The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 222
CHAPTER 59 AL-HASHR (Revealed after Hijrah) Title, Date of Revelation, and Context The Surah is decidedly a Medinite revelation. It is the third of the seven last Medinite Sūrahs of the Quran. It deals with the banishment from Medina of the Jewish tribe of Banū Naḍīr, which took place a few months after the Battle of Uḥud, in the fourth year of the Hijrah. The preceding Surah had dealt with the secret plots and machinations against Islam of the Jews of Medina. The present Sūrah deals with their punishment, particularly with the banishment from Medina of the Banu Naḍīr, one of the three Jewish tribes- Banu Qainuqā', Banu Naḍīr and Banu Quraizah. Subject Matter The Surah opens with the glorification of the Mighty and Wise God, signifying that the time has arrived when the great might and wisdom of God would be manifested and that whatever form the manifestation will take, it would demonstrate these two Divine attributes. The Surah then proceeds to deal with the expulsion from Medina of the Jewish tribe of Banu Naḍīr by the Holy Prophet which was an act of great wisdom and political foresight on his part, because if the Jews had been allowed to remain in Medina they would have proved, on account of their conspiracies and secret plots, a source of constant danger to Islam. In view of their evil designs and machinations, their conspiracies and secret plots, their repeated acts of treachery and infidelity and the breach of their plighted word every now and then, the punishment of exile was extremely light. What rendered the punishment much lighter and lenient was the fact that they were allowed to take with them whatever they could. Next, the Surah deals with the hypocrites of Medina who were neither true to Muslims nor to Jews. A hypocrite is essentially a coward, and a coward person is never sincere or honest to anyone. The hypocrites of Medina proved dishonest even to the Jews in the hour of peril. The Surah opens with Divine glorification and ends with an exhortation to Muslims to sing the praises of the Beneficent and Merciful Lord, Who had nipped the wicked designs of their enemies in the bud and had opened out endless vistas of progress and prosperity for them. It is significant that the Surah opens with the glorification of the Mighty and Wise God and ends with the prominent mention of these two Divine attributes. This signifies that the subject matter of the Surah deals with 3118