59  Al-Hashr

59. Surah Al-Hashr (Chapter 59 of the Qur'an), translated as "The Banishment" or "The Gathering," is a 24-verse Medinan Surah. It serves as a profound historical and theological commentary on a pivotal geopolitical shift in early Islamic history: the siege and subsequent expulsion of the treacherous Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir from the outskirts of Medina.

Proceed to Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Surah Al-Hashr

Surah Background Information

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58:22,  59:1

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59:4

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59:10

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59:17

Surah Background Information

Surah Al-Hashr (Chapter 59 of the Qur'an), translated as "The Banishment" or "The Gathering," is a 24-verse Medinan Surah. It serves as a profound historical and theological commentary on a pivotal geopolitical shift in early Islamic history: the siege and subsequent expulsion of the treacherous Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir from the outskirts of Medina.

The historical backdrop, strategic implications, and core themes of this Surah are detailed below alongside their classical and modern primary sources.

1. Context and Occasion of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The entirely of Surah Al-Hashr revolves around the events of Rabi' al-Awwal in 4 AH (August 625 CE), exactly six months after the Muslim setback at the Battle of Uhud.

The Treaty and the Betrayal

Upon arriving in Medina, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ signed the Constitution of Medina, a mutual defense treaty establishing peace, religious freedom, and an alliance with local Jewish tribes, including the Banu Nadir. However, sensing Muslim vulnerability after Uhud, the Banu Nadir began conspiring with the Quraish of Mecca.

The breaking point occurred when the Prophet ﷺ, accompanied by a few close companions (including Abu Bakr and Umar), visited the Banu Nadir fortress to request their treaty-mandated financial contribution toward blood money (Diyyah). The tribe pretended to cooperate but secretly plotted to assassinate him by dropping a millstone from the roof of the building where he was sitting. Alerted by divine revelation, the Prophet ﷺ abruptly left the premises and returned to Medina.

The Siege and Banishment

The Prophet ﷺ issued an ultimatum: the Banu Nadir had ten days to vacate Medina due to high treason. Encouraged by Abdullah ibn Ubayy (the leader of the Medinan Hypocrites), who falsely promised 2,000 fighters to back them, the Banu Nadir barricaded themselves inside their heavily fortified strongholds.

The Muslims laid siege to the fortresses for roughly 15 days. To break their morale, the Prophet ﷺ ordered the cutting and burning of some of their non-fruit-bearing date palms—a psychological blow to an agrarian tribe. Realizing that the hypocrites’ promised reinforcements were never coming, the Banu Nadir surrendered. They were permitted to leave peacefully with whatever property they could load onto camels, except for their armor and weapons. Most migrated to Khaybar or Syria.

Primary Classical Sources:

• Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Military Expeditions): Features explicit narrations by Sa'id ibn Jubayr, who stated that when he asked the companion Ibn Abbas about Surah Al-Hashr, Ibn Abbas directly replied, "Say: It is Surah Banu Nadir."

• Sirat Rasul Allah by Ibn Ishaq (Recension of Ibn Hisham): Provides the most granular historical, chronological timeline of the siege, the diplomatic ultimatums, and the political sabotage attempted by the hypocrites.

• Tafsir al-Tabari: Compiles early reports detailing the exact strategic maneuvering, the geography of the fortresses, and the divine permission given to cut down certain date palms.

2. Chronological Placement

Scholars universally categorize Surah Al-Hashr as Medinan. It was revealed immediately following the evacuation of the Banu Nadir in late 4 AH (625 CE). It directly precedes the legislation of the Battle of Khandaq (The Trench) and acts as a bridge showing how the Muslim community solidified internal security within Medina before facing massive external invasions.

3. Structural Breakdown and Core Themes

Verses 1–5: The Power of God over Fortresses

The Surah opens by establishing that the banishment was not a victory of human numbers, but a divine decree. The Banu Nadir genuinely believed their towering stone fortresses made them invincible. The text clarifies the legality of cutting the palm trees, validating it as a strategic, sanctioned move to humiliate the aggressors.

Verses 6–10: The Legal Distribution of Fai

Because the Banu Nadir surrendered without a formal cavalry charge or active fighting, their abandoned wealth was classified as Fai rather than Ghanimah (standard spoils of war).

• The Rule: Fai belongs entirely to God and His Messenger, to be distributed to the needy, orphans, and wayfarers.

• Socioeconomic Impact: The Prophet ﷺ strategically distributed this wealth almost exclusively to the Muhajirun (the impoverished refugees from Mecca), which successfully rebalanced the Medinan economy so that wealth would not "merely circulate among the rich" (Verse 7).

• The Ansar praised: Verse 9 beautifully extols the Ansar (the Medinan helpers) for their profound selflessness, noting that they welcomed the refugees and preferred them over themselves, even when they were enduring severe poverty.

Verses 11–17: The Psychology of Alliance and Betrayal

This section exposes the psychology of Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his cohort. The Qur'an compares the hypocrites to Satan: they urge others to disbelieve and rebel, but as soon as consequences land, they flee and declare, "I have nothing to do with you." (Verse 16).

Verses 18–24: The Grand Finale

The Surah culminates in some of the most spiritually powerful verses in the Qur'an. It commands believers to look to what they have put forward for tomorrow (the afterlife) and states that if the Qur'an were revealed to a mountain, it would humble itself and split asunder out of the fear of God. It concludes with a breathtaking litany of the Beautiful Names of Allah (Al-Asma al-Husna).

Primary Exegetical Sources:

• Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Offers an exhaustive breakdown of the legal differences between Fai and Ghanimah, and traces how the Prophet's distribution strategy prevented hyper-wealth inequality in early Medina.

• The Meaning of the Qur'an (Tafhim-ul-Quran) by Maududi: Contextualizes the psychological warfare operating within Medina and how this victory completely shattered the myth of the hypocrites' internal power block.