Tafsir of Surah Al-Hashr - Verse 12

The False Promise of Support the Hypocrites gave to the Jews

Allah states that the hypocrites, `Abdullah bin Ubayy and his like, sent a messenger to Bani An-Nadir promising them help. Allah the Exalted said,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَـفَقُواْ يَقُولُونَ لإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلاَ نُطِيعُ فيكُمْ أَحَداً أَبَداً وَإِن قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنصُرَنَّكُمْ

(Have you not observed the hypocrites who say to their friends among the People of the Scripture who disbelieve: "If you are expelled, we indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you; and if you are attacked, we shall indeed help you.") Allah then said,

وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ

(But Allah is Witness that they verily are liars.) meaning, the hypocrites lied when they issued this promise, because it was just words that they did not intend to fulfill. Also, what they said they would do, would never have been fulfilled by them, and this is why Allah said,

وَلَئِن قُوتِلُواْ لاَ يَنصُرُونَهُمْ

(and if they are attacked, they will never help them.) meaning, the hypocrites will not fight along with the Jews,

وَلَئِن نَّصَرُوهُمْ

(And (even) if they do help them, ) and even if the hypocrites did fight along their side,

لَيُوَلُّنَّ الاٌّدْبَـرَ ثُمَّ لاَ يُنصَرُونَ

(they will turn their backs, and they will not be victorious.) This Ayah contains good news, just as the good news that this following Ayah conveys,

لاّنتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهْبَةً فِى صُدُورِهِمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ

(Verily, you are more fearful in their breasts than Allah.) meaning, the hypocrites fear you more than they fear Allah, as He says;

إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً

(Behold! a section of them fear men as they fear Allah or even more.)(4:77) This is why Allah said,

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَفْقَهُونَ

(That is because they are a people who comprehend not.) Allah then said,

لاَ يُقَـتِلُونَكُمْ جَمِيعاً إِلاَّ فِى قُرًى مُّحَصَّنَةٍ أَوْ مِن وَرَآءِ جُدُرٍ

(They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls.) meaning, they will not fight Muslims except from behind besieged fortified forts, because of their cowardice and fear of Muslims. They only fight when they have to defend themselves (even though they threaten Muslims of reprisals). Allah the Exalted said,

بَأْسُهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ شَدِيدٌ

(Their enmity among themselves is very great.) meaning, the enmity they feel against each other is intense,

وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ

(And make you to taste the violence of one another.)(6:65) Allah said in the Ayah,

تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعاً وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّى

(You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided.) meaning, even though one might see them combining forces and think that these forces are harmonious, yet in reality, they are divided severely. Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites and the People of the Scriptures,

ذلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْقِلُونَ

(That is because they are a people who understand not.) Allah said,

كَمَثَلِ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَرِيباً ذَاقُواْ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(They are like their immediate predecessors; they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and for them a painful torment.) referring to the Jewish tribe of Bani Qaynuqa`, according to Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Muhammad bin Ishaq.

The Parable of the Hypocrites and the Jews

Allah said,

كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَـنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلإِنسَـنِ اكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّنكَ

(Like Shaytan, when he says to man: "Disbelieve." But when (man) disbelieves, Shaytan says: "I am free of you...") meaning, the example of the Jews being deceived by the promises of the hypocrites, who said that they will help them if Muslims fight them, is that of the devil. When matters got serious and the Jews were besieged, the hypocrites betrayed them and abandoned them to taste utter defeat. Likewise, the devil lures mankind into disbelief and when they obey him, he disowns them and declares himself free of their actions, saying,

إِنِّى أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(I fear Allah, the Lord of all that exists!) Allah said,

فَكَانَ عَـقِبَتَهُمَآ أَنَّهُمَا فِى النَّارِ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا

(So, the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein.) meaning, the end of both he, Shaytan, who commanded that dis- belief be committed, and those who accep- ted his call, was in the fire of Hell forever,

وَذَلِكَ جَزَآءُ الظَّـلِمِينَ

(Such is the recompense of the wrongdoers. ) means, this is the recompense of every unjust person.

All Muslims after the Muhajirin and the Ansar are entitled to fai'

وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ "And [ fai' is also ] for those who came after them ....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 ؓ 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 ﷺ . When Khaibar was conquered, the Holy Prophet ﷺ 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 Qurtubi ].

Love for the Blessed Companions ؓ is a sign that the Ummah is on Truth

On this occasion, Allah has put the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ 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 ﷺ ، 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 ؓ 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 ؓ 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 وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ "And... those who came after them...[ 59:10] ": If you wish to create doubt about Sayyidna ` Uthman ؓ ، 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 (رح) 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 ؓ has stated that Allah has commanded all Muslims to pray for the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ 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 ﷺ say that this community will not perish unless the later generations curse the earlier generations."

Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ 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 (رح) 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 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 Qurtubi ].

When the Prophet Muhammad announced the banishment of the Banu al-Nadir, the hypocrites ostensibly rallied to their side. They asked the Banu al-Nadir to take a firm stand and assured them of their support. But the hypocrites uttered these words just to incite them to rise against Muslims; they were never sincere in their offer. So, when the Muslims besieged the Banu al-Nadir, nobody came to help them. This has been the character of self-interested people in every age.