Transliteration:( Alam tara ilal lazeena naafaqoo yaqooloona li ikhwaanihimul lazeena kafaroo min ahlil kitaabi la'in ukhrijtum lanakhrujanna ma'akum wa laa nutee'u feekum ahadan abadanw-wa in qootiltum lanansuran nakum wallaahu yashhadu innahum lakaaziboon )
“Have you not seen those who are hypocrites? They say to their brothers who disbelieve, from among the followers [37] of the Book: ‘If you are driven [38] out, we shall certainly go out with you, and we will never obey [39] anyone against you. And if you are fought against, we will certainly help you.’ But Allah bears witness that they are indeed liars [40].”
Even though they outwardly recite the Kalimah, in times of crisis they side with the disbelievers. This verse reveals their true allegiance.
From this, we also learn that calling disbelievers “brothers” and viewing them as such is a trait of hypocrisy. True brotherhood in Islam is based on faith, not outward identity or flattery.
They conspired with the Jewish tribe of Banu Nazeer, promising that if the Muslims banished them from Madina, the hypocrites would go out with them. This verse exposes that secret pact, which had been unknown to others.
Despite pretending to be believers, they were actively plotting against the Muslims from within.
The hypocrites pledged to the Banu Nazeer:
“Even if the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself commands us not to support you, we will still side with you.”
This reveals the deep disobedience and arrogance of the hypocrites. Their loyalty was not to Islam, but to those opposed to it, and they were willing to defy even the Prophet ﷺ in their support of falsehood.
Their promises are false, and their loyalty is unreliable. Neither the disbelievers truly trust them, nor do the believers. They serve no side with sincerity.
Furthermore, Allah informed His Beloved Prophet ﷺ of this entire secret conversation, even though it had taken place in private. This is a sign of Prophethood and a manifestation of divine knowledge.
Finally, everything Allah foretold came to pass—the hypocrites did not support the Jews, nor did they leave Madina with them, proving the truth of Allah’s words and the falseness of the hypocrites’ claims.
11. Have you not observed the hypocrites who say to their disbelieving brethren among the People of the Scripture, “If you are expelled, we indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you; and if you are attacked, we shall indeed help you.” But Allah is Witness that they verily are liars. 12. Surely, if they (the Jews) are expelled, never will they (hypocrites) go out with them; and if they are attacked, they will never help them. And (even) if they do help them, they (hypocrites) will turn their backs, and they will not be victorious. 13. Verily, you are more fearful in their breasts than Allah. That is because they are a people who comprehend not. 14. They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls. Their enmity among themselves is very great. You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who understand not. 15. They are like their immediate predecessors; they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and for them a painful torment. 16. Like Shaytan, when he says to man: “Disbelieve.” But when he disbelieves, Shaytan says: “I am free of you, I fear Allah, the Lord of all that exists!” 17. So, the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein. Such is the recompense of the wrongdoers.
Allah states that the hypocrites, `Abdullah bin Ubayy and his like, sent a messenger to Bani An-Nadir promising them help. Allah the Exalted said,
(Have you not observed the hypocrites who say to their friends among the People of the Scripture who disbelieve: “If you are expelled, we indeed will go out with you, and we shall never obey anyone against you; and if you are attacked, we shall indeed help you.”) Allah then said,
(But Allah is Witness that they verily are liars.) meaning, the hypocrites lied when they issued this promise, because it was just words that they did not intend to fulfill. Also, what they said they would do, would never have been fulfilled by them, and this is why Allah said,
(and if they are attacked, they will never help them.) meaning, the hypocrites will not fight along with the Jews,
(And (even) if they do help them, ) and even if the hypocrites did fight along their side,
(they will turn their backs, and they will not be victorious.) This Ayah contains good news, just as the good news that this following Ayah conveys,
(Verily, you are more fearful in their breasts than Allah.) meaning, the hypocrites fear you more than they fear Allah, as He says;
(Behold! a section of them fear men as they fear Allah or even more.)(4:77) This is why Allah said,
(That is because they are a people who comprehend not.) Allah then said,
(They fight not against you even together, except in fortified townships, or from behind walls.) meaning, they will not fight Muslims except from behind besieged fortified forts, because of their cowardice and fear of Muslims. They only fight when they have to defend themselves (even though they threaten Muslims of reprisals). Allah the Exalted said,
(Their enmity among themselves is very great.) meaning, the enmity they feel against each other is intense,
(And make you to taste the violence of one another.)(6:65) Allah said in the Ayah,
(You would think they were united, but their hearts are divided.) meaning, even though one might see them combining forces and think that these forces are harmonious, yet in reality, they are divided severely. Ibrahim An-Nakha`i said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites and the People of the Scriptures,
(That is because they are a people who understand not.) Allah said,
(They are like their immediate predecessors; they tasted the evil result of their conduct, and for them a painful torment.) referring to the Jewish tribe of Bani Qaynuqa`, according to Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah and Muhammad bin Ishaq.
Allah said,
(Like Shaytan, when he says to man: “Disbelieve.” But when (man) disbelieves, Shaytan says: “I am free of you…”) meaning, the example of the Jews being deceived by the promises of the hypocrites, who said that they will help them if Muslims fight them, is that of the devil. When matters got serious and the Jews were besieged, the hypocrites betrayed them and abandoned them to taste utter defeat. Likewise, the devil lures mankind into disbelief and when they obey him, he disowns them and declares himself free of their actions, saying,
(I fear Allah, the Lord of all that exists!) Allah said,
(So, the end of both will be that they will be in the Fire, abiding therein.) meaning, the end of both he, Shaytan, who commanded that dis- belief be committed, and those who accep- ted his call, was in the fire of Hell forever,
(Such is the recompense of the wrongdoers. ) means, this is the recompense of every unjust person.
(59:11) Did[22] you not see the hypocrites say to their brethren, the unbelievers among the People of the Book: “If you are banished we too will go with you and will not listen to anyone concerning you; and if war is waged against you, we will come to your aid.” But Allah bears witness that they are liars.
22. From the style of this whole section (Surah Al-Hashr, Ayat 11-17), it appears that it was revealed at the time when the Prophet (peace be upon him) had served a notice on the Bani anNadir to leave Al-Madinah within ten days, but had not yet laid siege to their quarters. As has been mentioned about, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) served the notice to the Bani an-Nadir, Abdullah bin Ubayy and other leaders of the hypocrites of Al-Madinah sent them a message to the effect that they would come to their aid with two thousand men, and that the Bani Quraizah and the Bani Ghatafan would also rise in their support; therefore, they should stand firm and should never surrender to the Muslims. For if the Muslims waged a war against hem, they would fight them from their side; and if they expelled hem, they also would go out with them. Thereupon Allah sent down these verses. Thus, chronologically this section is an earlier revelation and the first section a later revelation, when the Bani an-Nadir had actually been driven out of Al-Madinah. But in the Quran the order of the two passages has been reversed for the reason that the subject matter of the first section is of greater importance
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