْ The third characteristic of the Helpers is described in
mit au ( ... and do not feel in their hearts any need for what is given to
the former ones [from fai'], ... [59:9]". This statement is concerned with the
banishment of Banu Nadir and their orchards and homes falling into
Muslim hands.
Distribution of Banu Nadir's properties
As stated earlier, the relevant verse has given discretionary powers to
the Holy Prophet
in matters of distributing the fai' property. It was a
time when the Muhajirin (Emigrants) had neither homes of their own nor
any property. They lived in the homes of the Ansar, and worked on their
farms to earn their livelihood. When the wealth of Banu Nadir and Banu
Qainuqa' were obtained as fai', the Messenger of Allah
called the
leader of the Ansar, Sayyidna Thabit Ibn Qais Ibn Shammas 4ee, and
asked him to bring his people to him. He asked: "O Messenger of Allah,
should I call my tribe of the Ansar, Banu Khazraj, or all of the tribes of
the Ansar?" He replied: "All of them." They all gathered. The Messenger of
Allah
delivered a sermon in which he spoke highly of the Ansar as to
the manner in which they accommodated the Refugee brethren. He said it
was a work of great determination and courage. After that he said: 'Allah
has granted you the wealth of Banu Nadir. If you wish, I will divide the
wealth between the Muhajirin and the Ansar; and the Refugees will
remain as usual in the homes of the Ansar. Or if you wish, the wealth
may be distributed among the homeless Refugees; and they may move out
of your homes and settle in their own homes.'
Having heard this sermon, two of the great chiefs of the Ansar,
Sayyidna Sa'd Ibn 'Ubadah and Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh
- stood and said: "O
Messenger of Allah, we are of the view that the entire wealth of fai' be
distributed among the Refugee brethren, and in addition they may
continue to reside in our homes as usual." At this all the Ansar
unanimously said, "We concur with this decision and are happy with it."
On that occasion, the Holy Prophet Et supplicated for the Ansar and their
children. He then distributed the entire fai' among the Muhajirin. Only
two of the Ansar received a grant from the fai' , because they were very
poor. Their names are Sayyidna Sahl Ibn Hunaif 4% and Abu Dujanah
. Sayyidna Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh4> was given a sword which was a

389
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
distinguished sword of Ibn Abil-Huqaiq. [Mazhari with reference to
Sabī-ur-Rashad by Muhammad Ibn Yusuf As-Șaliņi]
The present verse admires the Ansar on this attitude by saying, Y,
and do not feel in their hearts any need for ... ) يَجِدُوُنَ فِىُ صُدُورِهِمُ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا
what is given to the former ones [from fai'], .... 59:9). The word 'need'
means 'any item of need'. The verse means 'Whatever the Muhajirin were
granted in this distribution, the Ansar happily accepted it as if they had
no need for any of those items. It was inconceivable that they would
complain about it enviously.' When Bahrain was conquered, the same
spirit of self-sacrifice was displayed again by the Ansar. The Holy Prophet
expressed his intention to distribute the entire conquered lands of that
territory among the Ansar, but they courteously refused to accept any
share of it unless a similar share was granted to the Muhajirin.
The fourth characteristic of the Ansar is described in the verse is:
and give preference (to them) over .. ) وَيُؤْثِرُوْنَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ
themselves, even though they are in poverty .... 59:9). The word khaşaşah
means 'poverty' and the word 'ithar means 'to prefer the wish, need and
desire of others above those of oneself. The meaning of the verse is that
the Ansar used to prefer the needs of others (i.e. the Muhajirin,) to their
own needs. That is, the former used to fulfil the needs of the latter first,
then they would fulfil their own needs, even though they themselves
were poor and needy.
For the interpretation of the Qur'anic verses, there is no need to
recount incidents. But because they develop in human beings the highest
degree of human qualities and bring about a reform in their lives, the
commentators have recounted these events in detail on this occasion,
especially Qurtubi. We cite below a few of them from his commentary.
It is recorded in Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
that one night a guest came to an Ansari's house. The latter had only
as much food as he and his children could eat. He said to his wife: 'Put
the children off to sleep somehow, and put out the lamp. Then place the
food in front of the guest, and sit next to him so that he may be under the
impression that we too are eating, but we will not eat so that the guest
may be able to eat comfortably.' At this, the present verse was revealed.
[At-Tirmidhi has rated this hadith as 'hasan, sahih'].

390
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
Tirmidhi records another narration on the authority of Sayyidna Abu
Hurairah 40 that a person came to the Messenger of Allah
and said: "I
am hungry and distressed." The Holy Prophet & sent a message to one of
his blessed wives, but she replied: "We do not have anything except
water." Then he sent a message to his another wife, and she made the
same reply. Then to a third one and then to a fourth one until the
message went to all the mothers of the faithful, and they all replied that
they had nothing besides water. Then he addressed the congregation and
asked if any of them would be willing to entertain the guest, in response
to which a venerable Ansari said: "O Messenger of Allah, I will entertain
him." So he took him with and asked his wife whether there was anything
to eat. She replied: "Only as much as our children could eat." He asked his
wife to put the children to sleep and then said: "Place the food in front of
the guest, sit and then get up and put out the lamp. The guest should not
feel that we are not eating." The guest ate the food. In the morning, the
Companion went to the Holy Prophet & who informed him that Allah
was very pleased with the way he handled the situation the previous
night.
Mahdawi narrates a similar incident of Sayyidna Thabit Ibn Qais 4,
a venerable Ansarī who entertained his guest one night by putting the
light off. There is a common statement appended to all these incidents:
'The above verse was revealed in connection with this event.'
Qushairi cites a story on the authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn
'Umar de
e who reports that a person sent the head of a goat as a gift to a
venerable personality from among the blessed Companions. He thought
that about a Muslim brother that he and his family are more in need of
this, so he sent the head to him. When the second venerable Companion
received it, he sent it to a third person who in turn sent it to a fourth
person. In this way it circulated in seven houses and eventually it
returned to the first venerable personality. On this occasion, the verse
was revealed. Tha'labi has also recorded this narration on the authority of
Sayyidnā Anas
It is recorded in Muwaatta' of Imam Malik w Ui dan, on the
authority of Sayyidah 'A'ishah = that a poor person wanted something
to eat. She had only one bread, and she was fasting that day. She asked
her maid to give him the bread. The maid said that if it was given away,

391
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
there would be nothing left for her to break her fast in the evening.
Sayyidah 'A'ishah 45. insisted and gave the bread to the poor person. The
maid says: "It so happened after this that a person, who was not
accustomed to send any gift, sent a whole roasted goat which was
completely covered with batter on the outside, which is thought to be the
best Arab dish." Sayyidah 'A'ishah & called the maid and said: "Come,
eat this. This is better than that bread of yours."
Nasa'i has recorded that once Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar de fell
sick and he felt like eating grapes. A bunch of grapes was bought for him
for a dirham. Co-incidentally, a poor person came begging. Sayyidna
'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar 4
said that the bunch be given to him. One of the
Companions furtively followed him, and bought off the bunch from the
beggar and gave it back to Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar 46, but the beggar came
again and begged, Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar 4 % gave it to him again. Again
someone went behind the beggar secretly and bought off the bunch from
him for a dirham and gave it to Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar dee. The
beggar wanted to turn up the third time and beg, but the people stopped
him. If Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar 4
knew that the bunch is the
same one that he gave out in sadaqah, he would never have accepted it
and eaten it. He probably thought that someone had brought it for him
from the market-place, and therefore he had eaten it.
Sayyidna Ibn Mubarak reports on the authority of his chain of
transmitters that once Sayyidna 'Umar 4ee sent four thousand Dinars in a
moneybag to Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah e with his servant, with the
message that the money was being sent as a gift. He should use it as he
deemed fit. The servant was instructed to remain for a while in the house
to see what he would do with the money. The servant, accordingly, gave
the moneybag to him and waited for a while. Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah
took the bag full of money and supplicated for Sayyidna 'Umar 4
e that
Allah may reward him and shower his mercy upon him. Instantly, he
called his slave-girl and instructed her to give seven Dinars to so-and-so,
five Dinars to so-and-so until all four thousand Dinars were distributed
then and there.
The servant came back and narrated the story. Sayyidna 'Umar de
filled another moneybag with four thousand Dinars and sent it with the
servant to Sayyidna Mu'adh Ibn Jabal 4ge, with the same message to him

392
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
and with the same instruction to the servant. The servant followed the
instruction. Sayyidna Mu'adh Ibn Jabalcee took the bag of money and
supplicated to Allah for Sayyidna 'Umar , thus: رَحِمَهُ اللَّه وَ وَصله " May
Allah shower His mercy upon him and reward him." Then he too
immediately sat down to distribute the money. He divided the money into
many portions and sent them to different houses. His wife was watching
all that was happening. She could not hold herself and eventually spoke
out: "By Allah! We too are poor and we should also receive something." At
that time only two Dinars had remained in the bag, and he gave them to
her. The servant saw all this, returned to Sayyidna 'Umar de and
reported to him all that he saw. He said: "They are all brothers, and they
all have the same disposition."
Sayyidna Hudhaifah 'Adawi 4
narrates: "During the battle of
Yarmuk, I went out in search of my paternal uncle's son [cousin] among
the martyrs, and took with me some water just in case there was the last
breath of life left in him, so I would give him a sip of water. When I
reached him, there was the last spark of life left in him. I asked him
whether he would like to have a sip of water, and he nodded 'yes'. Just as
I was going to pour the water into his mouth, another martyr next to him
heaved a sigh. My cousin indicated to give him the water. When I
reached him and was about to give him the water, I heard the voice of a
third martyr. The second martyr indicated to give the water to the third
one. This series of events continued up to seven martyrs. When I reached
the seventh martyr to give water, he had already breathed his last. From
there I went back to my cousin, he had also met his end."
These are a few events, some of which relate to the Ansar, and others
to the Muhajirin. About a number of these incidents, it is said that the
verse under comment was revealed regarding them. In fact, there is no
contradiction in these narrations, because it is a well-known habit of
narrators that if a verse was revealed under a certain circumstance, and a
similar incident took place on another occasion, they mention the second
incident as a cause of revelation of that verse as well. In fact, all similar
incidents can be said to be the cause of revelation of the verse or, at least,
included in its purport.
Disposing of a Possible Doubt
Here we need to dispose of a possible doubt that might arise from the

393
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
noble Companions' narratives of self-sacrifice that were recounted above.
The Holy Prophet
has prohibited for a Muslims to give away all his
wealth in charity. For instance, it is reported in a Tradition that a person
came with a piece of gold, about the size of an egg, so that it may be given
in charity. The Holy Prophet 5 threw it towards himself and said: "Some
of you bring all your wealth to be given away in charity, then they
become poor and go around begging." The question is how and why did
the Companions of the Holy Prophet & give away whatever they had in
the incidents cited above despite the prohibition of such an act?
Answer to this question can be inferred from these very narratives. In
fact, people's conditions are different. Accordingly, the rulings differ from
condition to condition. The ruling of prohibition applies to those people
who, after giving away all their wealth in charity, regret, and cannot
endure their poverty but go around begging. But those people who, after
giving away all their wealth in charity, do not regret or feel distressed or
agitated, they in fact face the situation with calm courage and resolute
endurance. For such people, it is permitted to spend all their wealth in
Allah's way. Let us take the case of Sayyidna Siddiq Akbar 4ee who
donated all his belongings when fund was being collected for a jihad. The
stories narrated above belong to this category. Such people trained and
developed their families also to face the ordeals of life with the same calm
courage and resolute endurance. Therefore, their rights were not usurped
or destroyed either. If the wealth were in the control of their families, they
too would have done the same thing.
Muhajirin [The Refugees] Reciprocate the Ansars' Self-Sacrifice
No social activities or self-sacrifice is possible unilaterally. It has to be
bilateral. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah
has urged the Muslims to
exchange gifts with each other and thus enhance their mutual love. So
likewise, if a Muslim has given a gift to another, he should repay the gift
as a gesture of goodwill. If Allah has granted him abundant wealth, then
he should use the wealth to reciprocate. Otherwise, supplication should be
enough to reciprocate. It is not in keeping with the principles of ethics or
good manners to owe a debt of gratitude to people.
The Ansar displayed a great deal of self-sacrifice in the matter of the
Muhajirin. The former made the latter partners in their homes, their
shops, their businesses, their land and their agriculture. When Allah gave

394
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
the Muhajirin affluence, they did not fall short in doing a good turn in
return for their favours.
Qurtubi cites a narration of the two Sahihs on the authority of
Sayyidna Anas Ibn Malik
e that when the Muhajirin arrived in
Madinah from Makkah, they were absolutely empty-handed. The Ansar,
on the other hand, had properties and lands, and they shared
half-and-half of all their holdings with the Muhajirin. The former gave
half of their fruits to the latter annually. Umm Sulaim use, the mother of
Sayyidna Anas 400 , gave a few of her palm trees to the Holy Prophet
which he granted to Usamah Ibn Zaid's mother, Umm 'Aiman que.
Imam Zuhri says that Sayyidna Anas Ibn Malik 4ee reports that when
the Holy Prophet & returned successfully from the expedition of Khaibar
to Madinah, the Refugees - all of them - calculated all the gifts of the
Ansar and returned them. The Holy Prophet
took back the trees that
were granted to 'Umm 'Aiman and returned them to 'Umm Sulaim du,
and granted trees to 'Umm 'Aiman from his own orchard.
And whoever is saved from the greed ... ) وَمَنْ يُّوُقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
of his soul, then such people are the successful .... 59:9) After the mention
of the Ansar's selflessness and self-sacrifice, a general rule of law or a
universal principle is being laid down in the concluding part of verse [9].
The words shuhh [avarice] and bukhl [greed, miserliness] are near
synonyms. The word shuhh, however, yields the sense of intensive greed
for money and possessions. Shuhh [avarice] and bukhl [greed,
miserliness] are absolutely forbidden when a person fails to fulfil
obligatory rights, which might be Divine rights, such as Zakah,
sadaqat-ul-fitr, 'Ushr, oblation and so on, or they might be human rights,
such as the maintenance of the family, needy parents and relatives. It is
repugnant and reprehensible if shuhh [avarice] and bukhl [greed,
miserliness] prevent one from spending for laudable and rewardable acts.
If one does not spend on customary things, it is not shuhh [avarice] and
bukhl in terms of the sacred laws of Shari'ah.
Avarice, niggardliness and jealousy are such evil qualities as the
Qur'an and Prophetic Traditions have severely denounced. There are glad
tidings for those who avoid them. The Ansar have many good qualities,
among which is their immunity from avarice and jealousy.

395
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
Being free of Malice and Jealousy is a sign of one's being in
Paradise
Ibn Kathir, with reference to Imam Ahmad, cites the following
narration on the authority of Sayyidna Anas 4
, who says:
"We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah # when he said,
'A man is about to arrive who is from among the inmates of
Paradise'. One of the Ansars arrived, from whose beard dripped
fresh water of minor ablution [wudu'] and in his left hand were
his shoes. The same incident occurred the following day. The
same person came in front in the same condition. The same
incident happened the third day. The same person entered in
the condition described above. When the Messenger of Allah #
dissolved the assembly, Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn-ul-'Aş
followed the Ansari [so as to find out the secret of his being
an inmate of Paradise] and said to him: 'I had a quarrel in some
matter and took an oath that I would not go home for three
days. If possible, please accommodate me for three days at your
home.' He agreed. Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr 4
spent the
three nights with him. But he noticed that he did not wake up
for 'tahajjud' (voluntary nightly prayers) at night. However,
when he lied on bed, he recited some 'dhikr of Allah'. Then he
would wake up for Fajr salah. In the course of three days, he
did not hear him utter a single word but that of good. 'Abdullah
says, 'When three nights were over, and I almost thought
his actions were insignificant, I gave up my secret that I had no
domestic quarrel. But I continuously heard for three days the
Messenger of Allah saying a man is about to arrive who is
from among the inmates of Paradise'. And for three days you
arrived. Therefore, I was curious to stay with you and find out
your secret act, on account of which you have attained this high
status. But strangely enough I did not see you do any
extraordinary deed.' Then I asked him: 'What gave you this
high status?' He said, 'I have no deed more than what you have
seen.' I heard this and was about to return. He called me back
and said: 'O Yes, there is something. I do not harbour in my
heart any malice or evil against any Muslim, I am not jealous
or envious of any Muslim, if Allah has given him anything
good.' Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn-ul-'As 4% said: 'That
exactly is the quality that has taken you to the lofty status.""
Having cited this narration, Ibn Kathir says that Nasa'i has also cited
this narration in his 'Amal-ul-Yawm wal-Laylah' and its chain of
narrators is authentic according to the standard of Bukhari and Muslim.

396
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
All Muslims after the Muhajirin and the Ansar are entitled to fai'
And [fai' is also] for those who came after them" وَالَّذِيْنَ جَاءُوُ مِنْ بَعْدِ هِمْ
.... 59:10) This verse lays down that all Muslims until the Last Hour, after
the noble Companions from amongst the Muhajirin and Ansar, are
entitled to a share in the fai' property. This was the reason why Sayyidna
'Umar Al-Faruq 4% conquered great territories like 'Iraq, Syria, Egypt
and so on, but did not distribute them among the fighters. He retained
them as public endowment for next generations, so that the income might
accrue to the Islamic public treasury, and the Muslims till the Last Hour
may benefit from it. When some of the blessed Companions enquired
about the distribution of the conquered territories, he referred to this
verse and said: "Had it not been for the future generations of Muslims, I
would have distributed all the conquered territories among the fighters as
they were captured, following the example of the Messenger of Allah
When Khaibar was conquered, the Holy Prophet
distributed all its
lands. If all the lands are distributed among the present Muslim
generation, nothing will be left for future generations." [Transmitted by
Malik and Qurțubī].
Love for the Blessed Companions is a sign that the Ummah is on
Truth
On this occasion, Allah has put the Ummah of Muhammad
É into
three different categories: [1] Muhajirin; [2] Ansar; and [3] the general
body of the Ummah. The special characteristics of the Muhajirin and the
sterling qualities of the Ansars are described in the relevant verses above.
As for the merits of the rest of the Ummah, the verse merely mentions one
quality of theirs that they recognize the high status of Muhajirin and the
Ansar in that they had preceded them in faith and were means of
communicating it to us. Further, they pray for forgiveness of all, and also
pray that their own hearts be completely cleansed of all bitterness and
spite towards true and sincere Muslims.
This shows that for the validity and acceptance of faith and Islam of
all the coming generations of Muslims, after the blessed Companions, it is
a necessary condition that they have love and respect for the Companions
of the Holy Prophet %, and pray for their brethren in Faith of earlier
generations. Where this necessary condition is lacking, such people are
not worthy of being called Muslims. Therefore, Sayyidna Mus'ab Ibn Sa'd

397
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
> says that the Muslims of this Ummah are divided into three categories,
of which two categories [those of Muhajirin and Ansar] have already been
mentioned. The third category remains. If anyone wishes to have a place
in the Ummah, he should join the third category by showing love, respect
and honour to the blessed Companions.
Someone approached Sayyidna Husain 4 and inquired about
Sayyidna 'Uthman
[who had by then been martyred], the former
asked the inquirer: "Are you one of the Muhajirin?" He replied : "No".
Then he asked him: "Are you one of the Ansar?" He replied: "No." He then
said: "There remains only the third verse ◌ْالَّذِينَ جَاءُوْ مِنْ بَعْدِ هِم " And ... those
who came after them ... [59:10]": If you wish to create doubt about
Sayyidna 'Uthman 4g
", then you will have to leave this category as well.'
Qurtubi says that this verse is a proof that love of the blessed
Companions is obligatory. Sayyidna Imam Malik y JU , says that
any person who reviles a Companion or holds a grudge against him, will
not have a share in the fai' property of the Muslims. Then he argues, on
the basis of this verse, that every Muslim has a share in the fai' property,
and anyone who has no share, his faith in Islam is doubtul.
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas de has stated that Allah has
commanded all Muslims to pray for the Companions of Muhammad
and for their forgiveness, whereas Allah knew that there would be
conflicts and civil wars between them. Therefore, it is not permissible for
any Muslim to hold evil thoughts about them on account of their conflicts.
Sayyidah 'A'shah Siddiqah : says, "I have heard your Holy Prophet
say that this community will not perish unless the later generations
curse the earlier generations."
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar 4ee
says: "When you hear anyone
reviling a Companion, tell him, 'May the curse of Allah be upon the one
who is the worst of you'." Obviously, no Companion can ever be worse.
The one who is cursing would be the worst one. In a word, it is a cause of
curse to revile a Companion.
'Amr Ibn Haushab رحمه الله تعالى says: "I have found the earlier
generations of this Ummah uniformly and strongly advise people to
describe the merits of the noble Companions and their good qualities, so

398
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 11 - 17
that they may develop love for them. Do not ever talk about their conflicts
and disagreements, so that people may become bold and show disrespect
to them." [All these narratives have been adapted from Qurțubi].
Verses 11 - 17
الَمُ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِيْنَ نَافَقُوا يَقُوُلُونَ لِإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ
الْكِتْبِ لَئِنُ أُخْرِجُتُمُ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تُطِيعُ فِيْكُمْ أَحَدًا أَبَدًا "
وَّإِنْ قُوْتِلْتُمُ لَنَنْصُرَّنَّكُمْ ، وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَذِبُوْنَ ﴿١١﴾ لَئِنُ
أُخْرِجُوا لَا يَخْرُجُوْنَ مَعَهُمْ ، وَلَئِنُ قُوْتِلُوا لَا يَنْصُرُوْنَهُمُ ◌َ وَلَئِنُ
نَّصَرُوْهُمْ لَيُوَلُّنَّ الْأَدْبَارَ تِ ثُمَّ لَايُنُصَرُوْنَ ﴿١٢﴾ لَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهُبَةً فِىُّ
صُدُوْرِهِمْ مِّنَ اللّهِ * ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لََّيَفْقَهُونَ ﴿١٣) لَا يُقَاتِلُوْنَكُمْ
جَمِيعًا إِلاَّ فِىُ قُرَّى مُّحَصَّنَةٍ أَوْ مِنُ وَّرَآءِ جُدُرٍ +ُ بَأْسُهُمُ بَيْنَهُمُ شَدِيْدٌط
تَحْسَبُهُمُ جَمِيعًا وَقُلُوبُهُمُ شَتّى ء ذلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٤﴾
كَمَثَلِ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمُ قَرِيْبًا ذَاقُوْا وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ ، وَلَهُمُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
﴿١٥) كَمَثَلِ الشَّيُطْنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ اكْفُرُ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنُّ
بَرِىّ ءٌ مِّنْكَ إِنِّى أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْغَلَمِيْنَ ﴿١٦﴾ فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا
ع
أَنَّهُمَا فِى النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيْهَاء وَذلِكَ جَزَآؤًا الظّلِمِينَ ﴿١٧﴾
Did you not see the hypocrites saying to their brothers
who disbelieve from the people of the Book, "If you are
expelled, we will certainly go out with you, and we will
not obey any one about you. And if you are fought
against, we will definitely help you." And Allah bears
witness that they are pure liars. [11] If they are
expelled, they will not go out with them, and if they are
fought against, they will not help them. And even if
they help them, they will surely turn their backs; then
they will not be helped. [12] In fact, your fear in their
hearts is greater than (that of) Allah. That is because
they are a people who do not understand. [13] They do
not fight you, even assembled together, but in fortified

399
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 11 - 17
towns, or from behind the walls. Their battle between
themselves is severe. You think that they are united,
while their hearts are divided. That is because they are
a people who have no sense. [14] The example (of Banu
Nadir) is like those who were before them in near past,
(i.e. the Jews of Banu Qainuqa') who tasted the evil
consequence of their conduct, and for them (in the
Hereafter) there is a painful punishment. [15] The
example (of the hypocrites) is like the Shaitan when he
says to a human being, "Become a disbeliever" then once
he disbelieves, he says, "I disown you; I fear Allah, the
Lord of the worlds." [16] So the end of both of them is
that they will be in the Fire, living there forever. And
that is the punishment of the wrongdoers. [17]
Commentary
like those who were before them in near past ... ) كَمَثَلِ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَرِيْبًا
.... 59:15) This refers to the case of Banu Nadir, and Mujahid (le atsi pas,
says that the phrase الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمُ قَرِيبًا "those who were before them in near
past " refers to the Quraish of Makkah who sustained an ignominious
defeat at Badr. According to Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 446, it refers
to Banu Qainuqa', a Jewish tribe, who were punished for their mischief
and machinations after Badr. Banu Nadir were banished after the battles
of Badr and 'Uhud, and Banu Qainuqa' had been banished after Badr. At
Badr seventy thousand pagan Arabs were killed, and the survivors
returned home disgracefully. Since pagans of Makkah and Banu
qainuga', both of them faced a deterrent punishment after Badr, both can
be the purport of the words, 'who were before them in the past, and of :
"[59:15] ... tasted the evil consequence of their conduct ... " ذَاقُوا وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمُ
The Expulsion of Banu Qainuqa'
As stated earlier, when the Holy Prophet
migrated from Makkah
and settled in Madinah, he concluded a peace treaty with the Jewish
tribes of Madinah, and of its neighbourhood. One of its conditions
stipulated that they would not fight the Messenger of Allah
" and the
Muslims, or assist their enemies. Banu Qainuqa' was a party to this peace
agreement and was the first one to break the pledged word, within a few
months. On the occasion of the battle of Badr, they connived with the
Quraish of Makkah, and some incidents of their connivance came out in
وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِنْ قَوْم the open. On that occasion, the following verse was revealed
,And if you apprehend a breach from a people, then) خِيَانَةً فَأَنْبِذُ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَى سَوَآءٍ

400
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 11 - 17
throw [the treaty] towards them being right forward ... [8:58]". Banu
Qainuga', through their treachery, had already broken the treaty.
Therefore, The Holy Prophet
declared war against them and the
banner of jihad was given in the hands of Sayyidna Hamzah 4ee and,
appointing Sayyidna Abu Lubabah 4
his deputy in the city of Madinah,
the Holy Prophet
himself joined the fighting force. Having seeing the
Muslim army, the Jews shut themselves up in the fortress. The Holy
Prophet
laid a siege to it for fifteen days, and the Jews had no choice
but to surrender. Eventually, Allah cast terror into their hearts and they
realized that fighting would not pay off. So, they opened the gate of the
fortress and expressed their willingness to abide by the decision of the
Holy Prophet
The Holy Prophet's
¿ decision was to have the Jewish men executed.
But 'Abdullah Ibn 'Ubayy, the hypocrite, intervened and pleaded to the
Holy Prophet
to pardon them. In the end, it was decided that they
should leave the area and go into exile and their belongings would be the
spoils falling to the lot of the Muslims. Accordingly, they left Madinah and
proceeded to settle in an area called Adhra'at in Syria. In compliance with
the law of spoils, one-fifth was retained for Bait-ul-Mal [public treasury]
and the rest of the spoils was disbursed among the fighters. After the
battle of Badr, this was the first one-fifth of the booties that was retained
for the public treasury. This incident took place on Monday, 15th
Shawwal, in the 2nd year of Hijrah - twenty months after the migration.
The example [of the hypocrites] is like the) كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطِنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ اكُفُرُ
Shaitan when he says to a human being, "Become a disbeliever" then
once he disbelieves, he says, "I disown you; I fear Allah, the Lord of the
worlds." .... 59:16) This is another example of the hypocrites who made false
promises of solidarity and support to the Banu Nadir, and provoked the
latter to fight against the Messenger of Allah g. But when the Muslims
besieged them, not a single hypocrite came forward to assist. The Qur'an
here uses a simile to illustrate the similarity between a hypocrite and the
Satan. The Satan incited man to disbelieve and promised him the world,
but when he was seriously involved in disbelief, he said that he has
nothing to do with him. Only Allah knows how many such episodes the
devil must have been involved in, textually, however, we find one such
episode narrated in the Qur'an in Surah Anfal, verse [48] :