Today, we will discuss another controversial topic: The expulsion of the Banu Nadir. It's a direct precursor to the Battle of Ahzab (the main people who instigated this battle was the Banu Nadir). When did the expulsion take place? After the incidents of al-Raji and Bir Ma'una, which happened in Safar in the 4th year of the Hijrah.
The Blood Money
If we recall, Amr ibn Umayyah was the only sahabi who didn't die in the massacre of Bir Ma'una, and on the way back, he met two people from the very tribe who did the massacre, and he killed them in retaliation. He of course did not know the whole story; he only assumed the whole tribe was guilty of the crime. He wasn't aware that the two that he killed were two innocent lives — so the Prophet PBUH said he would pay the blood money. The blood money for one person is 100 camels, so for two, it would be 200 camels, which is a vast sum.
According to the Constitution of Madinah, anytime there is an affair that afflicts the whole city, everybody must join together and help out. And this makes it easier because when you have 300-400 people all paying for 200 camels, this will work out to something that is very affordable for every person. Islamic law stipulates that in cases of accidental manslaughter, you have to pay blood money and fast for two months — and the blood money will be paid by the entire tribe from their treasury. (Side note: But in case of murder, then the punishment is on the murderer, i.e., he pays the whole sum.) What is the ratio between the one who did the accidental manslaughter and his tribe? This is decided amongst themselves. No doubt the man has to pay the big percentage, but the tribe will see the situation: if the man is a multimillionaire then maybe he pays the whole; if he's not that rich maybe he pays 10%, and the rest is divided on his tribe.
According to the Constitution of Madinah, anytime there is an affair that afflicts the whole city, everybody must join together and help out. And this makes it easier because when you have 300-400 people all paying for 200 camels, this will work out to something that is very affordable for every person. Islamic law stipulates that in cases of accidental manslaughter, you have to pay blood money and fast for two months — and the blood money will be paid by the entire tribe from their treasury. (Side note: But in case of murder, then the punishment is on the murderer, i.e., he pays the whole sum.) What is the ratio between the one who did the accidental manslaughter and his tribe? This is decided amongst themselves. No doubt the man has to pay the big percentage, but the tribe will see the situation: if the man is a multimillionaire then maybe he pays the whole; if he's not that rich maybe he pays 10%, and the rest is divided on his tribe.
Back to the story: So the population of Madinah had to collect the blood money from everybody in the city. And one of the wealthiest tribes is the Jewish tribe of the Banu Nadir. So by rights of the Constitution of Madinah, the Prophet PBUH wanted help in paying the blood money from the Banu Nadir for something that is common in the entire city of Madinah. But there were previous troubles with the Banu Nadir:
The Banu Nadir, as was the case of the Jews that were involved in agriculture, they had massive lands of date palm trees, and in the middle of the fields, they would build special fortresses; and every mini-tribe would have their fortress. This was something unique about the Jews. When they saw the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba, the leaders among them were happy and welcomed the Muslims; and one of the leaders said to the Prophet PBUH, "It is about time you came to us for our help." And they put the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba outside the fortress, and they go inside to discuss what to do. One of them said, "This is the best opportunity: He (the Prophet PBUH) is sitting right outside our fortress, we can throw a rock on him, and that's it, our problems are eliminated." (Note: And that's how the Jews used to protect their fortresses — they had big items, rocks, etc., prepared at the top of the fortress.) Another said, "No, this is going to cause a lot of backlash." But eventually, the plan was approved, "Yes, let us go up to the top and launch a rock on him (the Prophet PBUH)." (We are talking about a matter of minutes now, because this is all prepared.) Just then, immediately, the Prophet PBUH stood up and walked away and returned to Madinah without even saying one word — and the sahaba did not understand why. And it was later on that the Prophet PBUH explained to them that Jibril AS had come to him and told him, "Stand up RIGHT NOW and leave" — and thus, the Prophet PBUH obeyed and left immediately without even uttering one word about where he went. The sahaba waited, waited, waited. The Jews themselves were waiting for him to return — but of course, he didn't. Eventually, the sahaba returned back to Madinah.
So the Prophet PBUH returned back to Madinah, he told the sahaba what had happened, and then sent a message to the Banu Nadir through Muhammad ibn Maslamah (محمد بن مسلمة), and the message said, "You told me to wait outside while you prepare, but you planned to throw a rock on me to kill me... The only option you have is to leave [Madinah] in 10 days. And if we see any of you after 10 days, the penalty will be death." Initially, when they heard this, they were caught by surprise, and they tried to argue with Muhammad ibn Maslamah, a friend of theirs in the days of Jahiliyyah, saying, "How could you be doing this to us?" etc., but Muhammad ibn Maslamah said, "Islam has come and changed everything — the loyalties and friendships are only in relation to Allah and His Messenger." They knew they were at fault, they were literally caught red-handed, so eventually, they agreed to leave.
When news spread, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul could not believe this was happening, that his friends/allies would be expelled — so he sent them a message that no matter what happens, he will take care of them and will guarantee their protection; and he will not listen to anyone who tries to expel them (as recorded in the Quran, "We will never obey anyone against you" [59:11]); and if need be, he will fight with them against any who fights (meaning the Prophet PBUH); and worst case scenario, if they are expelled, he will walk away from Madinah with them (self-exile). He is telling the Banu Nadir so many oaths, that he will defend, fight for them, etc. And he also says, "I've called my allies from the Ghatafan. They will come 2,000 strong and we will together defend you." Indeed, when you have this noble chieftain telling you all of these, if you don't have Iman, of course you will be persuaded. But Allah SWT exposes Abdullah ibn Ubayy in the Quran — Allah SWT testifies that he is a liar (see Quran [59:11]). Nonetheless, Abdullah ibn Ubayy assured them.
When the Banu Nadir got this message, they began discussing among themselves what was to be done. Huyayy ibn Akhtab (حيي بن أخطب) was one of the main chieftains of the Banu Nadir.
So the Banu Nadir packed their belongings as much as they could; and they realized the Muslims would then take over their fortresses and houses, so out of sheer spite, they took axes to their own houses, and they hacked down their own beautiful structures. And indeed, this was a punishment that Allah meted out to them. "They tasted the evil consequences of their doings. And they will suffer a painful Punishment" [Quran, 59:15].
As for all the land, date palms, and booty that were left behind, some of the sahaba began a discussion about what was to be done with them. And Allah SWT revealed in the Quran that this is not ghanima, this is [another term] called fay' (الفيء) [see Quran, 59:6-7]. It is a whole different chapter in fiqh. Fay' is that which is captured without any war, fighting, or bloodshed. The rules of fay' are very different than those of ghanima. (Note: All these rules of ghanima, fay', etc., applied to only the armies of early Islam. Why? Because these rules were meant for an army of volunteers; and the Muslim armies of early Islam were made up of volunteers only — they used their own horses, own weapons, etc., and they weren't paid a salary. So these rules are simply not applicable in our times or any time when the army is paid a salary.)
Allah revealed the entire Surah al-Hashr (سورة الحشر) because of the incident of Banu Nadir.
— Allah is saying He dispelled the disbelievers of the People of the Book (the Banu Nadir) from their houses for the VERY FIRST hashr (حشر - banishment). (Side note: There are a number of interpretations here, and all of them are valid.) The first thing that comes to our mind when Allah says "FIRST hashr" is that there are going to be other hashrs. And indeed, there were other hashrs. There was the hashr —in one sense— of the Banu Qurayza, and then the hashr of Khaybar (side note: where did the Banu Nadir go after the exile? The majority of them went to Khaybar, and then they had another catastrophe there, which we will discuss much later [see episode 68]), and then, of course, the *ultimate* Hashr is being implied too, i.e., the Day of Judgment.
— Allah mentions the blessings of the Muhajirun and says they will get the fay'. When you give up anything for Allah, Allah will give you back more than that.
— Allah praises the Ansar. He gave them such praise that this ayah became one of the most beloved —if not the most beloved— ayat to the Ansar. Allah tells the Ansar that they are the successful.
— "And those who come after them" is referring to us. We didn't get the blessings of the Muhajirun or the Ansar, but insha'Allah, we will get some blessings, and Allah gave us hope here. We should think good of the believers who came before us and make du'a for them. (And anybody who has any hatred for the sahaba, this verse has been deprived of him.)
— Allah says even if the hypocrites did help, they would be such cowards that they would turn around and run away (as they did at Uhud).
— Allah is saying to the Muslims that the Banu Nadir feared them more than they feared Allah Himself. Notice here that, subhan'Allah, Allah is telling us something that only He can know, i.e., what's in the hearts of people.
— Allah exposes their cowardice, and then He exposes the disputes that they had between themselves.
— And the example of the munafiqun is like shaytan: Shaytan tells insan (إنسان - man), "Reject Allah!" and when the insan rejects Allah, shaytan says, "I didn't tell you! I have nothing to do with you!" The reference here is Abdullah ibn Ubayy; he promises a million promises, but when it comes to fulfilling the promises, he is nowhere to be seen. So Allah is literally comparing Abdullah ibn Ubayy to shaytan.
Now that we understand the expulsion of the Banu Nadir, wallahi, Surah al-Hashr is as if everything is being painted in front of us. Without understanding the incident, we could never understand it. And this is one of the main benefits of studying the seerah.
One final point: When did the expulsion take place? There is a controversy in the classical books. Some of the biggest names in the first few generations of Islam say this took place after Badr. This is the opinion of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr (d. 94 AH) and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (d. 124 AH) — both of them are the most famous scholars of the seerah among the tabi'un. However, later scholars —including Ibn Ishaq (d. 150 AH), al-Waqidi (d. 207 AH), and Ibn Sa'd (d. 230 AH)— corrected this, and they said either it was a genuine mistake or they were confusing with the expulsion of Banu Qaynuqa. (Side note: Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri was Ibn Ishaq's teacher, so one generation before. And this shows us how much has been left for later scholars to come and re-sift through and piece together the narrations.) They said it could not have been after Badr because the 'blood money' of Bir Ma'una clearly only took place after Uhud in Safar in the 4 AH. Thus the strongest opinion is it took place in Shawwal of the 4th year of the Hijrah.
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Tensions Between the Muslims and the Banu Nadir
1. We learn from the Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq (مصنف عبد الرزاق) that some of the people of Banu Nadir conspired to murder the People of the Suffa, i.e., the ulama. And Allah willed that one of them shared the plot with someone who then told the Muslims —Allah exposed their plot— so no harm was done.
2. We also learn from Musa ibn Uqba (موسى بن عقبة), an early authority of the seerah, that the Banu Nadir helped the Quraysh during the Battle of Uhud with logistics and the lay of the land.
3. Yet another problem was the killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf. Recall he was half-Arab half-Jew. His father was from the pure Arabs, and his mother was from the Banu Nadir. He was one of the richest businessmen (he even had a private fortress), and as such, the Banu Nadir considered him one of their chieftains, one of the elite.
So there was tension in asking the Banu Nadir for the blood money. But the Prophet PBUH, Umar RA, Abu Bakr RA, et al., decided to go meet them. And the Banu Nadir lived south of Madinah.
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Attempt to Assassinate the Prophet PBUH
The Banu Nadir, as was the case of the Jews that were involved in agriculture, they had massive lands of date palm trees, and in the middle of the fields, they would build special fortresses; and every mini-tribe would have their fortress. This was something unique about the Jews. When they saw the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba, the leaders among them were happy and welcomed the Muslims; and one of the leaders said to the Prophet PBUH, "It is about time you came to us for our help." And they put the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba outside the fortress, and they go inside to discuss what to do. One of them said, "This is the best opportunity: He (the Prophet PBUH) is sitting right outside our fortress, we can throw a rock on him, and that's it, our problems are eliminated." (Note: And that's how the Jews used to protect their fortresses — they had big items, rocks, etc., prepared at the top of the fortress.) Another said, "No, this is going to cause a lot of backlash." But eventually, the plan was approved, "Yes, let us go up to the top and launch a rock on him (the Prophet PBUH)." (We are talking about a matter of minutes now, because this is all prepared.) Just then, immediately, the Prophet PBUH stood up and walked away and returned to Madinah without even saying one word — and the sahaba did not understand why. And it was later on that the Prophet PBUH explained to them that Jibril AS had come to him and told him, "Stand up RIGHT NOW and leave" — and thus, the Prophet PBUH obeyed and left immediately without even uttering one word about where he went. The sahaba waited, waited, waited. The Jews themselves were waiting for him to return — but of course, he didn't. Eventually, the sahaba returned back to Madinah.
Ostensibly, according to one report, the Banu Nadir said, "Great, you are here. We will prepare a massive feast for you. Just wait. Let us prepare to welcome you." And obviously, you don't have secretaries coming and arranging this — and in those days, you just walk in, i.e., the Prophet PBUH comes unexpected — so actually, it's understood that it's going to be a little bit of "Okay, wait, let us prepare the place for you," "Let us prepare the fortress, let us throw a feast for you," etc. — so there was nothing fishy per se for having the Prophet PBUH wait outside while they prepared. But as we said, they took advantage of this protocol to try to assassinate the Prophet PBUH.
In Surah al-Ma'idah (سورة المائدة), Allah references this in one verse:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ هَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَن يَبْسُطُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكُمْ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ
"Remember the blessings of Allah on you — when a group among you desired to reach you to kill you. Allah stopped their hands from reaching you" [see Quran, 5:11].
This Surah came down perhaps 4 years after this incident; and according to Ibn Abbas, verse 11 is talking about the Banu Nadir's attempt to eliminate the Prophet PBUH.
This Surah came down perhaps 4 years after this incident; and according to Ibn Abbas, verse 11 is talking about the Banu Nadir's attempt to eliminate the Prophet PBUH.
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The Expulsion of Banu Nadir
So the Prophet PBUH returned back to Madinah, he told the sahaba what had happened, and then sent a message to the Banu Nadir through Muhammad ibn Maslamah (محمد بن مسلمة), and the message said, "You told me to wait outside while you prepare, but you planned to throw a rock on me to kill me... The only option you have is to leave [Madinah] in 10 days. And if we see any of you after 10 days, the penalty will be death." Initially, when they heard this, they were caught by surprise, and they tried to argue with Muhammad ibn Maslamah, a friend of theirs in the days of Jahiliyyah, saying, "How could you be doing this to us?" etc., but Muhammad ibn Maslamah said, "Islam has come and changed everything — the loyalties and friendships are only in relation to Allah and His Messenger." They knew they were at fault, they were literally caught red-handed, so eventually, they agreed to leave.
When news spread, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul could not believe this was happening, that his friends/allies would be expelled — so he sent them a message that no matter what happens, he will take care of them and will guarantee their protection; and he will not listen to anyone who tries to expel them (as recorded in the Quran, "We will never obey anyone against you" [59:11]); and if need be, he will fight with them against any who fights (meaning the Prophet PBUH); and worst case scenario, if they are expelled, he will walk away from Madinah with them (self-exile). He is telling the Banu Nadir so many oaths, that he will defend, fight for them, etc. And he also says, "I've called my allies from the Ghatafan. They will come 2,000 strong and we will together defend you." Indeed, when you have this noble chieftain telling you all of these, if you don't have Iman, of course you will be persuaded. But Allah SWT exposes Abdullah ibn Ubayy in the Quran — Allah SWT testifies that he is a liar (see Quran [59:11]). Nonetheless, Abdullah ibn Ubayy assured them.
When the Banu Nadir got this message, they began discussing among themselves what was to be done. Huyayy ibn Akhtab (حيي بن أخطب) was one of the main chieftains of the Banu Nadir.
(Side note: Huyayy ibn Akhtab's daughter is Safiyyah bint Huyayy [صفية بنت حيي] who will eventually become one of the wives of the Prophet PBUH. Safiyyah herself [later when she embraced Islam] tells us the reality of her father and her uncle Abu Yasir ibn Akhtab [أبو ياسر بن أخطب]. She said, "When the Prophet PBUH first came to Madinah, my father and uncle were excited that 'maybe this is the one.' [i.e., 'maybe this is the prophesied prophet we were waiting for.']" [Note: Indeed, the Jews were expecting a prophet to come from among themselves (i.e., from among the Jews) — and they would always threaten the Arabs, "When we get this person (prophet), we will overcome you (Arabs)!"] Safiyyah continued, "Both my father and uncle were very fond of me, and they were always playful with me — but when they came back from seeing the Prophet PBUH in Madinah, they didn't even pay *any* attention to me. And my uncle said to my father, 'Is HE the one?' My father said sadly, 'By Allah, he is the one.' My uncle said, 'What will you do?' And my father said, 'To be his enemy as long as I live!'"—that is, he simply could not accept anyone who wasn't a Jew.)
So when the message of Abdullah ibn Ubayy came to the Banu Nadir, Huyayy ibn Akhtab decided to take a stand. And he believed the promises of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. And there was some tension between his own people, and Allah mentions this in the Quran, "You think they are one group, but amongst them, they have so many different groups" [see Quran, 59:14]. Huyayy wanted to fight, but many other Jews did not want to. They had a verbal altercation, but eventually, Huyayy won over, so they decided they would fight. So they sent a messenger to the Prophet PBUH and said, "O Muhammad, we have decided to stay, so do whatever you want." As soon as the Prophet PBUH heard this, he exclaimed, "Allahu'akbar!" (i.e., alhamdulillah). And the sahaba began making takbir as well. Why? Because they realized it would turn out for their positive. (And we will see what a big positive it was.) Immediately, the same day, the Prophet PBUH took a large group of the Muslims —some say around 700— and within the day, he reached the fortresses of the Banu Nadir and began laying siege to them. Even the Jews were shocked at how fast the Prophet PBUH mobilized an army.
So now, the Banu Nadir were waiting for Abdullah ibn Ubayy's promise. And guess what? Absolutely nothing. Abdullah ibn Ubayy did not lift a finger. After all of these promises that he told them, no help came — he himself did not go and fight against the Muslims, nor did he do anything in exile. And as the days passed, it was clear he would not do anything. Some say the siege lasted for a week, some say 10 days — whichever the case, there was no fighting. The Banu Nadir were just waiting for external help to come — because there was no way this group could fight the entire people of Madinah.
So when the message of Abdullah ibn Ubayy came to the Banu Nadir, Huyayy ibn Akhtab decided to take a stand. And he believed the promises of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. And there was some tension between his own people, and Allah mentions this in the Quran, "You think they are one group, but amongst them, they have so many different groups" [see Quran, 59:14]. Huyayy wanted to fight, but many other Jews did not want to. They had a verbal altercation, but eventually, Huyayy won over, so they decided they would fight. So they sent a messenger to the Prophet PBUH and said, "O Muhammad, we have decided to stay, so do whatever you want." As soon as the Prophet PBUH heard this, he exclaimed, "Allahu'akbar!" (i.e., alhamdulillah). And the sahaba began making takbir as well. Why? Because they realized it would turn out for their positive. (And we will see what a big positive it was.) Immediately, the same day, the Prophet PBUH took a large group of the Muslims —some say around 700— and within the day, he reached the fortresses of the Banu Nadir and began laying siege to them. Even the Jews were shocked at how fast the Prophet PBUH mobilized an army.
So now, the Banu Nadir were waiting for Abdullah ibn Ubayy's promise. And guess what? Absolutely nothing. Abdullah ibn Ubayy did not lift a finger. After all of these promises that he told them, no help came — he himself did not go and fight against the Muslims, nor did he do anything in exile. And as the days passed, it was clear he would not do anything. Some say the siege lasted for a week, some say 10 days — whichever the case, there was no fighting. The Banu Nadir were just waiting for external help to come — because there was no way this group could fight the entire people of Madinah.
And during this time —to demonstrate to you how confident the Muslims and the Prophet PBUH were, and how helpless the Banu Nadir were— the Prophet PBUH left the Banu Nadir still in siege (with a group of sahaba still outside of the fortress), and he along with a majority of the sahaba went to the Banu Qurayza (the third of the three main Jewish tribes of Madinah). — For what? To rejuvenate/renew the Constitution of Madinah and make them give oaths again — to let them decide whether to still abide by the Constitution, and to see if they side with the Banu Nadir. — And they chose to still abide by the Constitution and to not help the Banu Nadir. (Note: Look at how fair the Prophet PBUH was. He gave the Banu Qurayza opportunity after opportunity — to let them decide. So when they committed treason of the highest magnitude in the Battle of Khandaq [later in 5 AH], they really deserved what was to come upon them, i.e., execution.) The Prophet PBUH then left the Banu Qurayza and returned back to the Banu Nadir.
One more issue happened that really demoralized the Banu Nadir:
The Banu Nadir prided themselves in their orchards — acres of lands full of date palms. Realize it is not easy to grow and maintain such gardens. And their date palms are now perfectly ripe, which takes on average 5-8 years of effort to grow. So to demoralize them, the Prophet PBUH burned down some of the trees. And they are watching from their fortress. This was too much for them. This isn't just money; it's their effort. So they began crying, "You are calling for peace, but what kind of peace is this?" And this actually caused some of the sahaba to question what the Prophet PBUH was doing. And Allah revealed in the Quran regarding this [see Quran, 59:5] (discussed below).
After 7-10 days, when the Banu Nadir saw no help coming, they agreed to unconditionally surrender.
Very frankly, the Prophet PBUH was being very generous with them. After the *chieftains* (not some random guy on the street) tried to assassinate him, he still forgives them, their lives, and their properties, and allows them to leave with as much as their camels can carry — exile. Many would say this is very generous. And the Prophet PBUH said, "Take whatever you can," just one condition: "Don't take weapons"—it's very fair. So frankly, nobody can really have anything to say about the expulsion of Banu Nadir. This incident demonstrates, if anything, the generosity of the Prophet PBUH. He did not impose any type of major financial —if you like— taxation on them or anything, other than obviously things that you cannot take when you leave, e.g., the palm trees.
So the Banu Nadir packed their belongings as much as they could; and they realized the Muslims would then take over their fortresses and houses, so out of sheer spite, they took axes to their own houses, and they hacked down their own beautiful structures. And indeed, this was a punishment that Allah meted out to them. "They tasted the evil consequences of their doings. And they will suffer a painful Punishment" [Quran, 59:15].
Ibn Ishaq mentions that as they went into exile, the people of Madinah gathered to see the procession leave, and it was an amazing sight. The sahaba were just amazed at the amount of wealth that the Banu Nadir had accumulated over the centuries — the treasures, the fabrics, the brocades, the jewels, etc. The Banu Nadir took everything they could with them so as not to leave a single thing behind for anybody. So everybody was walking, even the kids — because they wanted the camels to carry the goods. The camels were loaded to the absolute top. Many of them even took their own doors! They put the door on top of the camel.
And it is said that 2 or 3 of them accepted Islam, so they were allowed to remain with their possessions.
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Fay'
As for all the land, date palms, and booty that were left behind, some of the sahaba began a discussion about what was to be done with them. And Allah SWT revealed in the Quran that this is not ghanima, this is [another term] called fay' (الفيء) [see Quran, 59:6-7]. It is a whole different chapter in fiqh. Fay' is that which is captured without any war, fighting, or bloodshed. The rules of fay' are very different than those of ghanima. (Note: All these rules of ghanima, fay', etc., applied to only the armies of early Islam. Why? Because these rules were meant for an army of volunteers; and the Muslim armies of early Islam were made up of volunteers only — they used their own horses, own weapons, etc., and they weren't paid a salary. So these rules are simply not applicable in our times or any time when the army is paid a salary.)
We have no reason to go into all of the minutiae when it's not relevant to us; but basically, a portion of the fay' is given to the state; a portion is given to the Prophet PBUH specifically; and then there is an ikhtilaf whether it goes to the Ahl al-Bayt or not; and as for the rest, the amir or the khalifa —or in this case the Prophet PBUH— can do as he pleases. So what did he PBUH do? All of these acres and acres of land, he distributed it amongst the Muhajirun who didn't have any land. And this is a beautiful reward that will help the economy of the Ansar and the Muhajirun — because up until this point, the Ansar were supporting the Muhajirun, so now the Muhajirun and the Ansar are a little bit more equal. And it is also mentioned in Ibn Ishaq that 3 of the Ansar who had no land and had participated in a number of battles, they also got part of this.
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Tafsir of Surah al-Hashr [59]
Allah revealed the entire Surah al-Hashr (سورة الحشر) because of the incident of Banu Nadir.
Ibn Abbas called this surah Surah Banu Nadir, and he refused to call it Surah al-Hashr. Why? Because "hashr" means "the gathering," and usually, when Allah uses the term "hashr," He SWT refers to Yawm al-Qiyamah (يوم القيامة - the Day of Judgment); whereas in this Surah, it doesn't refer to Qiyamah. This is why Ibn Abbas felt strongly that it should not be called Surah al-Hashr.
Reading this Surah in light of what happened to the Banu Nadir, every ayah becomes very clear.
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
1. Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah. For He is the Almighty, All-Wise.هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَخْرَجَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ لِأَوَّلِ ٱلْحَشْرِ ۚ مَا ظَنَنتُمْ أَن يَخْرُجُوا۟ ۖ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُم مَّانِعَتُهُمْ حُصُونُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ فَأَتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوا۟ ۖ وَقَذَفَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلرُّعْبَ ۚ يُخْرِبُونَ بُيُوتَهُم بِأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَيْدِى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَٱعْتَبِرُوا۟ يَـٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَبْصَـٰرِ
2. He is the One Who expelled the disbelievers of the People of the Book from their homes for [their] first banishment [ever]. You never thought they would go. And they thought their strongholds would put them out of Allah's reach. But [the decree of] Allah came upon them from where they never expected. And He cast horror into their hearts so they destroyed their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take a lesson [from this], O people of insight!— Allah is saying He dispelled the disbelievers of the People of the Book (the Banu Nadir) from their houses for the VERY FIRST hashr (حشر - banishment). (Side note: There are a number of interpretations here, and all of them are valid.) The first thing that comes to our mind when Allah says "FIRST hashr" is that there are going to be other hashrs. And indeed, there were other hashrs. There was the hashr —in one sense— of the Banu Qurayza, and then the hashr of Khaybar (side note: where did the Banu Nadir go after the exile? The majority of them went to Khaybar, and then they had another catastrophe there, which we will discuss much later [see episode 68]), and then, of course, the *ultimate* Hashr is being implied too, i.e., the Day of Judgment.
— Then Allah says, "You never thought they would go"—some scholars say Allah is speaking to the sahaba, but the stronger position is that Allah is speaking to the Banu Nadir directly, and then He changes the pronoun to the third person — this is called iltifat (التفات).
— And they (the Banu Nadir) assumed their strongholds/fortresses would protect them from Allah, but Allah came to them from a place they could never expect. They could never have expected that the Muslims would gather so quickly, lay siege to them, every one of their allies would be cut off, etc. — but Allah AWJ arranged it. And Allah threw terror into their hearts. They were scared of the Muslims and of what was going to happen. They destroyed their own houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take heed, and learn some benefits, O people of vision and wisdom.
وَلَوْلَآ أَن كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْجَلَآءَ لَعَذَّبَهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابُ ٱلنَّارِ
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ شَآقُّوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ ۖ وَمَن يُشَآقِّ ٱللَّهَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
3. Had Allah not decreed exile for them, He would have certainly punished them in this world. And in the Hereafter they will suffer the Punishment of the Fire.4. This is because they defied Allah and His Messenger. And whoever defies Allah, then Allah is truly severe in Punishment.
— Allah is saying here that they are getting off easy — that they are only going to be exiled. As we said, frankly, the Prophet PBUH was generous in allowing them to take whatever they wanted to take and as much as their camels could hold. So Allah is saying He allowed it for them. But they have the Punishment waiting in the Hereafter — that is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allah SWT, then Allah is severe in Penalty.
— This is a reference to the cutting off of the trees. The sahaba differed on whether the trees should be cut down; and in this verse, Allah is allowing it. There is an ikhtilaf amongst the four madhahib — but the bulk of them, for the legitimate Islamic army, allow this type of destruction.
— Allah is saying here that they are getting off easy — that they are only going to be exiled. As we said, frankly, the Prophet PBUH was generous in allowing them to take whatever they wanted to take and as much as their camels could hold. So Allah is saying He allowed it for them. But they have the Punishment waiting in the Hereafter — that is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. And whoever opposes Allah SWT, then Allah is severe in Penalty.
مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِّينَةٍ أَوْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا قَآئِمَةً عَلَىٰٓ أُصُولِهَا فَبِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيُخْزِىَ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ
5. Whatever palm trees you [believers] cut down or left standing intact, it was [all] by Allah's Will, so that He might disgrace the rebellious.— This is a reference to the cutting off of the trees. The sahaba differed on whether the trees should be cut down; and in this verse, Allah is allowing it. There is an ikhtilaf amongst the four madhahib — but the bulk of them, for the legitimate Islamic army, allow this type of destruction.
— Realize this was problematic at the time because the Muslims felt, "Why are we destroying that which we will benefit from?" i.e., "These trees are going to come to us and yet we are destroying them?" So there was some back-and-forth. So Allah revealed in the Quran that this was a tactic — and it did indeed make the Banu Nadir resign and humiliated.
— This is the issue of fay'. "You did not [even] spur on any horse or camel for such gains"—meaning Allah is saying the Muslims didn't fight for the gains; therefore, this is not ghanima, this is fay'. It was Allah's gift.
— Allah gives the rulings of the fay', i.e., who gets what. And then He explains the wisdom: "So that wealth may not merely circulate among your rich." This is a very deep verse that actually critiques capitalism; it addresses the issue of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Wallahi, this verse is one of the most powerful verses of Islamic economics, and it destroys many versions of modern capitalism (the 1% vs. the 99% and whatnot). In the year 2000, the richest 1% of adults owned 40% of the global assets. Think about that! And Allah says in the Quran that one of the primary wisdoms of the laws of the shariah is so that the wealth doesn't go around amongst the elite of you — it should filter down to orphans, the poor, etc. This is related to Banu Nadir's property, but we base our Islamic economics on this verse. One of the maqasid (مقاصد - goals/purposes) of shariah is that wealth should not just make the wealthy wealthier; it should trickle down to society. So public policies need to be done that enact this type of vision.
وَمَآ أَفَآءَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ مِنْهُمْ فَمَآ أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍۢ وَلَا رِكَابٍۢ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
6. As for the gains Allah has turned over to His Messenger from them — you did not [even] spur on any horse or camel for such gains. But Allah gives authority to His messengers over whoever He wills. For Allah is Most Capable of everything.— This is the issue of fay'. "You did not [even] spur on any horse or camel for such gains"—meaning Allah is saying the Muslims didn't fight for the gains; therefore, this is not ghanima, this is fay'. It was Allah's gift.
مَّآ أَفَآءَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ كَىْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةًۢ بَيْنَ ٱلْأَغْنِيَآءِ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمْ عَنْهُ فَٱنتَهُوا۟ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ
7. As for gains granted by Allah to His Messenger from the people of [other] lands, they are for Allah and the Messenger, his close relatives, orphans, the poor, and [needy] travelers, so that wealth may not merely circulate among your rich. Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it. And fear Allah. Surely, Allah is severe in Punishment.— Allah gives the rulings of the fay', i.e., who gets what. And then He explains the wisdom: "So that wealth may not merely circulate among your rich." This is a very deep verse that actually critiques capitalism; it addresses the issue of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Wallahi, this verse is one of the most powerful verses of Islamic economics, and it destroys many versions of modern capitalism (the 1% vs. the 99% and whatnot). In the year 2000, the richest 1% of adults owned 40% of the global assets. Think about that! And Allah says in the Quran that one of the primary wisdoms of the laws of the shariah is so that the wealth doesn't go around amongst the elite of you — it should filter down to orphans, the poor, etc. This is related to Banu Nadir's property, but we base our Islamic economics on this verse. One of the maqasid (مقاصد - goals/purposes) of shariah is that wealth should not just make the wealthy wealthier; it should trickle down to society. So public policies need to be done that enact this type of vision.
— And then Allah SWT says, "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it." This is one of the most explicit verses that tells you to obey the Prophet PBUH — it was revealed in relation to the fay' of Banu Nadir, but we can extrapolate it for everything that he PBUH says.
لِلْفُقَرَآءِ ٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ وَأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنًۭا وَيَنصُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقُونَ
8. [Some of the gains will be] for poor Emigrants who were driven out of their homes and wealth, seeking Allah's bounty and pleasure, and standing up for Allah and His Messenger. They are the ones true in faith.— Allah mentions the blessings of the Muhajirun and says they will get the fay'. When you give up anything for Allah, Allah will give you back more than that.
وَٱلَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو ٱلدَّارَ وَٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِى صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةًۭ مِّمَّآ أُوتُوا۟ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌۭ ۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
9. As for those who had settled in the city and [embraced] the faith before [the arrival of] the Emigrants, they love whoever Immigrates to them, never having a desire in their hearts for whatever [of the gains] is given to the Emigrants. They give [the Emigrants] preference over themselves even though they may be in need. And whoever is saved from the selfishness of their own souls, it is they who are [truly] successful.— Allah praises the Ansar. He gave them such praise that this ayah became one of the most beloved —if not the most beloved— ayat to the Ansar. Allah tells the Ansar that they are the successful.
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ
10. And those who come after them will pray, "Our Lord! Forgive us and our fellow believers who preceded us in faith, and do not allow bitterness/resentment into our hearts towards those who believe. Our Lord! Indeed, You are Ever Gracious, Most Merciful."— "And those who come after them" is referring to us. We didn't get the blessings of the Muhajirun or the Ansar, but insha'Allah, we will get some blessings, and Allah gave us hope here. We should think good of the believers who came before us and make du'a for them. (And anybody who has any hatred for the sahaba, this verse has been deprived of him.)
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا۟ يَقُولُونَ لِإِخْوَٰنِهِمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلَا نُطِيعُ فِيكُمْ أَحَدًا أَبَدًۭا وَإِن قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنصُرَنَّكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
11. Have you [O Prophet] not seen the hypocrites who say to their fellow disbelievers from the People of the Book, "If you are expelled, we will certainly leave with you, and We will never ever obey anyone against you. And if you are fought against, we will surely help you."? But Allah bears witness that they are truly liars.
— Allah SWT talks about the issue of Abdullah ibn Ubayy and the Banu Nadir, and He SWT calls the both of them "disbelievers." What Abdullah ibn Ubayy said to the Banu Nadir was in complete secrecy, and Allah exposes him word for word. And Allah testifies these people are liars.
— Allah SWT talks about the issue of Abdullah ibn Ubayy and the Banu Nadir, and He SWT calls the both of them "disbelievers." What Abdullah ibn Ubayy said to the Banu Nadir was in complete secrecy, and Allah exposes him word for word. And Allah testifies these people are liars.
لَئِنْ أُخْرِجُوا۟ لَا يَخْرُجُونَ مَعَهُمْ وَلَئِن قُوتِلُوا۟ لَا يَنصُرُونَهُمْ وَلَئِن نَّصَرُوهُمْ لَيُوَلُّنَّ ٱلْأَدْبَـٰرَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنصَرُونَ
12. Indeed, if they are expelled, the hypocrites will never leave with them. And if they are fought against, the hypocrites will never help them. And even if the hypocrites did so, they would certainly flee, then the disbelievers would be left with no help.— Allah says even if the hypocrites did help, they would be such cowards that they would turn around and run away (as they did at Uhud).
لَأَنتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهْبَةًۭ فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌۭ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
13. Indeed, there is more fear in their hearts for you [believers] than for Allah. That is because they are a people who do not comprehend.— Allah is saying to the Muslims that the Banu Nadir feared them more than they feared Allah Himself. Notice here that, subhan'Allah, Allah is telling us something that only He can know, i.e., what's in the hearts of people.
لَا يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ جَمِيعًا إِلَّا فِى قُرًۭى مُّحَصَّنَةٍ أَوْ مِن وَرَآءِ جُدُرٍۭ ۚ بَأْسُهُم بَيْنَهُمْ شَدِيدٌۭ ۚ تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعًۭا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّىٰ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌۭ لَّا يَعْقِلُونَ
14. Even united, they would not [dare] fight against you except [from] within fortified strongholds or from behind walls. Their malice for each other is intense: you think they are united, yet their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people with no [real] understanding.— Allah exposes their cowardice, and then He exposes the disputes that they had between themselves.
كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَرِيبًۭا ۖ ذَاقُوا۟ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
كَمَثَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ ٱكْفُرْ فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌۭ مِّنكَ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَ رَبَّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
فَكَانَ عَـٰقِبَتَهُمَآ أَنَّهُمَا فِى ٱلنَّارِ خَـٰلِدَيْنِ فِيهَا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَٰٓؤُا۟ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
15. They are like those who recently went down before them: they tasted the evil consequences of their doings. And they will suffer a painful Punishment.
16. [They are] like satan when he lures someone to disbelieve. Then after they have done so, he will say [on Judgment Day], "I have absolutely nothing to do with you. I truly fear Allah—the Lord of all worlds."
17. So they will both end up in the Fire, staying there forever. That is the reward of the wrongdoers.
— Allah gives two examples: Verse 15 for the Banu Nadir, and verse 16 for the munafiqun.
— As for the Banu Nadir, Allah is saying, "Didn't they see the example of the Banu Qaynuqa?" "Don't they learn from a lesson?" In other words, if you are not going to learn from Allah's revelation, learn from history!
— And the example of the munafiqun is like shaytan: Shaytan tells insan (إنسان - man), "Reject Allah!" and when the insan rejects Allah, shaytan says, "I didn't tell you! I have nothing to do with you!" The reference here is Abdullah ibn Ubayy; he promises a million promises, but when it comes to fulfilling the promises, he is nowhere to be seen. So Allah is literally comparing Abdullah ibn Ubayy to shaytan.
— And then Allah says "the both of them are in the Fire" meaning both the Banu Nadir and the munafiqs.
The rest of the surah is reminders for the believers etc., and it ends with Allah's beautiful names and attributes.
Now that we understand the expulsion of the Banu Nadir, wallahi, Surah al-Hashr is as if everything is being painted in front of us. Without understanding the incident, we could never understand it. And this is one of the main benefits of studying the seerah.
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When Did the Expulsion Take Place?
One final point: When did the expulsion take place? There is a controversy in the classical books. Some of the biggest names in the first few generations of Islam say this took place after Badr. This is the opinion of Urwah ibn al-Zubayr (d. 94 AH) and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (d. 124 AH) — both of them are the most famous scholars of the seerah among the tabi'un. However, later scholars —including Ibn Ishaq (d. 150 AH), al-Waqidi (d. 207 AH), and Ibn Sa'd (d. 230 AH)— corrected this, and they said either it was a genuine mistake or they were confusing with the expulsion of Banu Qaynuqa. (Side note: Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri was Ibn Ishaq's teacher, so one generation before. And this shows us how much has been left for later scholars to come and re-sift through and piece together the narrations.) They said it could not have been after Badr because the 'blood money' of Bir Ma'una clearly only took place after Uhud in Safar in the 4 AH. Thus the strongest opinion is it took place in Shawwal of the 4th year of the Hijrah.
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, March 2021]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, March 2021]
