Tafseer of The Exile · Al-Hashr · 59:11
Have you not considered those who practice hypocrisy, saying to their brothers who have disbelieved among the People of the Scripture, "If you are expelled, we will surely leave with you, and we will not obey, in regard to you, anyone - ever; and if you are fought, we will surely aid you." But Allah testifies that they are liars.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا يَقُولُونَ لإِخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ وَلا نُطِيعُ فِيكُمْ أَحَدًا أَبَدًا وَإِنْ قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنْصُرَنَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ (11) ("Have you not seen those who acted hypocritically, who say to their brothers who disbelieved among the People of the Book: 'If you are expelled, we shall surely go forth with you, and we shall never obey anyone concerning you, and if you are fought against, we shall surely help you.' And Allah bears witness that they are liars") (59:11).
The Exalted, whose praise is proclaimed, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Have you not looked with the eye of your heart, O Muḥammad, and seen those who acted hypocritically (nāfaqū) — and these were, as reported, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl, and Wadīʿa and Mālik, the two sons of Nawfal, and Suwayd and Dāʿis — who sent to the Banū al-Naḍīr when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had marched out to war against them, with the message: Stand firm and fortify yourselves, for we shall not surrender you; and if you are fought against, we shall fight at your side, and if you go forth, we shall go forth with you. So they awaited their help, but they did not do it, and Allah cast fear into their hearts. Then they asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to expel them and to spare their blood, on condition that they should take of their possessions whatever the camels could carry, except for the armor (al-ḥalqa).
This was related to us by Ibn Ḥumayd, he said: Salama related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related to us, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Rūmān.
And Mujāhid said concerning this what Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his saying: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا ("Have you not seen those who acted hypocritically"). He said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl, and Rifāʿa — or Rāfiʿa — ibn Tābūt. And al-Ḥārith said: Rifāʿa ibn Tābūt, and he did not doubt concerning that; and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Nabtal, and Aws ibn Qayẓī.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, on the authority of ʿIkrima, or on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his saying: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا ("Have you not seen those who acted hypocritically"): he means ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl and his companions, and whoever among them acted in the same way as they did.
And His saying: يَقُولُونَ لإخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ("who say to their brothers who disbelieved among the People of the Book"): he means the Banū al-Naḍīr.
As Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad, on the authority of ʿIkrima, or on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: يَقُولُونَ لإخْوَانِهِمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ ("who say to their brothers who disbelieved among the People of the Book"): he means the Banū al-Naḍīr.
And His saying: لَئِنْ أُخْرِجْتُمْ لَنَخْرُجَنَّ مَعَكُمْ ("If you are expelled, we shall surely go forth with you"). He says: If you are expelled from your dwellings and dwelling-places and driven out of them, we shall surely go forth with you, and we shall be driven out with you from our dwelling-places and dwellings.
And His saying: وَلا نُطِيعُ فِيكُمْ أَحَدًا أَبَدًا ("and we shall never obey anyone concerning you"). He says: And we shall not obey anyone who asks us to abandon you and to forsake your help, but we shall stand at your side. وَإِنْ قُوتِلْتُمْ لَنَنْصُرَنَّكُمْ ("and if you are fought against, we shall surely help you"). He says: And if Muḥammad ﷺ and those with him fight against you, we shall surely help you, O company of al-Naḍīr, against them.
And His saying: وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ ("And Allah bears witness that they are liars"). He says: And Allah bears witness that these hypocrites, who promised the Banū al-Naḍīr help against Muḥammad ﷺ, لَكَاذِبُونَ ("are liars") in their promise to them concerning that which they had promised them.
