Surah 59. Al-Hashr

Have you 'O Prophet' not seen the hypocrites who say to their fellow disbelievers from the People of the Book,¹ 'If you are expelled, we will certainly leave with you, and We will never obey anyone against you. And if you are fought against, we will surely help you.'? But Allah bears witness that they are truly liars.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Meaning, Banu An-Naḍîr.

Hast thou not observed the Hypocrites say to their misbelieving brethren among the People of the Book? "If ye are expelled We too will go out with you and we will never hearken to anyone in your affair; and if ye are attacked (in fight) we will help you." But Allah is witness that they are indeed liars. ^{5386 5387}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Jews of the Banu Nadhir had been assured by the Hypocrites of Madinah of their support to their cause. They had thought that their defection from the Prophet's Cause would so weaken that cause that they would save their friends. But they never intended to undertake any act involving self-sacrifice on their part; if they had helped their Jewish friends, it was not likely that they would have succeeded; and if they had actually gone to the fight; they had neither valour nor fervour to support them, and they would have fled ignominiously before the discipline, earnestness, and Faith of the men of Islam.

For this actually happened. They never stirred a finger for the Jews, and they never intended to do so. And Allah knows all their motives and secrets: cf. xlvii. 26, n. 4850.

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.

  - Mustafa Khattab

If they are expelled never will they go out with them; and if they are attacked (in fight) they will never help them; and if they do help them they will turn their backs; so they will receive no help. ⁵³⁸⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

All hopes founded on iniquity and treachery are vain and illusory. There may be honour among thieves. But there is no honour as between dishonest intriguers, and they are not likely to get any real help from any quarter.

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.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Of a truth ye are stronger (than they) because of the terror in their hearts (sent) by Allah. This is because they are men devoid of understanding. ⁵³⁸⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Being Unbelievers they fear you more than they fear Allah, because your valour they see, but in Allah they do not believe.

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.

  - Mustafa Khattab

They will not fight you (even) together except in fortified townships or from behind walls. Strong is their fighting (spirit) amongst themselves: thou wouldst think they were united but their hearts are divided: that is because they are a people devoid of wisdom. ^{5390 5391}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They have not sufficient self-confidence or clan to sustain them in a fight except under material advantages or defences. Even if they join forces, they have not sufficient trust in each other to expose themselves to open fighting.

'It may be that they have a strong fighting spirit among themselves, but they have no Cause to fight for and no common objective to achieve. The Makkan Pagans want to keep their own unjust autocracy; the Madinah Hypocrites wish for their own domination in Madinah; and the Jews want their racial superiority established over the Arabs, of whose growing union and power they are jealous.' Their pretended alliance could not stand the strain of either a defeat or a victory. If they had been wise, they would have accepted the Cause of Unity, Faith, and Truth.

They are 'both just' like those who recently went down before them:¹ they tasted the evil consequences of their doings. And they will suffer a painful punishment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This either refers to the defeat of the Meccan pagans at the Battle of Badr or the exile of Banu Qainuqâ’.

Like those who lately preceded them they have tasted the evil result of their conduct and (in the Hereafter there is) for them a grievous Penalty ⁵³⁹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The immediate reference was probably to the Jewish goldsmith tribe of the Qainuqa, who were also settled in a fortified township near Madinah. They were also punished and banished for their treachery, about a month after the battle of Badr, in which the Makkan Pagans had suffered a signal defeat, in Shawwal, A.H. 2. The Nadhir evidently did not take that lesson to heart. The general meaning is that we must learn to be on our guard against the consequences of treachery and sin. No fortuitous alliances with other men of iniquity will save us.

'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.'¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See 14:22.

(Their allies deceived them) like the Evil One when he says to man "Deny Allah"; but when (man) denies Allah (the Evil One) says "I am free of thee: I do fear Allah the Lord of the Worlds!" ⁵³⁹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

An apt simile. Evil tempts man in all sort of ways, and presents seductive promises and alliances to delude him into the belief that he will be saved from the consequences. Satan says, "Deny Allah": which means not merely denial in words, but denial in acts, disobedience of Allah's Law, deviation from the path of rectitude. When the sinner gets well into the mire, Satan says cynically: "How can I help you against Allah? Don't you see I am afraid of Him? All our alliances and understandings were moonshine. You must bear the consequences of your own folly."

So they will both end up in the Fire, staying there forever. That is the reward of the wrongdoers.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The end of both will be that they will go into the Fire dwelling therein for ever. Such is the reward of wrong-doers.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O believers! Be mindful of Allah and let every soul look to what 'deeds' it has sent forth for tomorrow.¹ And fear Allah, 'for' certainly Allah is All-Aware of what you do.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the Hereafter.

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what (provision) he has sent forth for the morrow. Yea fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do. ^{5394 5395}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The "fear of Allah" is akin to love; for it means the fear of offending Him or doing anything wrong that will forfeit His Good Pleasure. This is Taqwa, which implies self restraint, guarding ourselves from all sin, wrong, and injustice, and the positive doing of good. See ii. 2, and n. 26.

The positive side of Taqwa, or "fear of Allah" (see last note) is here emphasised. It is not merely a feeling or an emotion: it is an act, a doing of things which become a preparation and provision for the Hereafter,-the next life, which may be described as "the morrow" in relation to the present Life, which is "to-day". A) The repetition emphasises both sides of Taqwa: "let your soul fear to do wrong and let it do every act of righteousness; for Allah observes both your inner motives and your acts, and in His scheme of things everything will have its due consequences."

And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. It is they who are 'truly' rebellious.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And be ye not like those who forget Allah; and He made them forget their own souls! such are the rebellious transgressors! ⁵³⁹⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To forget Allah is to forget the only Eternal Reality.

The residents of the Fire cannot be equal to the residents of Paradise. 'Only' the residents of Paradise will be successful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Not equal are the Companions of the Fire and the Companions of the Garden: it is the Companions of the Garden that will achieve Felicity. ⁵³⁹⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The others, the Companions of the Fire, will find their lives wasted and nullified. Their capacities will be rendered inert and their wishes will end in futility.

Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have certainly seen it humbled and torn apart in awe of Allah. We set forth such comparisons for people, 'so' perhaps they may reflect.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Meaning, that the hearts of the disbelievers are harder than the mountains concerning the Quran.

Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain verily thou would have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah such are the similitudes which We propound to men that they may reflect. ^{5398 5399}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There are two ideas associated in men's minds with a mountain: one is its height, and the other that it is rocky, stony, hard, Now comes the metaphor. The Revelation of Allah is so sublime that even the highest mountains humble themselves before it. The Revelation is so powerful and convincing that even the hard rock splits asunder under it. Will man then be so arrogant as to consider himself superior to it, or so hard-hearted as not to be affected by its powerful Message? The answer is "No" for unspoilt man; "Yes" for man when degraded by sin to be the vilest of creatures.

Cf. vii. 143, and n. 1103, where, in the story of Moses, the Mount became as dust "when the Lord manifested His Glory". Also cf. xxxiii. 72, and n. 3778, where the mountains are mentioned as an emblem of stability, but as refusing to accept the Trust (Amanat) because they felt themselves to be too humble to be equal to such a tremendous Trust.

He is Allah- there is no god 'worthy of worship' except Him: Knower of the seen and unseen. He is the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Allah is He than whom there is no other god Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He Most Gracious Most Merciful. ⁵⁴⁰⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Here follows a passage of great sublimity, summing up the attributes of Allah. In this verse, we have the general attributes, which give us the fundamental basis on which we can form some idea of Allah. We start with the proposition that there is nothing else like Him. We think of His Unity; all the varying and conflicting forces in Creation are controlled by Him and look to Him, and we can never get a true idea of Him unless we understand the meaning of Unity. His knowledge extends to everything seen and unseen, present and future, near and far, in being and not in being: in fact these contrasts, which apply to our knowledge, do not apply to Him. His Grace and His Mercy are unbounded: see i. 1, and n. 19; and unless we realise these, we can have no true conception of our position in the working of His Will and Plan.

He is Allah- there is no god except Him: the King, the Most Holy, the All-Perfect, the Source of Serenity, the Watcher 'of all', the Almighty, the Supreme in Might,¹ the Majestic. Glorified is Allah far above what they associate with Him 'in worship'!

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Jabbâr comes from the root word ja-ba-ra which means to impose, support, or console. For example, Jabîrah means the cast that supports a broken bone. Hence, Allah is the One Whose Will cannot be resisted, and Who comforts those who are broken or oppressed.

Allah is He other than whom there is no other god the sovereign the Holy One the Source of Peace (and Perfection). The Guardian of Faith the Preserver of Safety the Exalted in Might the Irresistible the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (high is He) above the partners they attribute to Him. ^{5401 5402 5403 5404}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This phrase is repeated from the last verse in order to lead us to the contemplation of some other attributes of Allah, after we have realised those which form our fundamental conceptions of Allah. See the preceding and the following note.

How can a translator reproduce the sublimity and the comprehensiveness of the magnificent Arabic words, which mean so much in a single symbol? (1) "The Sovereign" in our human language implies the one undisputed authority which is entitled to give commands and to receive obedience, and which in fact receives obedience; the power which enforces law and justice. (2) Human authority may be misused, but in the title "the Holy One", we postulate a Being free from all stain or evil, and replete with the highest Purity. (3) "Salam" has not only the idea of Peace as opposed to Conflict, but wholeness as opposed to defects: hence our paraphrase "Source of Peace and Perfection". (4) Mu-min, one who entertains Faith, who gives Faith to others, who is never false to the Faith that others place in him: hence our paraphrase "Guardian of Faith". (5) "Preserver of Safety"; guarding all from danger, corruption, loss, etc.; the word is used for the Qur-an in v. 51. These are the attributes of kindness and benevolence: in the next note are described the attributes of power.

See last note. (6) Allah is not only good, but He can carry out His Will. (7) And if anything resists or opposes Him, His Will prevails. (8) For He is Supreme, above all things and creatures. Thus we come back to the Unity with which we began in verse 22.

Such being Allah's attributes of Goodness and Power, how foolish is it of men to worship anything else but Him? Who can approach His glory and goodness?

He is Allah: the Creator, the Inventor, the Shaper. He 'alone' has the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth 'constantly' glorifies Him. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He is Allah the Creator the Evolver the Bestower of Forms (or colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: Whatever is in the heavens and on earth doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the exalted in Might the Wise. ^{5405 5406 5407 5408}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's attributes of Goodness and Power having been referred to, we are now told of His creative energy, of which three aspects are here mentioned, as explained in the following note. The point is emphasised that He does not merely create and leave alone; He goes on fashioning, evolving new forms and colours, and sustaining all the energies and capacities which He has put into His Creation, according to various laws which He has established.

The act or acts of creation have various aspects, and the various words used in this connection are summarised in n. 120 to ii. 117, as supplemented by n. 916 to vi. 94 and n. 923 to vi. 98. Khalaqa is the general term for creation, and the Author of all Creation is Khaliq. Baraa implies a process of evolving from previously created matter or state; the Author of this process is Bari-u, the Originator. Sawwara implies giving definite form or colour, so as to make a thing exactly suited to a given end or object: hence the title Musawwir, Fashioner for this shows the completion of the visible stage of creation.

Cf. vii. 180, n. 1154; and xvii. 110, n. 2322.

Thus the argument of the Sura is rounded off on the same note as was struck at the beginning lix. 1. The first verse and the last verse of the Sura are the same, except as regards the tense of the verb sabbaha. In the first verse it is the optative form of the preterite sabbaha: everything declares the Glory of Allah! After the illustrations given, the declaratory form of the aorist is appropriate, yusabbihu: "everything doth declare the Glory of Allah'.