Tafsir of Al-Hashr 59:10

"And those who came after them"—this is also a conjunction, according to the majority, connecting to "the Emigrants" (al-Muhajirun). Regarding who these people are, it has been said: they are those who migrated when Islam became strong, so the "coming" is physical, meaning their arrival in Medina, and the pronoun in "after them" refers to the original Emigrants. It has also been said: they are the believers who follow both groups until the Day of Resurrection, and thus the "coming" is either into existence or into the faith, and the pronoun in "after them" refers to both groups, the Emigrants and the Helpers (al-Ansar). This is what is indicated by the words of Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—and the words of many of the predecessors are almost explicit on this. Thus, the verse encompasses all believers.

The sentence of His saying, “They say,” etc., is devoid of a conjunction; it is said to be an inauguration of speech (isti’naf).

“Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren”—that is, in the religion, which is dearer and more honorable to them than lineage—“who preceded us in faith”—they described them as such in acknowledgment of their excellence—“and do not place in our hearts any rancor”—that is, malice—and it has been read as ghamran (an overflowing/hidden hatred)—“toward those who have believed”—in an absolute sense—“Our Lord, indeed You are Kind, Merciful.”

This means: You are excessive in kindness and mercy, and thus worthy of answering our prayer. In the verse is an exhortation to pray for the Companions and to purify hearts from animosity toward any of them. Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn al-Mundhir, and a group narrated from Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—that she said: "They were commanded to ask forgiveness for the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), but they insulted them." Then she recited this verse: "And those who came after them..." etc.

Ibn Marduyah narrated from Ibn Umar—may Allah be pleased with them—that he heard a man speaking ill of some of the Emigrants, so he called him and recited to him: "For the poor Emigrants..." (the verse). Then he said: "These are the Emigrants; are you one of them?" The man said: "No." Then he recited to him: "And those who had settled in the Home and in faith..." (the verse). Then he said: "These are the Helpers; are you one of them?" The man said: "No." Then he recited to him: "And those who came after them..." (the verse). Then he said: "Are you one of these?" The man said: "I hope so." He said: "No, by Allah, you are not of them, for these do not insult those."

In a narration, it reached Ibn Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—that a man spoke ill of Uthman—may Allah be pleased with him—so he called him and recited the verses to him and said what he said. Imam Malik said: "Whoever harbors a bad word or hatred for any of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) has no share in the fay (booty/spoils)," taking this from this verse. It also contains what points to the blameworthiness of harboring rancor against any believer. In a hadith narrated by al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa’i from Anas—may Allah be pleased with him—the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There will appear before you now a man from the people of Paradise." Then a man from the Helpers appeared. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas stayed with him for three nights to discover his state, but he did not see him perform many deeds. He informed him of the matter, and the man said to him: "It is nothing other than what you saw, except that I do not find in myself any rancor toward any of the Muslims, nor do I envy anyone for any good that Allah has given them." Abdullah said to him: "This is what has reached you to this rank, and it is something we cannot attain." In a narration, he said: "If the world were mine and it were taken from me, I would not grieve over it; if I were given it, I would not rejoice over it, and I sleep with no rancor in my heart toward anyone." Abdullah said: "But I stand for the night and fast by day; if I were gifted [the world], I would rejoice, and if it went away, I would grieve. By Allah, Allah has favored you over us with a clear favor."

Some have taken the view that His saying, "And those who had settled..." etc., is a subject (mubtada'), and the sentence "They love..." is its predicate, and the speech is an inauguration intended to praise the Helpers. It is also permitted that it be a conjunction connected to "those" (ula'ika), indicating that the Helpers share with the Emigrants in truthfulness. The sentence "They love..." is either an inauguration confirming their truthfulness or a state (hal) from the pronoun in "settled." And that His saying, "And those who came after..." is a subject, and the sentence "They say..." is its predicate, and the sentence is a conjunction connected to the previous one, intended to praise these people for their love of the believers who preceded them and their observance of the rights of brotherhood in religion and the precedence in faith, just as what it is connected to from the previous sentence is for the praise of the Helpers.

The argument for not connecting "And those who settled" to "The Emigrants" is what was narrated, that the Prophet (ﷺ) distributed the wealth of Banu al-Nadir to the Emigrants and did not give to the Helpers except three [people], as has been mentioned. He (ﷺ) said to them: "If you wish, you may divide for the Emigrants from your wealth and homes and share with them in this booty; and if you wish, your homes and wealth will remain yours, and nothing from the booty will be divided for you." They said: "Rather, we shall divide for them—meaning the Emigrants—from our wealth and homes, and we shall prefer them with the booty and not share with them in it." Thus the verse was revealed: "And those who had settled in the Home and in faith..." until the end.

Some who hold the view of [it being] a conjunction say: His saying, "And those who had settled..." is an explanation of the ruling on the four-fifths, meaning that he (ﷺ) had the right to include people in it according to his choice, and the Helpers were one of the categories of consumption (masarif). However, the Prophet (ﷺ) chose that their receiving it be subject to the condition he mentioned to them, and they chose what they chose out of their altruism. This does not take them out of being a category of consumption. In fact, in His saying, "They prefer [others] over themselves," there is an allusion to this. Moreover, in the reports, there is what is more authentic and explicit in indicating their conjunction to what preceded and that they are given from the fay. Likewise [the conjunction of] "those who came after them."

Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Hibban, and others narrated from Malik ibn Aws ibn al-Hadathan in a long hadith that Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—said (in a judgment between Ali—may Allah honor his face—and his uncle al-Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them—regarding Fadak, after he had handed it to them and taken from them the covenant of Allah that they would act regarding it as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had acted): "Then they disputed. Verily, Allah said: 'What Allah restored to His Messenger from them...' (to the end). It was specifically for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then He, the Exalted, said: 'What Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns is for Allah, the Messenger, and the near kin...' (to the end of the verse). Then, by Allah, He did not give it to these alone, until He said: 'For the poor Emigrants who were expelled from their homes and wealth...' Then, by Allah, He did not make it for these alone, until He, the Exalted, said: 'And those who came after them, saying: Our Lord, forgive us...' to His saying 'Merciful.' Thus, He divided this portion among these whom He mentioned. And if I remain, the shepherd in Sana’a will come to receive his right and his blood on his face."

The outward meaning of this report implies that the Emigrants have a share other than the previous shares, so "For the poor Emigrants" is not a substitute (badal) for "the near kin" and what follows it, nor [is it] distinct from what follows it alone. Similarly is the outward appearance of what is in the codices of Abdullah and Zayd ibn Thabit, as narrated by Ibn al-Anbari in al-Masahif from al-A’mash: "What Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns is for Allah, the Messenger, the near kin, the orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, and the Emigrants in the way of Allah." Although substitution would ostensibly imply that the orphans are Emigrants who were expelled from their homes and wealth and so on, and the truth of that regarding them is remote. Likewise, it implies that the wayfarer is the same, and there is a kind of remoteness in that, as is not hidden. Perhaps it is considered as being attached to an omitted verb, and the sentence is an explanatory inauguration. That is, they knew that the fifth (khums) is dispensed to those included in His saying: "For Allah, the Messenger, the near kin, the orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer." When this was mentioned, it occurred to their minds that those mentioned were the consumption for the fifth, but they did not know the consumption for the remaining four-fifths. It is as if they said: "Then to whom do the remaining four-fifths belong?" or "To whom does the remainder belong?" It was said: "The four-fifths or the remainder are 'for the poor Emigrants'..." etc. I have not seen anyone who addressed this, so reflect, and Allah—the Exalted—is the Guide to the best of paths.