Surah Al-Hashr (59) — Ayah 2

(Ayah 2) ➊ By bringing the definite predicate {’’ الَّذِيْ ‘‘} after the subject {هُوَ الَّذِيْۤ اَخْرَجَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ : ’’ هُوَ ‘‘}, exclusivity is created in the speech, meaning that Allah, Whose glorification is done by everything in the heavens and everything on the earth, and Who alone is the Mighty, the Wise, it is He Who expelled those among the People of the Book who disbelieved from their homes; besides Him, there was no one to expel them. This is said so that the Muslims do not consider their exile without battle as their own bravery, but rather as a favor from Allah, and thus glorify and praise Him and show gratitude to Him alone. Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said regarding {’’ هُوَ الَّذِيْۤ اَخْرَجَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ اَهْلِ الْكِتٰبِ ‘‘} that it refers to the Jews of Banu Nadir. This has been said by Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Zuhri, and many others. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived in Madinah, he made peace with them and entered into a pact that neither he would fight them nor would they fight him, but they broke the covenant they had made with him, so Allah sent upon them such a punishment that could not be averted and enforced upon them such a decree that could not be avoided. Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) exiled them and expelled them from their strong and secure fortresses, which the Muslims had never even hoped to obtain, and about which the Jews thought that they would save them from the punishment of Allah, but they did not benefit them at all, and from Allah came upon them such a grip as they had never imagined.

The details of this incident are mentioned in the books of hadith and biography, in which there are several accounts of their breaking the covenant. One of them is narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud: Abdur Rahman bin Ka'b bin Malik narrated from a companion of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them): "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Madinah, and the Battle of Badr had not yet taken place, when the disbelievers of Quraysh wrote to Abdullah bin Ubayy and his idolatrous companions among the Aws and Khazraj, saying: 'You have given shelter to our companion. We swear by Allah that you must either fight him or expel him, or we will all come together against you, kill your fighting men, and take away your women.' When this letter reached Abdullah bin Ubayy and his idolatrous companions, they gathered to fight the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed, he met them and said: [ لَقَدْ بَلَغَ وَعِيْدُ قُرَيْشٍ مِّنْكُمُ الْمَبَالِغَ مَا كَانَتْ تَكِيْدُكُمْ بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تُرِيْدُوْنَ أَنْ تَكِيْدُوْا بِهِ أَنْفُسَكُمْ تُرِيْدُوْنَ أَنْ تُقَاتِلُوْا أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَ إِخْوَانَكُمْ ] 'The threat of Quraysh has greatly affected you; they could not have harmed you more than you are harming yourselves by wanting to fight your own sons and brothers.' When they heard this from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), they dispersed. The disbelievers of Quraysh also heard of this, so after the incident of Badr, they wrote to the Jews, saying: 'You are people of arms and fortresses; you must fight our companion, or we will do this and that, and nothing will stand between us and the anklets of your women.' When this letter reached Banu Nadir, they agreed to break the covenant and sent a message to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he should come to them with thirty men from his companions, and thirty of their scholars would come to him, and they would meet in a middle place. They would listen to his words, and if they confirmed him and believed in him, then they too would believe in him. The companion narrated that when the next day came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took the armies and besieged them and said to them: [ إِنَّكُمْ وَاللّٰهِ ! لاَ تَأْمَنُوْنَ عِنْدِيْ إِلاَّ بِعَهْدٍ تُعَاهِدُوْنِيْ عَلَيْهِ ] 'By Allah! You will have no security with me until you make a new covenant with me.' They refused to make any covenant or agreement with him, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) continued to fight them that day, then the next day took the armies to Banu Qurayzah and left Banu Nadir, and invited them to make a pact, so they made a pact with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He left them and returned, then took the army to Banu Nadir and continued to fight them until they came down from their fortresses on the condition of exile. Thus, Banu Nadir were exiled and took with them whatever they could carry on their camels of their belongings, doors, and wood from their houses. The date palms of Banu Nadir were exclusively for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); Allah granted them to him and specified them for him alone, as Allah said: «وَ مَاۤ اَفَآءَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى رَسُوْلِهٖ مِنْهُمْ فَمَاۤ اَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍ وَّ لَا رِكَابٍ » [ الحشر : ۶ ] 'And whatever (wealth) Allah restored to His Messenger from them, you did not spur any horses or camels for it.' That is, it was obtained without fighting. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave most of it to the Muhajirun and distributed it among them, and gave a portion to two Ansar who were in need. Except for these two, no Ansar was given anything from it, and the rest remained as charity of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which remained with the descendants of Fatimah." [ أبو داوٗد، الخراج والفيء والإمارۃ، باب في خبر النضیر : ۳۰۰۴، قال الألباني صحیح الإسناد ] From this hadith, it is known that Banu Nadir not only broke the covenant but also flatly refused to renew it, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) besieged them because of their breaking the covenant and eventually exiled them.

After quoting this hadith, Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The authors of Seerah and Maghazi have summarized the story of the expedition of Banu Nadir and its cause as follows: When the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) were martyred at Bi'r Ma'unah, seventy (70) in number, one of them, Amr bin Umayyah Damri (may Allah be pleased with him), escaped and, on his way back to Madinah, found an opportunity and killed two men from the tribe of Banu Amir (thinking he was avenging the martyrs of Bi'r Ma'unah), although this tribe had a pact with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he had granted them safety, but Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) was unaware of this. When he reached Madinah and mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: 'You have killed them; now I will pay their blood money in any case.' There was also an alliance and reconciliation between Banu Nadir and Banu Amir, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went to them so that they would contribute and he would contribute, and Banu Amir would be appeased. The fortresses of Banu Nadir were several miles to the east of Madinah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived there to seek their cooperation in paying the blood money, they said: 'Yes, O Abu al-Qasim! As you wish, we will help you in every way.' Meanwhile, away from him, they consulted among themselves, saying: 'When will we get a better opportunity than this? He is in our grasp; let us finish him.' So it was decided that someone should climb the house against which he was sitting and throw a large stone on him and rid us of him. Amr bin Juhash bin Ka'b took up the task and climbed onto the roof, intending to roll down the stone, but Allah sent Jibril (peace be upon him) to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and ordered him to get up from there. So he immediately got up, and with him was a group of his companions, including Abu Bakr, Umar, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them). He immediately set out for Madinah. Meanwhile, those companions who were not with him and were waiting for him in Madinah, due to his delay, set out to search for him. During this, a man coming from Madinah informed them that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had reached Madinah, so the companions returned and reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He informed them of the treachery of the Jews and ordered them to prepare for war, and set out with the companions towards them. The Jews, seeing the armies, barricaded themselves in their fortresses. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) besieged them and ordered that their date palms nearby be cut down. The Jews began to wail: 'What is happening? You used to forbid others from corruption in the land and called the corrupt evil, so what is happening now?' Thus, the grief of the trees being cut and the despair of the help that was supposed to come, both broke the backs of these Jews." (Ibn Kathir)

➋ The meaning of { لِاَوَّلِ الْحَشْرِ : ’’ الْحَشْرِ ‘‘} is "to gather." {’’أَوَّلٌ‘‘} is an adjective annexed to its described noun. So, originally it is {’’ لِلْحَشْرِ الْأَوَّلِ‘‘}, meaning Allah expelled Banu Nadir from their homes at the very beginning of their gathering. Or the word {’’أَوَّلٌ‘‘} is annexed in reality to {’’ الْحَشْرِ ‘‘}, and the meaning is that Allah expelled them at the very start of the gathering, so there was no need for fighting, and by Allah's power, they themselves agreed to exile. Shah Waliullah translated it as: "At the first gathering of the army." And Shah Abdul Qadir translated it as: "At the very first clash (encounter)."

➌ { مَا ظَنَنْتُمْ اَنْ يَّخْرُجُوْا :} Banu Nadir lived two miles from Madinah; these people, besides industry, crafts, and trade, were very wealthy due to usury. They had all kinds of war equipment and had built very strong fortresses. In numbers, they were not less than the Muslims; the Jews of Banu Qurayzah and Khaybar were behind them, and they also had the support of Abdullah bin Ubayy and the hypocrites, who assured them of all kinds of help in battle. Therefore, it never occurred to the Muslims that they would leave without a fight as soon as they encountered them.

➍ The meaning of {وَ ظَنُّوْۤا اَنَّهُمْ مَّانِعَتُهُمْ حُصُوْنُهُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ : ’’ظَنٌّ‘‘} is both assumption and certainty, as in Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah (46): «الَّذِيْنَ يَظُنُّوْنَ اَنَّهُمْ مُّلٰقُوْا رَبِّهِمْ ». That is, the Jews assumed, rather were certain, that they were so secure that their fortresses would save them even from Allah.

➎ { فَاَتٰىهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَحْتَسِبُوْا : ’’حَسِبَ يَحْسِبُ‘‘} means to assume. In {’’اِحْتَسَبَ ‘‘}, due to the extra letters, there is emphasis, meaning Allah came upon them from where they had not the slightest assumption.

➏ The meaning of {وَ قَذَفَ فِيْ قُلُوْبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ : ’’ قَذَفَ ‘‘} is to throw stones, etc. The meaning is that Allah suddenly and intensely cast terror into their hearts. It is explained here from where Allah came upon them, that is, they kept fortifying their fortresses, walls, doors, and roofs, and blocked the entrances from the streets and alleys, but Allah directly cast awe, i.e., intense fear of the Muslims, into their hearts. When the heart itself was not steadfast, how could their fortresses save them? All their supporters, too, became extremely frightened like them and abandoned them. Thus, they themselves requested to come down on the condition that their lives and property be safe, and they would leave. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) allowed them to take whatever they could except weapons and exiled them. Some of them settled in Khaybar, and some went towards Syria. Casting terror into the enemy's heart is a great help from Allah, and our noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was helped with it more than any other prophet. Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ أُعْطِيْتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ أَحَدٌ قَبْلِيْ، نُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ مَسِيْرَةَ شَهْرٍ ] [ بخاري، التیمم، باب : ۳۳۵ ] "I have been given five things which were not given to anyone before me (one of them is) I have been helped with awe from a month's distance." Then he mentioned the remaining four things. In the Qur'an, Allah has also promised to help the Muslims by casting awe into the hearts of the disbelievers due to their polytheism; see Surah Al-Imran (151, 150).

➐ {يُخْرِبُوْنَ بُيُوْتَهُمْ بِاَيْدِيْهِمْ :} When they became certain that they had to leave, they began to demolish their houses with their own hands from inside. The reason for this was, firstly, jealousy towards the Muslims so that their houses would not benefit them, and secondly, so that they could take their doors, windows, beams, and rafters with them.

➑ { وَ اَيْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ :} Those people were demolishing their houses from inside the siege, and the Muslims were demolishing their crops, walls, and houses from outside, so that the way for entry would be opened and, if there was fighting, a wide field would be available. And it is also possible that they were taking out whatever they could, and the Muslims were further demolishing their already demolished houses to extract the remaining goods.

➒ { فَاعْتَبِرُوْا يٰۤاُولِي الْاَبْصَارِ :} So, O people of insight! Take a lesson from this as to what is the outcome of disbelief, rebellion, and breach of covenant, for the truly fortunate is the one who learns from the example of others. Ibn Juzayy said in his Tafsir {’’اَلتَّسْهِيْلُ لِعُلُوْمِ التَّنْزِيْلِ‘‘}: "Those who establish analogy (qiyas) in jurisprudence have used this verse as evidence, although their use of this verse as evidence is weak and outside the meaning of the verse."

2. 1 Around Madinah, there were three Jewish tribes settled: Banu Nadir, Banu Qurayzah, and Banu Qaynuqa. After the migration to Madinah, the Prophet made a treaty with them, but these people continued to conspire secretly and maintained contact with the disbelievers of Makkah against the Muslims. To the extent that on one occasion, when he had gone to them, Banu Nadir plotted to kill the Messenger of Allah by throwing a stone from above, about which he was informed in time through revelation, and he returned from there. Due to this breach of covenant, the Messenger of Allah launched a military campaign against them. They remained besieged in their forts for a few days, and eventually, in exchange for sparing their lives, they expressed willingness for exile, which the Messenger of Allah accepted. From there, they went and settled in Khaybar. Later, during the era of Umar, they were exiled again and pushed towards Syria, where it is said that the final gathering of all mankind will take place.

2. 2 For this reason, they had built very strong forts, of which they were proud, and even the Muslims thought that these forts could not be conquered so easily.

2. 3 And that was when the Messenger of Allah besieged them, which was not even in their imagination.

2. 4 It was due to this awe that they agreed to exile; otherwise, Abdullah bin Ubayy, the chief of the hypocrites, and other people had sent them messages that they should not submit to the Muslims, and that they were with them. In addition, Allah had granted the Prophet ﷺ this special quality that the enemy would be overawed by him from a month's distance. Therefore, intense terror and panic overcame them, and despite all their resources and means, they surrendered and only made the Muslims agree to the condition that they be allowed to take whatever belongings they could carry. Thus, because of this permission, they even uprooted the doors and beams of their houses to take them along.

2. 5 That is, when they became certain that exile was now inevitable, they began to destroy their houses from within during the siege so that they would not be of use to the Muslims. Or it means that, in order to take full advantage of the permission to carry their belongings, they dismantled their houses and loaded whatever they could onto their camels.

2. 6 From outside, the Muslims continued to destroy their houses so that it would be easier to seize them, or it means that, in order to extract and obtain the remaining belongings from their dismantled houses, the Muslims had to carry out further demolition.

2. 7 That is, how Allah cast awe of the Muslims into their hearts, even though they were a very powerful and resourceful tribe. But when the period of respite granted by Allah came to an end and Allah decided to tighten the grip of His reckoning, then neither their own strength and resources benefited them, nor could their supporters and helpers do anything for them.

2. He is the One who expelled the disbelievers among the People of the Book [1] from their homes at the first gathering. You did not think they would leave [2], and they thought their fortresses would protect them from Allah [3]. But Allah came upon them from where they had not expected, and cast terror into their hearts, so they destroyed their houses with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take heed, O people of insight!

[1]
Introduction to the Three Jewish Tribes of Madinah:

In these verses, the incident of the Battle of Banu Nadir is mentioned in summary. Its background is that when you arrived in Madinah, there were three Jewish tribes settled there: Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nadir, and Banu Qurayzah. Banu Qaynuqa lived inside Madinah. They worked as goldsmiths or jewelers. They were allies of the Khazraj tribe and were relatively wealthier. Banu Nadir and Banu Qurayzah were allies of the Ansar tribe, Aws. Their role was to keep Aws and Khazraj constantly at odds, thus maintaining their political dominance over the whole of Madinah. And since all these tribes were wealthy and usurers, they also held significant economic importance. When youﷺ arrived in Madinah, you first resolved the internal issues of the Muslims. The first issue was the construction of Masjid Nabawi, and the second was the settlement and livelihood of the Muhajirun, which you resolved through brotherhood (Mu’akhah). The third issue was the determination of mutual rights and duties among the Muslims. After resolving these issues, it was time to make a treaty with the Jews, who were the closest neighbors to the Muslims, so that peace and security could be maintained in Madinah. This treaty was of fundamental importance, and its clauses were as follows:

Clauses of the Charter of Madinah:

1. The Jews, together with the Muslims, will form a single community. The Jews will practice their religion, and the Muslims theirs; neither will interfere with the other.
2. The relations among the participants of this treaty will be based on goodwill and benefit, not on sin.
3. If any external force attacks Madinah, all will defend it together.
4. As long as war continues, the Jews will also bear expenses with the Muslims, and each party will defend its respective sides.
5. The Quraysh and their supporters will not be given refuge.
6. The oppressed will be helped. This treaty will not serve as a cover for any oppressor or criminal.
7. No person will be held guilty because of his ally.
8. For all participants of this treaty, rioting and bloodshed in Madinah will be forbidden.
9. If any dispute arises among the parties to this treaty, its decision will be made by the Messenger of Allahﷺ. This very treaty became the foundation of an independent Islamic state in Madinah, by which Madinah and its surroundings became a federal government, whose head was accepted as the Messenger of Allahﷺ. Here, a very important question arises: the Jews were enemies of Islam and the Prophet of Islam, so why and how did they accept yourﷺ authority? The answer is that most of the population of Madinah was greatly troubled by the cunning and tyranny of the Jews, but they saw no influential person who could end their mutual enmities and bring them together. In yourﷺ person, the people of Madinah saw their desired goal, so they embraced Islam and joined the Messenger of Allahﷺ, and the Jews, as a weak minority, were relegated to a secondary status. The second reason was that the Jews themselves were divided into three tribes. They did not accept this treaty all at once, but as circumstances compelled them, they accepted it one after another. Since this treaty granted religious freedom to everyone and recognized the basic rights of all with justice, the Jews had no choice but to accept it.

Peace Treaties with the Jewish Tribes:

But the Jewish tribes never accepted this treaty wholeheartedly. They were always provoking and plotting against the Muslims. The hypocrites and the Jews were always conspiring together against the Muslims. When Allah granted the Muslims a glorious victory at the Battle of Badr, both these groups were consumed with jealousy. Among the Jews, Banu Qaynuqa were at the forefront of mischief. After the Battle of Badr, you gathered them in the Qaynuqa market and said, "Stop your mischief, and before you are struck as the Quraysh were, accept Islam." In response, they said, "O Muhammadﷺ! You faced the inexperienced Quraysh and won the field, so do not be deluded. If you face us, you will know the real price of flour and lentils." This reply from the Jews was, in fact, tantamount to a declaration of war, yet youﷺ remained patient.

Mischief, Riot, and Siege of Banu Qaynuqa:

But only a few days later, a Jewish goldsmith harassed a Muslim woman and exposed her. The woman cried out, and a Muslim killed that Jew. Then the Jews attacked that Muslim and killed him. Now the family of the slain Muslim appealed to the Muslims against the Jews. As a result, a riot broke out between the Muslims and Banu Qaynuqa.

Exile of Banu Qaynuqa:

Seeing this situation, youﷺ prepared an army in Shawwal, 2 AH, and reached Banu Qaynuqa. The boastful Jews did not have the courage to come out and fight and immediately fortified themselves. The siege lasted for fifteen days. They were so overawed that they surrendered, saying, "Whatever decision the Messenger of Allahﷺ makes regarding our lives, property, and children, we will accept." You ordered them to be imprisoned. Later, due to the strong intercession of Abdullah bin Ubayy, the chief of the hypocrites, who was a great sympathizer and ally of the Jews, youﷺ showed mercy to them. They were only exiled. This tribe went towards Syria. They were a total of seven hundred people, of whom three hundred were armored. This tribe was the wealthiest and lived inside Madinah. They were the first to be exiled. Their exile is not mentioned in the Quran.

Your Demand for Blood Money from Banu Nadir:

After the expulsion of Banu Qaynuqa, the Jews remained subdued for some time. They were extremely delighted at the losses suffered by the Muslims in the Battle of Uhud. Then the incidents of Raji‘ and Bi’r Ma‘unah emboldened the Jews to the point of rebellion. Around this time, an incident occurred. Sayyiduna Amr bin Umayyah Damri, who had survived the Bi’r Ma‘unah tragedy, killed two men of Banu Kilab during his journey, mistaking them for enemies, although they were treaty-bound people. When youﷺ learned of this, youﷺ said: Now we must pay the blood money for these two. According to the initial treaty, the Jews were also equal partners in paying this blood money. Thus, youﷺ went to Banu Nadir with some Companions and demanded the expenses.

The Jewish Plot to Kill You:

The Jews, under the pretense of collecting the money, seated you in a separate house, then withdrew to plot a heinous plan to kill you. At that time, youﷺ were sitting leaning against a wall. One of the Jews said: Who will climb up to the roof and drop a millstone on Muhammadﷺ to crush him? A wretched Jew, Amr bin Juhash, said, "I will do this." A Jewish scholar, Salam bin Mishkam, said: Do not do this. By Allah, he will be informed of your intention through revelation. Moreover, according to the treaty, we should not do this. But the wicked Jews paid no heed to Salam bin Mishkam’s words and became even more determined to carry out their vile plot.

Revelation of the Plot to You:

At that very moment, Allah Almighty informed youﷺ of the Jews’ intention through revelation. You rose quickly and headed towards Madinah. Later, the noble Companionsؓ also got up and joined the Messenger of Allahﷺ. Youﷺ informed the noble Companionsؓ of the true situation. This very treachery of the Jews became the cause of the destruction of Banu Nadir, which is mentioned in these verses.

[2]
The Command for the Exile of the Jews:

As soon as he returned to Madinah, the Messenger of Allahﷺ sent a message to Banu Nadir through Muhammad bin Maslamahؓ, saying, "Now you cannot stay with us. Therefore, leave here within ten days. You are allowed to take whatever belongings you can carry with you. After ten days, whoever is found here will be killed." This treacherous and mischievous nation turned out to be so cowardly that they were terrified by your message and began preparing to leave their homes. The Muslims had not even imagined that this armed and so-called warrior nation would surrender and agree to exile merely on receiving a message.

[3]
Stopping at the Instigation of Abdullah bin Ubayy:

When the Jews were busy preparing to leave, their confidant and sympathizer, Abdullah bin Ubayy, the chief of the hypocrites, sent them a message: There is no need to worry; remain firm in your place and stand your ground. I have two thousand armed men who will enter your forts and lay down their lives for your protection. Besides, Banu Qurayzah and Banu Ghatafan are also your allies. They will also help you. And if you are expelled, we will leave with you. This encouraging message from the chief of the hypocrites revived the Jews’ spirits. Their opportunistic leader, Huyayy bin Akhtab, was elated, and he sent a message to the Messenger of Allahﷺ, saying, "We will not leave here; do whatever you can." Although the Muslims were severely wounded at that time—seventy brave men had been martyred in the Battle of Uhud, and then the tragedies of Raji‘ and Bi’r Ma‘unah had to be endured—the plot by the Jews to kill and the full collusion of Abdullah bin Ubayy with them, enemies inside and outside the house, everywhere, the situation was not favorable. But now there was no choice but to accept the Jews’ challenge.

The Siege of Banu Nadir:

Taking the name of Allah, they set out and laid siege to Banu Nadir. This treacherous and cowardly nation did not have the courage to come out and fight, and they saw their only safety in fortifying themselves in their strongholds. No one came to the aid of Banu Nadir.

The Betrayal of Abdullah bin Ubayy:

Neither the chief of the hypocrites nor his two thousand warriors, nor Banu Qurayzah, nor Banu Ghatafan. Only Banu Nadir were left to deal with the Muslims alone. This betrayal by the chief of the hypocrites demoralized the Jews. Their own manpower, abundance of weapons, plenty of supplies, and promises of help and sympathy from all sides—all their supports were rendered useless.

The Jews Surrender and Exile:

Now their senses began to return. Allah cast such awe of the Muslims into their hearts that they did not have the courage to come out of their forts. Thus, not even two weeks had passed in the siege when they sent a message to the Messenger of Allahﷺ that they were ready to be exiled from Madinah according to your condition. You accepted their request and lifted the siege. This nation began to dismantle the roofs of their houses and load the wood onto their camels. They themselves were demolishing their homes, and the Muslims were also demolishing their houses as needed. Their leaders, Huyayy bin Akhtab and Salam bin Abi al-Huqayq, left Madinah and headed towards Khaybar, and some went towards Syria.