Surah Al-Hashr

The Banishment

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

The name of this chapter is Surah Al-Hashr and the name has been taken from its second verse, which speaks about the first expulsion of the People of the Book from their houses.

Chapter Number

Surah Al-Hashr is the 59th chapter of the Quran.

Number of Verses

Surah Al-Hashr has 24 verses.

Place of Revelation

The scholars consider this chapter to be Madani.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 2-4

A look at the history of the Jews of Banu Nadhir.

The beginning verses of this chapter talk about the Jews of Banu Nadhir, who were exiled because they betrayed the treaty which they had made with the Muslims.

Verses 18-20

The command to have taqwa (God-consciousness) and to stay away from sins; and a warning to the believers to be weary about the results of their actions.

In these verses, the believers—by paying attention to the end result of their actions—are encouraged to have taqwa and to abandon sins.

Verses 21-24

A mention about the greatness of the Quran, and some of the Asma al-Husna (Divine Names of Allah).

The final verses of Surah Al-Hashr describe the exaltedness of the Word of Allah (the Quran) and His Majesty through speaking about the lofty status of His essence, His attributes, and His names of perfection.

Discussions on this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول اللّه صلى اللّه عليه و سلم: من قرأ سورة الحشر غفر اللّه له ما تقدم من ذنبه و ما تأخر

The Prophet of Allah said: “Whosoever recites Surah al-Hashr, Allah will forgive him his sins of the past and of the future.”

حدثنا أبو أحمد الزبيري حدثنا خالد يعني ابن طهمان أبو العلاء الخفاف حدثنا نافع بن أبي نافع، عن معقل بن يسار عن النبي صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم قال: «من قال حين يصبح ثلاث مرات أعوذ باللّه السميع العليم من الشيطان الرجيم، ثم قرأ ثلاث آيات من آخر سورة الحشر وكل اللّه به سبعين ألف ملك يصلون عليه حتى يمسي و إن مات في ذلك اليوم مات شهيدا و من قالها حين يمسي كان بتلك المنزلة».

Abu Hamzah al-Zubayri narrated to us from Khalid ibn Tahman, the father of al-Ala al-Khafaf, who narrated from Nafi ibn Abi Nafi, who narrated from Maqal ibn Yasar, from the Prophet who said, “Whoever says, ‘I seek refuge from Allah, the All-Hearing and the All-Knowing from the accursed Satan’, three times during the morning and then recites three verses from the end of Surah al-Hashr - Allah will appoint 70,000 angels to pray for him until the evening; and if he dies during that day, then he will die as a martyr; and whoever does this action during the evening, will also be in the same rank.”

عن أبى هريرة رضى اللّه عنه: سألت حبيبي صلى اللّه عليه و سلم عن اسم اللّه الأعظم فقال: «عليك بآخر الحشر فأكثر قراءته»

Abu Hurayrah has said: “I asked my beloved [Prophet]—may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—about Allah’s Ism al-Azam (The Greatest Name). He said, ‘I exhort you regarding the end of al-Hashr, so read it a lot.’”

Verse 7: “The spoils that Allah gave to His Apostle from the people of the townships, are for Allah and the Apostle, for the relatives and the orphans, the needy and the traveller, so that they do not circulate among the rich among you. Take whatever the Apostle gives you, and refrain from whatever he forbids you, and be conscious of Allah. Indeed Allah is severe in retribution.”

مَّآ أَفَآءَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ مِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ كَيۡ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةَۢ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡأَغۡنِيَآءِ مِنكُمۡۚ وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمۡ عَنۡهُ فَٱنتَهُواْۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ٧ قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا سفيان عن عمرو و معمر عن الزهري عن مالك بن أوس بن الحدثان عن عمر رضي اللّه عنه قال: كانت أموال بني النضير مما أفاء اللّه على رسوله مما لو يوجف المسلمون عليه بخيل و لا ركاب، فكانت لرسول اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم خالصة، فكان ينفق على أهله منها نفقة سنته و قال مرة قوت سنته و ما بقي جعله في الكراع و السلاح في سبيل اللّه عز و جل.

Imam Ahmad said that Sufyaan narrated to him from Amr and Mamar, from al-Zuhri, from Malik ibn Aus ibn al-Hadthan, from Umar who said, “The properties of the Banu Nadhir were from amongst the spoils that Allah had given to the Prophet. These properties were from amongst those that the Muslims were not troubled over, neither those who were misers, nor part of the military. However, the Prophet was of sincere intentions, thus he would spend the money on his family, particularly the expenditure defined by the law. After that, he would take the rest and spend it on people whose situation was unknown to other people, and those who served the military in the name of Allah.”

Verse 9: “[They are as well] for those who were settled in the land and [abided] in faith before them, who love those who migrate towards them, and they do not find in their chests any privation for that which is given to them, but they prefer [the Immigrants] to themselves, though poverty be their own lot. And those who are saved from their own greed—it is they who are the felicitous.”

وَٱلَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو ٱلدَّارَ وَٱلۡإِيمَٰنَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ يُحِبُّونَ مَنۡ هَاجَرَ إِلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمۡ حَاجَةٗ مِّمَّآ أُوتُواْ وَيُؤۡثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَلَوۡ كَانَ بِهِمۡ خَصَاصَةٞۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفۡسِهِۦ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ٩ عن رسول اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم أنه قال: أفضل الصدقة جهد المقل

It is narrated from the Prophet of Allah that he said: “The best type of alms is to exert oneself for the destitute.”

قال أحمد حدثنا عبد الرزاق أخبرنا داود بن قيس الفراء عن عبيد اللّه بن مقسم، عن جابر بن عبد اللّه أن رسول اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم قال: «إياكم و الظلم فإن الظلم ظلمات يوم القيامة و اتقوا الشح فإن الشح أهلك من كان قبلكم حملهم على أن سفكوا دماءهم و استحلوا محارمهم».

Ahmad said that Abd al-Razzaq narrated from Dawud ibn Qays al-Fara, from Ubaydallah ibn Maqsam, from Jabir ibn Abdullah that the Prophet of Allah said: “Be wary of injustice, for surely injustice will be darkness on the Day of Judgement. Be fearful of avarice, for surely avarice destroyed those who were before you by causing them to shed the blood of their own people, and it allowed themselves to infringe on the families and properties of their own people.”

Verse 18: “O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah, and let every soul consider what it sends ahead for tomorrow, and be wary of Allah. Indeed Allah is well aware of what you do.”

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَلۡتَنظُرۡ نَفۡسٞ مَّا قَدَّمَتۡ لِغَدٖۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ١٨ قال رسول اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم: «من سن في الإسلام سنة حسنة فله أجرها و أجر من عمل بها بعده من غير أن ينقص من أجورهم شي‏ء و من سن في الإسلام سنة سيئة كان عليه وزرها و وزر من عمل بها من غير أن ينقص من أوزارهم شي‏ء».

The Prophet of Allah said: “Whoever spends a year in Islam as a good year, then for him is its reward and the reward of anyone who spends a year as such after him. It is as such that nothing will be subtracted from their reward. However, whosoever spends a year in Islam as a year of sin then upon him will be its burden and the burden of anyone who spends a year as such and nothing will be subtracted from his burden.”

Verse 24: “He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, and the Former. To Him belong the Best of Names. Whatever there is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”

هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخَٰلِقُ ٱلۡبَارِئُ ٱلۡمُصَوِّرُۖ لَهُ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٢٤ في الصحيحين عن أبي هريرة عن رسول اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه و سلّم «إن للّه تعالى تسعة و تسعين اسما، مائة إلا واحدا، من أحصاها دخل الجنة و هو وتر يحب الوتر»

It has been narrated in the Sahihayn from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet of Allah that he said: “Surely Allah possesses ninety-nine names, He possesses the equivalent of one taken away from one hundred names, whoever counts them will enter heaven, and His names are an odd number, and He loves odd numbers.”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ قَالَ: مَنْ قَرَأَ سُورَةَ الْحَشْرِ لَمْ يَبْقَ جَنَّةٌ وَ لَا نَارٌ وَ لَا عَرْشٌ وَ لَا كُرْسِيٌّ وَ لَا حُجُبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْع ‏وَ الْأَرَضِينَ السَّبْعِ وَ الْهَوَاءُ وَ الطَّيْرُ وَ الشَّجَرُ وَ الْجِبَالُ وَ الشَّمْسُ وَ الْقَمَرُ وَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ إِلَّا صَلَّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَ اسْتَغْفَرُوا لَهُ وَ إِنْ مَاتَ فِي يَوْمِهِ أَوْ فِي لَيْلَتِهِ مَاتَ شَهِيدا

It has been narrated from Ubay ibn Kab from the Prophet that he said, “If a person recites Surah al-Hashr - then there will not remain from amongst the heaven, the hell, the throne, the heavenly chair, the veils of the seven heavens and seven earths, the winds, the birds, the trees, the mountains, the sun, the moon, and the angels - except that they will pray for him and ask forgiveness for him. Also, if the person dies during the day or the night in which one recited this chapter, then one will die as a martyr.”

Verse 7: “The spoils that Allah gave to His Apostle from the people of the townships, are for Allah and the Apostle, the relatives and the orphans, the needy and the traveller, so that they do not circulate among the rich among you. Take whatever the Apostle gives you, and refrain from whatever he forbids you, and be conscious of Allah. Indeed Allah is severe in retribution.”

مَّآ أَفَآءَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ مِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ كَيۡ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةَۢ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡأَغۡنِيَآءِ مِنكُمۡۚ وَمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَىٰكُمۡ عَنۡهُ فَٱنتَهُواْۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ٧ وَ رُوِيَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ أَبِي قُرَّةَ السَّمَنْدِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَ تَدْرِي مَنِ‏ الشَّحِيحُ‏ قُلْتُ هُوَ الْبَخِيلُ فَقَالَ الشُّحُّ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ إِنَّ الْبَخِيلَ يَبْخَلُ بِمَا فِي يَدِهِ وَ الشَّحِيحَ يَشُحُّ بِمَا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ وَ عَلَى مَا فِي يَدِهِ حَتَّى لَا يَرَى فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ شَيْئاً إِلَّا تَمَنَّى أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ بِالْحِلِّ وَ الْحَرَامِ وَ لَا يَقْنَعُ بِمَا رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

It has been narrated from Fadhl ibn Abu Qurra al-Samadi that he said that Abu Abdillah said to him, “Do you know what it means to be miserly (shahih)?” I said to him, “It is someone who is stingy.” He replied, “Miserliness is worse than stinginess, one who is stingy is stingy about that which he possesses; however, one who is miserly is miserly about that which is in the hands of the people, and that which he himself possesses to the point that he does not see anything that the people possess except that he wishes that he possessed it as well, whether through permissible or impermissible means. He is not satisfied by that which Allah provided him with.”

عَنْ زَيْدٍ الشَّحَّامِ‏ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى- هذا عَطاؤُنا فَامْنُنْ أَوْ أَمْسِكْ بِغَيْرِ حِسابٍ‏ قَالَ أَعْطَى سُلَيْمَانَ مُلْكاً عَظِيماً ثُمَّ جَرَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَكَانَ لَهُ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ مَا شَاءَ مَنْ شَاءَ وَ يَمْنَعَ مَنْ شَاءَ وَ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ أَفْضَلَ مِمَّا أَعْطَى سُلَيْمَانَ لِقَوْلِهِ‏ ما آتاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَ ما نَهاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا

It has been narrated from Zayd al-Shahham that he said, “I asked Abu Abdillah about the words of Allah, ‘His is Our bounty: so give away or withhold, without any reckoning, (Surah al-Sad, verse 39) ’ to which he replied: ‘Allah gave Sulayman a great kingdom, but then this verse was revealed to the Prophet. The Prophet could give anything to anyone and stop anyone from anything, Allah gave him (the last Prophet) something which was greater than what He gave to Sulayman, that is why He said, ‘…Take whatever the Apostle gives you, and refrain from whatever he forbids you…’’”

Verse 9: “[They are as well] for those who were settled in the land and [abided] in faith before them, who love those who migrate towards them, and they do not find in their chests any privation for that which is given to them, but they prefer [the immigrants] to themselves, though poverty be their own lot. And those who are saved from their own greed—it is these who are the felicitous.”

وَٱلَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو ٱلدَّارَ وَٱلۡإِيمَٰنَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ يُحِبُّونَ مَنۡ هَاجَرَ إِلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمۡ حَاجَةٗ مِّمَّآ أُوتُواْ وَيُؤۡثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَلَوۡ كَانَ بِهِمۡ خَصَاصَةٞۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفۡسِهِۦ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ٩

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَوْمَ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ قَسَمْتُمْ لِلْمُهَاجِرِينَ مِنْ أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَ دِيَارِكُمْ وَ تُشَارِكُونَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الْغَنِيمَةِ وَ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ دِيَارُكم وَ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَ لَا يُقْسَمُ لَكُمْ شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنَ الْغَنِيمَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ الْأَنْصَارُ بَلْ‏ نَقْسِمُ‏ لَهُمْ‏ مِنْ‏ أَمْوَالِنَا وَ دِيَارِنَا وَ نُؤْثِرُهُمْ بِالْغَنِيمَةِ وَ لَا نُشَارِكُهُمْ فِيهَا فَنَزَلَتْ‏ وَ يُؤْثِرُونَ عَلى‏ أَنْفُسِهِمْ‏ الْآيَةَ.

Check translation for whole ḥadīth, quite badly translated: highlighted part not in here It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet of Allah said, “If you want to divide your possessions and houses a portion for the immigrants, then you will be included in their felicity. However, if you do not want to divide your houses and possessions with them, then you will not benefit from their felicity.” Then the Ansaar said to the immigrants, “We will divide our possessions and our houses, and will share our wealth with them, and as such we will not benefit from our own wealth. Thus the verse, ‘but they prefer [the immigrants] to themselves’ was revealed for them.”

Verse 21: “Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled [and] crumble to pieces with the fear of Allah. We draw such comparisons for mankind, so that they may reflect.”

لَوۡ أَنزَلۡنَا هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٖ لَّرَأَيۡتَهُۥ خَٰشِعٗا مُّتَصَدِّعٗا مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلُ نَضۡرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٢١

عَنْ أَنَس أَنَّ رَسُول اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: مَنْ قَرَأَ آخِر سُورَة الْحَشْر لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآن عَلَى جَبَل إِلَى آخِرهَا فَمَاتَ مِنْ لَيْلَته مَاتَ شَهِيدًا

It has been narrated from Anas that the Prophet of Allah said: “Whosoever reads the last part of Surah al-Hashr from the verse, ‘Had We sent down this Quran upon a mountain…’ until the end and then dies, he will die as a martyr.”

وَ بِرِوَايَةِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‏ اسْمُ اللَّهِ الْأَعْظَمُ فِي سِتِّ آيَاتٍ مِنْ آخِرِ الْحَشْرِ

According to a narration from Ibn Abbas, the Prophet said: “The Great Name of Allah is hidden within the last six verses of Surah al-Hashr.”