Surah Al Hashr Notes (10-17)

Source: Ibn Kathir

(10) And those who came after them say: "Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.

(And those who came after them say: "Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.) This is the third type of believers whose poor most deserve to receive a part of the Fai'. These three types are the Muhajirin, the Ansar and those who followed their righteous lead with excellence. 

Allah said in another Ayah,

(And for the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhajirin and the Ansar and also those who followed them exactly, Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him.)(9:100) The third type is those who followed the Muhajirin and Ansar in their good works, beautiful attributes and who invoke Allah for them in public and secret. 

This is why Allah the Exalted said in this honorable Ayah,

(And those who came after them say), meaning, the statement that they utter is,

(Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts 

any hatred), meaning, rage or envy,

(against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.) Indeed, it is a beautiful way that Imam Malik used this honorable Ayah to declare that the Rafidah who curse the Companions do not have a share in the Fai' money because they do not have the good quality of those whom Allah has described here that they say,

(Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful.) 

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `A'ishah said, "They were commanded to invoke Allah to forgive them, but instead, they cursed them!'' She then recited this Ayah, (And those who came after them say: "Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed.'')

The False Promise of Support the Hypocrites gave to the Jews

(11) Have you (O Muhammad SAW) not observed the hypocrites who say to their friends among the people of the Scripture who disbelieve: "(By Allah) If you are expelled, we (too) indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you, and if you are attacked (in fight), we shall indeed help you." But Allah is Witness, that they verily are liars.

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,

(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,

(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,

(12) Surely, if they (the Jews) are expelled, never will they (hypocrites) go out with them, and if they are attacked, they will never help them. And if they do help them, they (hypocrites) will turn their backs so they will not be victorious.

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

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

(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,

(13) Verily, you (believers in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) are more awful as a fear in their (Jews of Bani An-Nadir) breasts than Allah. That is because they are a people who comprehend not (the Majesty and Power of Allah).

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

(Behold! a section of them fears men as they fear Allah or even more.)(4:77)

This is why Allah said,

(That is because they are a people who comprehend not.) 

(14) They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided, that is because they are a people who understand not.

(They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls.) meaning, they will not fight Muslims except 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 with reprisals). 

Allah the Exalted said,

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

(And make you taste the violence of one another.)(6:65) 

Allah said in the Ayah,

(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,

(15) They are like their immediate predecessors (the Jews of Bani Qainuqa', who suffered), they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and (in the Hereafter, there is) for them a painful torment;

(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

(16) (Their allies deceived them) like Shaitan (Satan), when he says to man: "Disbelieve in Allah." But when (man) disbelieves in Allah, Shaitan (Satan) says: "I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!"

Allah said,

(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,

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

(17) So the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein. Such is the recompense of the Zalimun (i.e. polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in Allah and in His Oneness, etc.).

Allah said,

(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 disbelief be committed, and those who accepted his call, was in the fire of Hell forever,

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