Indexed OCR Text

361
Surah Al-Mujadalah : 58 : 14 - 22
وَلَوْ كَانُوْآ ◌َبَآءَهُمْ أَوْأَبْنَاءَ هُمْ أَوْ اِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيْرَتَهُمُ ﴿ أُوْ لَئِكَ
كَنَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيْمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوْحٍ مِّنْهُ وَيُدْخِلُهُمُ جَنْتٍ
تَجْرِىُ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهُ خلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواعَنْهُ،
أُوْ لَئِكَ حِزُبُ اللهِ ﴾ آلّ إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
Have you not seen who have friendship with a people
with whom Allah is angry. They are neither of you nor
of them. And they swear false oaths while they know.
[14] Allah has prepared a severe punishment for them.
Indeed, evil is what they used to do. [15] They have taken
their oaths as a shield, then have prevented (people)
from the way of Allah. Therefore, for them there is a
humiliating punishment. [16] Their riches and their
children will never benefit them against Allah. They are
the people of the Fire. They will live there for ever [17]
(It will be) on the Day when Allah will raise all of them,
and they will swear before Him as they swear before
you, and will think that they have some standing.
Beware that they are sheer liars. [18] The shaitan
(Satan) has prevailed upon them, so he has made them
forget the remembrance of Allah. They are the party of
shaitan. Be sure that it is (the members of the) party of
Shaitan that are the losers. [19] Indeed, those who
oppose Allah and His Messengers, they are among the
lowest. [20] Allah has written (in His pre-destined
decree), "I will certainly prevail, both I and My
messengers." Surely Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty. [21]
You will not find those who believe in Allah and in the
Hereafter having friendship with those who oppose
Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their
fathers or their sons or their brothers or their clan.
They are such that Allah has inscribed faith on their
hearts, and has helped them with a spirit from Him.
And He will admit them to gardens beneath which
rivers flow, wherein they will live forever. Allah is
pleased with them, and they are pleased with Allah.
Those are the party of Allah. Be sure that it is (the
members of) the party of Allah that are the successful.
[22]

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Surah Al-Mujadalah : 58 : 14 - 22
Commentary
Chastising the Hypocrites for their Secret Alliance with the Jews
Have you not seen those who have) آلَمُ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِيْنَ تَوَلَّوْا قَوْمًا غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ
friendship with a people with whom Allah is angry? .... 58:14) Allah
condemns the hypocrites who secretly formed an alliance with the Jews
who challenge Allah and His Apostle, while in effect they belong neither
to the Muslims nor to the Jews. Consequently, Allah has prepared for
them a humiliating and condign chastisement. It is not permissible to
have a friendly intimacy with the enemies of Allah and His Messenger -
whether the unbelievers are Jews, or Christians, or pagans or of any
other creed. Even rationally this is not possible, because the capital asset
of a believer is the love of Allah, while a non-believer relishes in opposing
and challenging Him. It is not possible for a person to have sincere love
and affection for someone and to love and have intimacy with the latter's
enemy. Here 'love', 'affection' or 'intimacy' refers to the one coming from
the heart involving intense emotional commitment (which necessarily
includes having love with his way of life. Ed.). This is called Muwalah or
'intimate friendship'. This type of friendship is limited to sincere Muslims.
Therefore, the Qur'anic verses on many occasions strictly prohibit
Muslims from having this sort of relationship with non-Muslims. Any
Muslim who has such intimate friendship with non-Muslims will be seen
to fall in the circle of unbelievers.
In contra-distinction to Muwalah [intimate friendship], there is a
concept of Muwasah which refers to the relationship based on sympathy,
kindness and concern. It includes charitable assistance and support,
business, commercial, trade dealings and economic co-operation,
condolence and consolation and any well-meaning attitude of well-being
and welfare. Barring unbelievers who are at war with the believers, this
kind of relationship is permissible with all other non-Muslims. The
paradigm of the Holy Prophet
and the noble Companions in this
direction is ample testimony to this practice. However, it is necessary to
ensure that the relationship of Muwasah is not harmful to the cause of
religion; it should not create laxity in 'faith and practice' of Islam nor
should it 'harm, hurt or injure' other Muslims. Please see Ma'ariful
Qur'an, Vol. 2/ pp 54-61: under Surah Al-‘Imran: v.28-30 for a detailed account
of the distinction between Muwalat [intimate friendship], Muwasat

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Surah Al-Mujadalah : 58 : 14 - 22
[sympathy] and Mu'amalat [dealings] or Mudarah [cordiality].
and they swear false oaths ... 58:14). It means they) وَيَحْلِفُونَ عَلَى الگذِبِ
swear oaths profanely. According to some reports, this verse was revealed
in connection with 'Abdullah Ibn 'Ubayy and 'Abdullah Ibn Nabtal: One
day the Messenger of Allah
was sitting with his noble Companions and
said to them: "Soon a person will come to you whose heart will be the
heart of a tyrant and who sees through the Satan's eyes." Soon
afterwards 'Abdullah Ibn Nabtal, the hypocrite, entered. He was
blue-eyed, wheat-coloured, short-statured and skimpy-bearded. The
Messenger of Allah
asked him: "Why do you and your comrades use
obscene words against me?" He swore that he did not do that. Then he
called his comrades and they too took this false oath. Allah told the Holy
Prophet
about their lie and profane oath. [Qurțubi]
Believers cannot entertain intimacy with non-Believers
You shall) لَاتَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَآتُوْنَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللّهَ وَرَسُوْلَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أَبَاءَهُمُ
not find those who believe in Allah and in the Hereafter having
friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though
they were their fathers .... 58:22). The preceding verses showed that those
[hypocrites] who are in intimate friendship with unbelievers and pagans
shall incur Allah's wrath, indignation and severe torment. This verse
describes the condition of sincere believers who would not take an enemy
of Faith, the opponents of Allah, for intimacy and friendship, even though
such people are their own fathers, children, brothers or any other blood
relatives. The bond of belief transcends all other bonds, even the close ties
of blood. This description fits all noble Companions. Commentators on this
occasion have cited a number of incidents of the blessed Companions
which describe how, when they heard their fathers, sons and brothers or
other blood relations utter blasphemy against Islam or the Messenger of
Allah
g, they left all ties aside and punished them or even killed them.
'Abdullah, the son of 'Abdullah Ibn 'Ubayy, the leader of the
hypocrites in Madinah, heard his father make some blasphemous
remarks against the Holy Prophet 5. The son came up to the Holy
Prophet
and sought his permission to kill his father. The Messenger of
Allah
stopped him. Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4
heard his father, Abu
Quhafah, uttering some insulting words against the Holy Prophet . The

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Surah Al-Mujadalah : 58 : 14 - 22
most compassionate Șiddiq
became indignant and unexpectedly gave
him such a hard slap that he fell down. When the Messenger of Allah
heard about it, he advised Abu Bakr Siddiq 400 not do it again. In the
battle of Uhud, Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah's father, Jarrah, was fighting on
the side of the unbelievers against the Muslims. In the battlefield, while
the battle was on, he purposely came time and again face to face with
Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah
e and pursued him. Every time his father came
in front of him, Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah 4ee would, as a mark of respect,
move out. But when he persisted, Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah & had no
choice but to kill him. The biography of the blessed Companions is replete
with similar incidents. The present set of verses was revealed to laud
them. [Qurțubi]
Ruling
Many jurists have ruled that this rule applies equally to all Muslims
who transgress or violate the sacred laws of Shari'ah or in their practical
life turn away from them, in that the sincere Muslims should not
maintain an intimate friendship or relationship with such transgressors.
As explained earlier, Muwalah [intimate friendship] with a fasiq
[transgressors] is not possible because intimacy with them is possible if
and only if the germs of fisq [transgression] are lurking in the people
befriending them. Muwasah [sympathy] and Mu'amalat [dealings] or
Mudarah [cordiality] are, however, a different matter to the degree of
necessity. This is the reason why the Messenger of Allah
used to pray:
Q Allah, do not give any transgressor the upper" اَللَّهُمَّ لَاتَجُعَلُ لِفَاجِرٍ عَلَىَّ يَدًا
hand over me." The Messenger of Allah af prayed thus because if anyone
has the upper hand in a situation, he is most likely to get his own way.
He will, for instance, show kindness to people and thus gain the upper
hand; and the noble persons, on account of the kindness, will feel obliged
or duty-bound to return his kindness with love. Thus the Messenger of
Allah &g sought refuge with Allah from this situation. [Qurtubi]
(58:22 .... and has helped them with a Spirit from Him ... ) وَآَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ
The word ruh, according to some authorities on Tafsir, stands for 'light',
which radiates or emanates from Allah and enters the heart of a believer
which urges him to perform righteous deeds, and is the source of peace
and contentment of the heart. This tranquility and satisfaction is the
source of great strength and power. Other authorities say that this word

Surah Al-Mujadalah : 58 : 14 - 22
365
stands for the Holy Qur'an and the arguments of the Holy Qur'an. This is
the real strength and power of a believer. [Qurtubi]. Allah, the Pure and
Exalted, knows best!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Mujadalah
Ends here.

366
Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 1 - 5
Surah Al-Hashr
(The Mustering)
This Surah is Madani, and it has 24 verses and 3 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 5
سَبَّحَ لِلْهِ مَا فِى السَّمُوتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ ، وَهُوَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيْمُ
١) هُوَالَّذِى أَخْرَجَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتْبِ مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ
لاَوَّلِ الْحَشْرِ ﴿ مَا ظَنَنْتُمُ أَنْ يَّخْرُجُوا وَظَنُّوْا أَنَّهُمُ مَّانِعَتُهُمْ
حُصُوْنُهُمْ مِّنَ اللّهِ فَتَنُهُمُ اللهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوْا وَقَذَفَ فِى
قُلُوبِهِمُ الرُّعُبَ يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوْتَهُمُ بِيْدِيْهِمُ وَأَيْدِى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ،
فَاعْتَبِرُوْا فَأُولِى الْأَبْصَارِ ﴿٢﴾ وَلَوَلَا أَنْ كَتَبَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْجَلّءَ
لَعَذَّبَهُمُ فِى الدُّنْيَاء وَلَهُمُ فِى الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابُ النَّارِ ﴿٣﴾ ذلِكَ بِنَّهُمُ
شَأَقُوا اللهَ وَرَسُوْلَةُ وَمَنْ يُّشَآَقِّ اللهَ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيْدُ الْعِقَابِ ﴿٤﴾
مَا قَطَعْتُمُ مِّنْ لِيْنَةٍ أَوْتَرَكُتُمُوْهَا قَائِمَةً عَلَى أُصُوْلِهَا فَبِذْنِ اللهِ
وَلِيُخْزِىَ الْفُسِقِيْنَ ﴿٥﴾
Allah's purity has been proclaimed by all that is in the
heavens and all that is on the earth. And He is the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise. [1] He is the One who expelled

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 1 - 5
the disbelievers of the People of the Book from their
homes at the time of the first gathering. You did not
expect that they would leave, and they deemed that
their fortresses would protect them from Allah. But
Allah came to them from where they did not expect, and
cast fear in their hearts when they were spoiling their
homes with their own hands and with the hands of the
believers. So, learn a lesson, O those who have eyes. [2]
And if Allah had not destined exile for them, He would
have punished them in the world. And for them in the
Hereafter is the torment of the Fire. [3] That is because
they were hostile to Allah and His Messenger. And
whoever has hostility with Allah, then Allah is severe
in punishment. [4] Whatever palm-trees you have cut
down, or have left them standing on their roots, it was
with Allah's permission, and so that He might disgrace
the transgressors. [5]
Commentary
Sequencing of Surahs
The preceding Surah had condemned the close friendship developed
by the hypocrites with the Jews. The present Surah describes the
punishment faced by the Jews in this world in the form of exile and in the
Hereafter in the form of grievous torment.
Cause of Revelation
The story of their banishment from Madinah is that when the
Messeger of Allah
migrated to Madinah, he concluded a peace treaty
with the Jews. Banu Nadir, one of the Jew tribes living around Madinah,
were one of the three signatories. The latter tribe lived about two miles
(1) The original word used in the text is 'hashr' which means 'gathering' or 'mustering'
and after which this Surah is named. In the present context, it may be interpreted
in two different ways. One, that it refers to the gathering of the Muslims who
ordered the Jews to leave Madinah due to their constant conspiracies and breaches
of the treaty they had with the Muslims. According to this interpretation, the verse
means that the Jews of Bani Nadir were made to leave the city at the first
gathering of the Muslims without fighting and without any further attempt to
attack them. The second interpretation is that it refers to the gathering of the Jews
for the purpose of emigration. In this case the verse indicates that it was their first
exile before which they did not face such a situation. It has another subtle
indication to the fact that this was their first exile which will be followed by
another one, i.e. the exile faced by the Jews in the days of Sayyidna 'Umar
(Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 1 - 5
away from Madinah. Once it happened that 'Amr Ibn 'Umayyah Damuri
killed two persons by mistake. According to Law, the Muslims jointly had
to settle the blood-wit. The Holy Prophet :
first collected money from the
Muslims for this purpose. Then he decided to collect money from the Jews
as well in terms of the treaty he already had with them. The Holy Prophet
visited the tribe of Banu Nadir for this purpose. Before his arrival,
they conspired to put an end to his life. When he reached there, they
made him sit against a wall and said to him that they were going to
gather the blood money. In the meanwhile, they secretly plotted that
someone should climb the particular wall in the shade of which the Holy
Prophet was sitting and drop a rock on him and kill him. But before
the Jews could execute their sinister plan, Allah revealed to him in time
about their plot and conspiracy. The Holy Prophet
instantly left the
place, returned to Madinah and sent a message to Banu Nadir that they
have betrayed the treaty. Therefore, they are given ten days in which to
leave the town and go into exile, and were warned that if they would not
meet the deadline, they might be killed at sight. They decided to leave,
but 'Abdullah Ibn 'Ubayy prevented them. He said that they did not have
to leave because he had an army of two thousand men who were willing
to lay down their lives to protect the Jewish lives. It is stated in
Ruh-ul-Ma'ani on the authority of Ibn Ishaq that along with 'Abdullah
were Wadi'ah Ibn Malik, Suwaid and Ra'ish. The Jews fell into the trap
of the three and sent a message to the Holy Prophet
that they would
not leave. As a result, he together with the noble Companions marched on
that tribe. The Jews locked themselves up in the fortresses, but the
hypocrites, being essentially cowards, hid themselves. The Holy Prophet
laid a siege to the Jewish fortresses. Some of their date palms were
felled and others were burnt down. Eventually, they agreed to go into
exile. So, the Holy Prophet
¿ forced them to evacuate and abandon their
fortresses and, in kindness, allowed to take with them enough provisions,
whatever their cavalry and camelry could carry except arms and
weapons, which, they were told, would be confiscated. Some of them went
to Syria, while others went to Khaibar. On account of their greed, they
carried with them even beams, rafters, woods and the doors of their
houses. This incident took place after the battle of Badr in Rabi'-ul-
Awwal 4 AH. Sayyidna 'Umar 40, during his caliphate, sent them away
to Syria to live with the rest of the Jews. The two banishments go under

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 1 - 5
the names of the 'first banishment' and the 'second banishment'.
[Zad-ul-Ma'ad].
The Characteristics of Surah Al-Hashr and the History of Banu
Nadir
The entire Surah Al-Hashr was revealed in connection with Banu
Nadir [Ibn Ishaq]. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
used to call this Surah, Surah
Bani Nadir. [Ibn Kathir]. Banu Nadir were the descendents of the Holy
Prophet Harun &. Their forefathers were scholars of Torah, which
contained a full description of the Last Prophet
such as his physical
features, his signs of Prophet-hood and his migration to Yathrib
(Madinah). This tribe was under the impression that the Last Prophet
would be one of the descendents of Holy Prophet Harun al and they
would have the pleasure of being in his company. For this reason, they
migrated from Syria and settled in Yathrib. Some of the contemporaries of
the Holy Prophet
were also scholars of the Torah, who saw his physical
features and other signs of Prophet-hood and recognized him as the Final
Messenger but, as they thought that he would be one of the descendents
of Harun Nell, they were disappointed when he was raised among the
descendents of Isma'il Sell. They were jealous and, on account of their
jealousy, they were inhibited from embracing the Faith. But in their heart
of hearts they knew that Sayyidna Muhammad
was the Final
Messenger of Allah. When, in the battle of Badr, they saw the amazing
victory of the Muslims and the humiliating defeat of the pagan Quraish,
their degree of certainty was somewhat augmented. They even expressed
their amazement. But distinguishing between truth and falsehood on the
basis, measurement, or standard of the apparent victory and defeat is a
weak yardstick. As a result, when in the battle of Uhud, Muslims initially
suffered a temporary setback and some of the Companions were
martyred, their certainty was shaken. After that they started conspiring
with the pagan Arabs.
When the Messenger of Allah & migrated to Madinah, as stated
earlier, he with his political sagacity felt his first task was to enter into a
peace treaty with the Jews of Madinah and other neighbouring Jewish
tribes, stipulating that he would not fight them and they would not fight
him, nor would they aid and abet those who take up arms against the
Muslims, and if the Jews were attacked, the Muslims would assist them.

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 1 - 5
There were many other clauses in the peace accord, the details of which
are available in 'Sirah of Ibn Hisham'. All the Jewish tribes, including
Banu Nadir, had their area, strong fortresses and orchards at a distance
of 3.2 kilometers from Madinah.
Up to the point of the battle of 'Uhud, they apparently kept to the
terms of the treaty. But after that battle, they betrayed the treaty and
started conspiring secretly, in that a leader of Banu Nadir, Ka'b Ibn
Ashraf, went to Makkah with a caravan of forty Jewish members to curry
favour with the pagan Quraish who were anxious to avenge the defeat of
the battle of Badr, and had gone to the battle of 'Uhud for that reason but
were eventually defeated in the latter battle as well. The defeated men
returned and the Jews met them. They conspired and agreed to wage a
war against the Messenger of Allah g and the Muslims. Ka'b Ibn Ashraf
with his forty Jewish members and Abu Sufyan with his forty members of
pagan Quraish entered the Sacred Mosque and, holding on the curtain of
the House of Allah, pledged that they would jointly fight the Muslims and
annihilate them.
When, after this pledge, Ka'b Ibn Ashraf returned to Madinah,
Jibra'il Mell descended and informed the Messenger of Allah
about the
entire episode and the details of the pledge. In the meantime, the Holy
Prophet
issued the command to kill Ka'b Ibn Ashraf. A noble
Companion Muhammad Ibn Maslamah killed him.
Subsequently, Banu Nadir hatched many different plots to harm the
Messenger of Allah g, one of which was, as reported earlier, their plot to
kill him. The Holy Prophet af, after collecting blood money from the
Muslims in a particular case of murder, decided to collect money from the
Jews in terms of the treaty that was concluded between himself
3, the
tribes of Banu Nadir, Banu Qainuga' and Banu Quraizah. Before his
arrival, they planned to kill him, as detailed above. The person who was
entrusted with the task of throwing a rock on the head of the Holy
Prophet
was a Jew 'Umar Ibn Jahhash by name who had volunteered
himself for the task. Had it not been for the revelatory information the
Holy Prophet
received from Allah, their plot would have worked. But
Allah protected His Messenger
and the conspiracy was thus thwarted
and their plan failed.
!

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 1 - 5
A Lesson
It is a remarkable co-incidence that subsequently the entire Banu
Nadir clan was expelled from Madinah except for two persons who
embraced the Islamic Faith and were spared: One of them was 'Umar Ibn
Jahhash and the other was his paternal uncle Yamin Ibn 'Amr Ibn Ka'b.
[Ibn Kathir].
The Story of 'Amr Ibn Umayyah Damuri
Under the rubric of 'cause of revelation' above, reference was made to
the incident that 'Amr Ibn Umayyah Damuri accidentally killed two men.
The Muslims as well as the Jews had to jointly settle the blood-wit in
terms of the treaty existing between them. The Holy Prophet
collected
money from the Muslims for this purpose. Then he decided to collect
money from the Jews. The Holy Prophet
visited the tribe of Banu
Nadir in their area for this purpose. Ibn Kathir writes that the enemy
plans to harm the Muslims are many and long-drawn-out. One famous
incident in Islamic history is that of Bi'r Ma'unah: Some of the hypocrites
and the non-believers requested the Messenger of Allah
to send a band
of the noble Companions to preach the religion of Islam. He dispatched
about seventy Companions for the purpose. Later on it was discovered
that this was a mere conspiracy. The plan was to surround them and kill
them, in which they succeeded. Of the seventy Muslims, only 'Amr Ibn
Umayyah Damuri managed to escape. He had seen and experienced the
dishonesty and treachery of the non-believers, and how they mercilessly
massacred sixty-nine of his brethren. In the circumstances, one can
imagine how his emotions would have been against the enemies.
Co-incidentally, when he was returning to Madinah he encountered two
non-believers and killed them. Later on it was discovered that the two
men killed were members of Bani 'Amir, a tribe which was an ally of the
Holy Prophet
. Banu Nadir was also an ally of Bani 'Amir tribe.
The agreements of Muslim politicians were not like the political
agreements of today in which every effort is made at the vey beginning to
find out ways to escape or violate it. In the case of the Holy Prophet
and the early sincere Muslims, whatever the tongue uttered or the pen
wrote was treated as part of religion and Divine law and binding. When
the Messenger of Allah
learnt about 'Amr Ibn 'Umayyah Damrui's
error of judgement, he decided to pay the blood-wit, in terms of the sacred

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 1 - 5
law of Shari'ah, for the two men killed. In this matter, he first collected
money from the Muslims and then he had to go to Banu Nadir for
collection. [Ibn Kathir]
Tolerance and Human Rights in Islam: A Model for Present-day
Politicians
There are many lessons in the incidents cited above for the heralds of
human rights, and for the political leaders and the big powers who talk
highly about them and are deemed as 'Champions of Human Rights'. Let
us look at the case of Banu Nadir: They unceasingly were involved in
conspiracies, endlessly behaved treacherously and continuously plotted to
kill the Messenger of Allah
g. Would the present-day political leaders or
heads of governments tolerate all this? How would they treat them?
Nowadays, the opponents are killed even by sprinkling petrol on them or
in some other execution style. There is no need for political leadership or
government for that purpose. A few wicked hooligans gather together and
carry out the executions. The official wrath and anger manifest itself
much more grievously .
But here we are describing the government of Allah and His
Messenger
: Even when the enemy conspiracies and treacheries
reached the peak, no massacre was contemplated. No thought of usurping
their property and wealth was ever considered. In fact, the following
humane punitive measures were taken:
[1] They were allowed to take all their wealth with them, and were
ordered only to evacuate the town.
[2] To do this, they were given ten days, so that they might be able to
take their things comfortably and transfer themselves to some other place.
When they did not comply, it became necessary to take a sterner measure
at national level.
[3] Some trees were though cut down and others were burned down,
but even at that stage, no edict was issued to burn down their fortresses
or attack them and kill them on a large scale.
[4] When they expressed that it was in their best interests to go into
exile, they were given the choice that each man could take with him as
much provisions as his camel could carry. As a result, they carried their

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hooks, latches, doors, planks, beams and rafters.
[5] No Muslim ever frowned upon any of the persons transferring his
stuff. They took their things and moved out peacefully and safely.
The Holy Prophet
showed this kindness to them when they were
completely subdued and he was in complete command of the situation. He
had the power to fully avenge their treachery, dishonesty and conspiracy.
But he did not do it. This behavior of the Holy Prophet
corresponds to
his behavior with the pagans of Makkah when he entered the city after
the triumph.
Let us now explain some expressions of these verses in the
background of these events.
at the time of the first gathering ... 59:2). The word hashr ... ) لاَوَّلِ الْحَشْرِ
means 'to rise'. One reason for referring to it as the 'first mustering' is
given by Maulana Thanawi in his Tafsir. They were settled at one place
since ancient times. This event of banishment took place for the first time
in their life. The second reason could be that all the non-Muslims of the
Arabian peninsula would have to be evacuated in future, so that the
peninsula might become a strong fortress of Islam. As a result, a second
banishment was to take place at some later time. This happened during
the caliphate of 'Umar 4ee, the Holy Prophet's
Second Successor. He
banished all the Jews who had settled in Khaibar. He ordered all the
Jews to leave the Arabian peninsula. From this point of view, Banu
Nadir's banishment is the 'first banishment' and the 'second banishment'
took place in the time of Sayyidna 'Umar
But Allah came to them from where they did ... ) فَاتنُهُمُ اللهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوْا
not expect ... 59:2). The phrase 'Allah came' means 'the command of Allah
and His obedient angels came'.
they were spoiling their homes with ... ) يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوْتَهُمُ بِاَيْدِيْهِمْ وَآَيْدِى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ
their own hands and with the hands of the believers .... 59:2) Banu Nadir
had spoiled their houses by removing their doors and shutters. 'Spoiling
their homes with the hands of the believers' means that when the Jews
locked themselves up in their fortresses, the Muslims destroyed the trees
and homes outside the fortresses to make them surrender.
Whatever) مَا قَطَعْتُمْ مِّنُ لِيْنَةٍ أَوْ تَرَكْتُمُوْهَا قَائِمَةً عَلَى أُصُوْلِهَا فَبِذْنِ اللهِ وَلِيُخْزِىَ الْفُسِقِيْنَ

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palm-trees you have cut down, or have left them standing on their roots,
it was with Allah's permission, and so that He might disgrace the
transgressors .... 59:5). The word linah refers to a 'palm-tree'. Another
opinion states that besides 'ajwah, all other palm trees are referred to as
linah. Banu Nadir's orchards were comprised of palm trees. The reference
in the verse is to the cutting, by the orders of the Holy Prophet , of the
palm trees of Banu Nadir who had shut themselves in their fortresses in
defiance of the Holy Prophet's orders to surrender. So, some of the blessed
Companions, in order to anger them or cast terror into their hearts, cut
and burned down some of their date trees. Other Companions felt that the
palm-trees should not be destroyed because soon, God willing, the
Muslims will be victorious and the orchards will fall to their lot as booty.
Thus they did not participate in the destruction of the trees. This was a
difference of opinion. Later on when this disagreement was discussed, the
Companions who participated in the destruction of the trees or orchards
felt guilty. They asked the Messenger of Allah
whether they were
really guilty of a sin, in that they destroyed the property that was going
to fall to the lot of the Muslims. Verse [5] was revealed on that occasion to
assuage the guilt-feeling of the Muslims that whatever they have done,
whether they cut the trees or left them uncut, was by Allah's leave and it
was done to degrade the ungodly Jews.
Commandment of the Holy Prophet
g is in fact the
Commandment of Allah: A Warning for those who Refute the
authority of the Ahadith
In verse [5], the cutting down of the trees or leaving them uncut is
called bi-idhni-llah [with Allah's permission] whereas neither of the
actions was the explicit command of Allah. Apparently, whatever each
group did was on the basis of independent reasoning [Ijtihad]. At most, it
is possible that they might have sought the permission of the Holy
Prophet
which is a Hadith. The 'Prophet's permission' is referred to as
'Allah's permission' in the Qur'an. Thus the Qur'an makes plain that
Allah has given His Messenger the right to legislate laws. The
forthcoming verse [7] of this Surah puts it that believers need to hold fast
to what the Messenger bids them and abstain from what he forbids them.
This shows conclusively that the Sunnah is an independent source of the
Islamic Law .

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Disagreement in ijtihad is not a sin
Another important principle derived from this verse is that if those
who are competent to undertake ijtihad disagree with another on a
particular issue, so as one of them holds something as permissible, while
the other takes it as impermissible, neither of them would be counted as
sinners, nor will the principle of nahy 'anil-munkar (forbidding evil) be
applied to this situation, because none of the two rulings is an 'evil' in the
وَلِيُخْزِىَ الْفُسِقِينَ [5] sight of Allah. Under the concluding phrase of verse
( ... and that he might disgrace the transgressors) it was explained that the
act of cutting or burning down the trees cannot be construed as
disorderliness. But it was done to degrade the unbelievers, and therefore
it carries reward in the Hereafter.
Ruling
Is it legitimate to demolish or burn down the homes of the infidels, or
cut or burn down their trees, or destroy their fields and farms? The
leading authorities on Islamic Jurisprudence are not unanimous on this
question. Imam A'zam Abu Hanifah Ju JI , rules that all of these
actions are permitted. Shaikh Ibn Humam رحمه الله تعالى, however, qualifies
the ruling and restricts it. He rules that all of the above are permitted if
and only if the enemies cannot be vanquished or overpowered without
resorting to the above measures, or if the victory of Muslims is not
probable or likely. The whole purpose of this ruling is to break the might
and power of the enemy. In the case where Muslims do not win the
struggle, destruction of their moveable and immovable properties may be
included in weakening their might and main. [Mazhar]]
Verse 6 - 10
وَمَآ أَفَاءَ اللهُ عَلَى رَسُوْلِهٍ مِنْهُمُ فَمَآ أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَّ لَا
رِكَابٍ وَّلَكِنَّ اللّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَّشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ
شَىْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ ﴿٢﴾ مَآ أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرِى فَلِلْهِ وَ
لِلرَّسُوْلِ وَلِذِى الْقُرْبِى وَالْيَتْمِى وَالْمَسْكِيْنِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيْلِ " كَىْ
لَا يَكُوُنَ دُوْلَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمُ ، وَمَآ اتنُكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوُهُ،

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وَمَا نَهِنكُمُ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوَاةَ وَاتَّقُوا اللّهَ ﴿ إِنَّ اللّهَ شَدِيْدُ الْعِقَابِ
لِلْفُقَرَآءِ الْمُهْجِرِيْنَ الَّذِيْنَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمُ يَبْتَغُونَ
فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللهِ وَرِضْوَانًا وَّيَنْصُرُوْنَ اللّهَ وَرَسُوْلَةُ - أُولَئِكَ هُمُ
الصُّدِقُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ تَبَوَّءُوُ الدَّارَ وَالْإِيْمَانَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ
هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُوْنَ فِىُ صُدُوْرِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُوْنَ
عَلَّى انْفُسِهِمُ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمُ خَصَاصَةٌ لَّ وَمَنْ يُّوْقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ
فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ جَاءُوُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْلَنَا وَلِاخْوَانِنَا الَّذِيْنَ سَبَقُوْنَا بِالْإِيْمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلُ فِىُ
قُلُوُ بِنَا غِلَّا لِلَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٠﴾
And whatever fai' 1 (left over property) Allah has
passed on to His Messenger from them, you had not
urged on your horses or camels for it, but Allah gives
predominance to His messengers over whomsoever He
wills, and Allah is Powerful over every thing. [6]
Whatever fai' Allah has passed on to His Messenger
from the people of the towns is for Allah and for the
Messenger, and for the kinsmen and the orphans and
the needy and the wayfarer, so that it may not circulate
only between the rich among you. And whatever the
Messengers gives you, take it, and whatever thing he
forbids you, abstain (from it). And fear Allah. Indeed
Allah is severe in punishment. [7] (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. [8] And
(fai' is also for) those who established themselves in the
homeland (of Madinah) and in faith before the former
ones (arrived in Madinah), who have love for those who
emigrated to them, and do not feel in their hearts any
[1] fai' is a term for the properties left over by the non-Muslims and possessed by a
Muslim state without fighting. As opposed to this, ghanimah (booty) is a property
taken over by fighting. The properties of Bani Nadir were taken over without
fighting, hence the word fai'. That is why we did not translate fai' as 'booty'.
(Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
need for what is given to the former ones (from fai'),
and give preference to them over themselves, even
though they are in poverty. And whoever is saved from
the greed of his soul, then such people are the
successful. [9] And (fai' is also) for those who came after
them saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and those of our
brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in
our hearts any rancor against those who believe;
Surely, Our Lord, you are Very-Kind, Very-Merciful." [10]
Commentary
The Concept of Fai' and its Law of Distribution
And whatever fai' [left over property ] Allah has) وَمَآ آَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهٍ مِنْهُمْ
passed on to His Messenger from them, ... 59:6). The word afd'a is derived
from fai'un which means 'to return'. Thus the time of the afternoon when
the shade of things returns to the east is referred to as fai'. The real
ownership of the entire universe belongs to Allah. The ownership of
things can be ascribed to human beings when Allah Himself declares
them, through His Law, to be under the ownership of a human being.
However, when people rebel against Allah, indulging in disbelief and
shirk, their lives and properties are confiscated through properly
constituted Authority and their ownership return to the Real Owner,
Allah. From this point of view, all properties acquired from the
unbelievers should be called fai'. However, the sacred Law of Shari'ah
draws a distinction between the terms ghanimah [spoils] and fai'. The
former refers to a property which is acquired from non-Muslims through
active armed struggle, as in [8:41] ◌ٍوَاعْلَمُوْا أَنَّمَا غَنِمُتُمُ مِّنُ شَىْء (And know that
whatever spoils you receive ... ). However, the word 'fai" refers to a
property acquired without resorting to an actual fight, (like in a state of
peaceful surrender.) These two terms have been used to set down rules of
these two types in the Holy Qur'an. Surah Al-Anfal dealt with injunctions
relating to ghanimah or spoils, which is acquired from non-Muslims in the
wake of armed struggle. The present Surah takes up the subject of fai'
and the law of its distribution. The term fai' includes any property or
wealth which the non-Muslims might leave behind and run away, or
make over to the Muslim Authority willingly or with consent like Khiraj,
jizyah or commercial duty.
Whatever fai' Allah has passed on to His) مَآَ آَفَاءَ اللّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرى
Messenger from the people of the towns ... 59:7). The phrase ahl ul-qura

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
or 'the people of the towns' refers to the Jewish tribes like Banu Nadir and
Banu Quraizah whose wealth and property were obtained without armed
struggle. The laws pertaining to the distribution of the two types of spoils
are different. Unlike ghanimah [spoils of war], fai' is not distributed
among the mujahidin (participants in fighting). The Holy Prophet
is
granted full authority to give as much as he likes to whomsoever he likes
or to retain for himself at his discretion. However, a few classes of
beneficiaries have been clearly defined. The fai' must be distributed
among the defined five classes.
The foregoing verses set down the rules pertaining to fai', its
beneficiaries and its method of distribution. Some details are available at
the beginning of Surah Al-Anfal in Volume 4 of Ma'ariful Qur'an, pages
148-151 and more details of the injunctions are available in the same
volume on pages 221-229, under verse 41. It needs to be borne in mind
that the wordings of Surah Al-Anfal regarding Khums [1/5th] of
ghanimah is almost identical to the wordings of fai' mentioned in the
وَاعْلَمُوْا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمُ مِّنُ شَىْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلْهِ خُمُسَه" :present verse. Let us compare: 8:41 reads
And know that whatever spoils) وَلِلرَّسُوُلِ وَلِذِى الْقُرْبِى وَالْيَتْمَى وَالْمَسْكِيْنِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيْلِ
you receive, its one-fifth is for Allah and His Messenger and for kinsmen
and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer ... 8:41). Verse [7] of the
present Surah reads as above which means: "Whatever fai' Allah has
passed on to His Messenger from the people of the towns is for Allah and
for His Messenger, and for kinsmen and orphans and the needy and the
wayfarer .... 59:7). In both these verses, six classes of beneficiaries are
mentioned: Allah, the Messenger, kinsmen, orphans, the needy and the
wayfarer. It is all too clear that Allah is the Real Owner and Master of
this world, the next world and the entire creation. The name of Allah in
relation to the shares has been mentioned by way of blessing or
benediction, because the wealth or property thus associated with Allah's
name attains honour and distinction. It also points to the permissibility
and purity of the wealth. This is the view of Sayyidna Hasan Al-Basri,
Qatadah, 'Ata', Ibrahim, Sha'bi and the commentators in general.
[Mazhari]
In the commentary of Surah Al-Anfal, it was fully and exhaustively
explained how wealth attains honour and distinction by the mention of
Allah's name which, in brief, amounts to the following: The prophets are

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
not allowed to avail of Sadaqat or charities, even though they are derived
from the pure wealth of the Muslims. The question might arise how the
ghanimah and fai' are made lawful for the Holy Prophet , while they
are derived from the infidels? By mentioning Allah's name at the
beginning of the verse, this doubt has been removed. The point is that
Allah is the real owner of the entire universe. Human beings come to own
certain things when Allah by His own grace declares for them to pass into
human ownership. However, when a certain segment of human beings
rebels against Allah, Jihad is waged against them by Allah's command,
which means that, during the war, their lives and properties are no
longer sacred. In this way, all their wealth is confiscated in the name of
the Authority in command. The confiscated properties are named
ghanimah, spoils or war booty - which goes out of the ownership of
disbelievers and gets itself deposited separately as being under the
ownership of Allah alone. And as stated earlier, the word fai' contains the
meaning of 'return' and the wealth is so called because its ownership is
restored to the original owner, Allah. No human being has any
entitlement to it. The beneficiaries who will receive a share of it will
receive it direct from Allah, and therefore it will be lawful and pure like
water and self-growing grass which are direct Divine gift, lawful and
pure.
In short, the mention of Allah's name in this context points to the fact
that the entire wealth belongs to Allah, and it is granted to the
beneficiaries on His behalf. It is no sadaqah or khairat [charity].
This leaves us with five classes of beneficiaries: [1] The Messenger 3;
[2] kinsmen; [3] orphans; [4] the needy; and [5] the wayfarer. The same
five classes of beneficiaries of khums [1/5th] were determined in [8:41]
and now the same classes of beneficiaries are determined for fai' property.
The rules relating to both ghanimah and fai' properties are identical:
They are in full authority of the Messenger of Allah
g, and after him in
the authority of the Caliphs. The Authority may retain them for the
benefit of Muslims in general, or they may deposit them in bait-ul-mal
[public treasury] and do not grant anything to anyone, or they may
distribute them. If it is decided to be distributed, it must be done within
the five classes defined. [Qurtubi]
The practice of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and of other noble

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Surah Al-Hashr : 59 : 6 - 10
Companions shows that fai' property was in the Authority of the Holy
Prophet
during his time, and was left to his discretion. He may
disburse it as he deemed fit. After him, his Caliphs controlled it and
disbursed it according to their best judgement.
After the demise of the Messenger of Allah
, his share of the booty
fell into disuse. The word 'Kinsmen' in the verse means the kinsmen of
the Holy Prophet
. There were two reasons why they were granted a
share from this booty: Firstly, because they helped the Holy Messenger
and supported him in his Islamic activities. Therefore, even the rich
kinsmen of the Holy Prophet
used to be granted a share from the
booty. [2] Sadaqah [charity] was unlawful for the Holy Prophet's
kinsmen. Therefore, the poor and needy relatives of the Holy Prophet
used to be granted a share from the fai' rather than from the Sadaqah
[charity]. After the demise of the Holy Prophet %, helping and
supporting him came to an end. The first reason no longer existed.
Therefore, the share from the fai' of the rich relatives fell into disuse like
that of the Holy Prophet
However, the poor and the needy relatives
continued to receive their share from the fai' on account of poverty and
need. Priority was given to the poor and needy relatives of Allah's
Messenger
over other poor and needy people. [Hidayah]. See Ma'ariful
Qur'an, Vol. 4/pp 228-229.
so that it may not circulate only between ... ) كَیُ لَايَكُونَ دُوْلَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْكُمُ
the rich among you. .... 59:7). The word dulatah refers to the 'wealth or
good fortune that exchange hands'. [Qurtubi] The verse means that Allah
has determined the heads of expenditure for the fai' in this way so that
the wealth does not circulate among the wealthy, who would spend it as
they wish and desire and give none of it to the poor. The verse is aimed at
abolishing an old practice of the Days of Ignorance where the circulation
of such wealth used to remain confined to the privileged and propertied
class or caste. The poorer segment of the society had no entitlement to the
wealth of the nation.
Effective Measures taken by Islam against concentration of
wealth
Allah is the creator, cherisher and sustainer of the universe. He
knows the human needs. All human beings, whether believers or
non-believers, whether lineally rich or poor, are equal in the sight of