Surah Al-Hashr (59) — Ayah 2

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.