59. Al-Hashr (The Gathering)

Medina Period [101]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

كَمَثَلِ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ قَرِيبًا ...

59: 15.  Like those who lately preceded them,

C5392. The immediate reference was probably to the Jewish goldsmith tribe of the Qaynuqa, who were also settled in a fortified township near Madinah. They were also punished and banished for their treachery, about a month after the battle of Badr, in which the Makkan Pagans had suffered a signal defeat, in Shawwal, A.H. 2. The Nadir evidently did not take that lesson to heart.

The general meaning is that we must learn to be on our guard against the consequences of treachery and sin. No fortuitous alliances with other men of iniquity will save us.

... ذَاقُوا وَبَالَ أَمْرِهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١٥﴾

they have tasted the evil result of their conduct, and (in the Hereafter there is) for them a grievous Penalty --

كَمَثَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِذْ قَالَ لِلْإِنسَانِ اكْفُرْ...   

59: 16.  (Their allies deceived them), like the Evil One, when he says to man,

"Deny Allah;"

... فَلَمَّا كَفَرَ قَالَ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّنكَ إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٦﴾

but when (man) denies Allah, (the Evil One) says,

"I am free of thee: I do fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!"

C5393. An apt simile.

Evil tempts man in all sort of ways, and presents seductive promises and alliances to delude him into the belief that he will be saved from the consequences. Satan says, "Deny Allah": which means not merely denial in words, but denial in acts, disobedience of Allah's Law, deviation from the path of rectitude.

When the sinner gets well into the mire, Satan says cynically: "How can I help you against Allah? Don't you see I am afraid of Him? All our alliances and understandings were moonshine. You must bear the consequences of your own folly."

فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا...   

59: 17.  The end of both will be that they will go into the Fire, dwelling therein for ever.

... وَذَلِكَ جَزَاء الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٧﴾

Such is the reward of wrongdoers.

Asad’s Version:

59:15 [To both kinds of your enemies, 21 O believers, is bound to happen] the like of [what happened to] those who, a short while before them, had to taste the evil that came from their own doings, 22 with [yet more] grievous suffering awaiting them [in the life to come]:

(59:16) the like of [what happens] when Satan says unto man, "Deny the truth!" - but as soon as [man] has denied the truth, [Satan] says, "Behold, I am not responsible for thee: behold, I fear God, the Sustainer of all the worlds! " 23

59:17 Thus, in the end, both (the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites] 24 will find themselves in the fire, therein to abide: for such is the recompense of evildoers.

[[Asad’s notes - 21 This interpolation - relating as it does to both the outright deniers of ihe truth and the hypocrites - is justified by the occurrence of the dual form in verse 17.

22 In the first instance, this is apparently an allusion to the fate of the pagan Quraysh at the battle of Badr (Zamakhshari) or, according to some authorities (quoted by Tabari), to the treachery and subsequent expulsion from Medina, in the month of Shawwal, 2 H., of the Jewish tribe of Banu Qaynuqa'. But in a wider perspective - strongly suggested by the next two verses - the meaning is general and not restricted to any particular time or historical occurrence.

23 Cf. 8:48; also 14:22 and the corresponding notes.

24 Lit., "the end ('aqibah) of both will be that both...", etc. ]]