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Surah al-Hashr (Surah 59: Revelation Order 101)

Everyone in the heavens and the earth glorifies God

  • There has glorified for God whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and He is the Almighty, the Wise (59:1).
  • Note: Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies God being the Almighty, the Wise.

Expelled from homes and gathered those who opposed God and His messenger

  • He is Who has expelled those who have disbelieved from a people of the scripture from their homes at first gathering. You have not thought that they would leave, and they have thought that their fortresses would defend them from God, but God had come to them from where they did not expect and He had cast the terror into their hearts, they destroy their houses with their hands and hands of the believers. So you shall learn, O you those endowed with the vision (59:2). And if not that God had decreed the exile upon them, certainly, He would have punished them in the world, and for them in the Hereafter there is a punishment of the Fire (59:3). That is of that they have opposed God and His messenger, and whoever opposes God and His messenger, then indeed, God is severe in the punishment (59:4). Whether you have cut down of palm trees or have left them standing on their roots, is by permission of God, and that He will disgrace the disobedient (59:5).
  • Note: God expelled those from their homes from a people of the scripture who had opposed Him and His messenger; and thus, God disgraced the disobedient who had thought that their fortresses would defend them from Him.   

God has authorized His messenger to distribute spoils of war

  • And whatever God has restored to His messenger from them, then you have not made expedition for it of horses, nor camels, but God gives power to His messengers over whomever He wills, and God has power over everything (59:6). Whatever God has restored to His messenger from a people of the towns is for God and for His messenger, and for whoever are the relatives, and the orphans, and the needy, and the traveling alien, that it does not become a circulation between the rich among you. And whatever the messenger has given you, then it shall take it, and whatever he forbids you from it, then you shall refrain. You shall fear God. Indeed, God is severe in the punishment (59:7). For the poor immigrants who have been expelled from their houses and their properties, seeking for bounty from God and pleasure, and supporting God and His messenger. Those – they are the truthful ones (59:8).
  • Note: God has authorized His messenger to distribute the spoils of war and has also specified who are the recipients giving priority to the poor immigrants who had expelled from their homes for supporting God and His messenger.

Helping those who have come after them

  • And those who are of their before – you shall provide the home and the faith loving whoever has emigrated upon them; and (that) they should not find any want in their breasts of what they have been given and should prefer over themselves, even though it has been poverty with them. And whoever is saved from stinginess of his soul, then those – they are the successful ones (59:9). And those who have come after of them say, “Our Lord, forgive for us and for our brethren who had preceded us in the faith, and do not place any hatred in our hearts towards those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed, You are Compassionate, Merciful.” (59:10).
  • Note: God has made it priority to help others for His believers, and thus it was their responsibility who had immigrated earlier to help the immigrant who came after them.

Hypocrisy among a people of the scripture

  • Do you not see to those who have committed hypocrisy saying to their brothers those who have disbelieved among a people of the scripture, “Surely, if you had been expelled, surely, we would leave with you, and we will not obey anyone ever among you, and if you had been fought, certainly, we would help you.” And God bears witness that they are surely liars (59:11). Surely, if they had been expelled, they would not leave with them, and surely if they had been fought, they would not help them. And surely, if they had helped, surely, they would turn backs, then they would not be helped (59:12).
  • Note:The people of the scripture who had pledged to their brother to help them but did not do that when they were in need.

Being dwellers in the Hell is a recompense of the wrongdoers

  • Certainly, you are in more fear in their breasts than God. That is of that they are a people who do not understand (59:13). They will not fight you together except in fortified towns, or from behind walls. Their violence among themselves is severe. You may think them united, while their hearts are in disagreement. That is of that they are a people who do not understand (59:14). Like an example of those who were of their before, they had shortly tasted a consequence of their affair, and for them there is a painful punishment (59:15). Like an example of the Satan, when he said to the human being, “Disbelieve,” then when he has disbelieved, he said, “Indeed, I am in dissociation of you. Indeed, I fear God, Lord of the worlds.” (59:16). So, it has been both of their ends that they will be in the Fire being dwellers therein forever. And that is a recompense of the wrongdoers (59:17).
  • Note: God has confirmed the recompense of the wrongdoers as dwellers of the Hell mentioning two examples as they are not a people of understanding for not using their wisdom and logic.

What the believers need to do to be achievers

  • O you who have believed, you shall fear God, and every soul should look what it has sent forth for tomorrow. And you shall fear God, indeed, God is Cognizant of what you do (59:18). And you do not be like those who have forgotten God that He has made them forget themselves. Those – they are the disobedient (59:19). It does not equal dwellers of the Fire and dwellers of the Paradise; dwellers of the Paradise – they are the achievers (59:20).
  • Note: The dwellers of the Hell did not fear God and forgot Him while the dweller of the Paradise had feared God knowing that He is Cognizant of what they are doing and has sent forth for tomorrow. Thus, the dwellers of the Paradise are achievers while the dwellers of the Hell are losers.

The wondrous nature of the Quran to reflect to be a source of our knowledge

  • If we had sent down this – the Quran to a mountain, certainly, you would have seen it humbled being crumbled from fear of God. And that is of the examples we cite it for the people so that they may reflect (59:21).
  • Note: It is one of the many examples having wondrous nature of Quran that God has cited in the Quran so that people may use it to be a source of the knowledge to practice His established religion of monotheism being Islam its practices about that most of us are not sure.

There is no god except God

  • He is God is Who – there is no god except He, Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Gracious, the Merciful (59:22). He is God is Who – there is no god except He – the Sovereign, the Sacred, the Peace, the Faithful, the Guardian, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Supreme. Glory to God is so high what they associate (59:23). He is God – the Creator, the Initiator, the Designer. To Him belongs the graceful names. Glorifies for Him whatever is in the heavens and the earth. And He is the Almighty, the Wise (59:24).
  • Note: God has confirmed repeating two times, “There is no god (deity) except He” so that we can worship Him alone without associating partners with Him reflecting to His 15 attributes mentioned in the last 3 verses of the surah not to have any doubt about it.

Surah al-Hashr (Surah 59: The Gathering) is a later revelation and a short surah consisting of 24  verses addressing the people of the scripture who fought the believers and followers of the Quran. We can review the surah reflecting that God helped the believers to defeat the people of the scripture for not being a people of understanding and their hypocrisy, the messenger has been authorized for proper distribution of the spoils of war, God has made it a priority for the believers to help others among themselves, dwellers of the Hell are the losers while dwellers of the Paradise are the achievers, Quran is a source of knowledge to practice His religion of monotheism and God being our only deity we should worship Him alone without associating partners with Him reflecting to His attributes. Thus, God wants us all to make efforts to be the achievers being a people of understanding using our wisdom and logic.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (09/09/2022).