Tafsir of Al-Hashr 59:15

"Like those before them" — the predicate is an omitted subject, the estimation of which is "their likeness," meaning the likeness of those mentioned—either the Jews of Banu al-Nadir, or both them and the hypocrites—is like the likeness of the people of Badr, as Mujahid said, or like the Banu Qaynuqa', as Ibn 'Abbas said. They were a tribe of the Jews who lived around Medina. The Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and grant him peace) campaigned against them on a Saturday, twenty months after the Hijrah, in the month of Shawwal, before the campaign of Banu al-Nadir, which took place in Rabi' of the fourth year. He (peace and blessings be upon him) exiled them to Adhri'at, as detailed in the books of Siyar (biographies).

It is also said: It means the likeness of these hypocrites is like the hypocrites of past nations.

"Closely" (qariban) is an adverb for His saying, "They tasted the consequence of their affair," meaning they tasted the evil outcome of their disbelief in a time close to their act of disobedience; that is, their punishment was not delayed, and they were punished in this world immediately following their disobedience. To liken the occurrence of the likeness to the occurrence of the likeness itself is an affectation that should not be committed in eloquent speech.

It is said: The governing agent for it is the simile, meaning they resemble them in a short time. It is also said: It is attached to the kaf (of the simile), because it indicates occurrence. Both of these statements are as you see. It is not far-fetched for it to be attached to what the relative pronoun (al-ladhina) is attached to—namely, "before them"—meaning those who were before them in a recent time. This implies that their "beforeness" was a recent "beforeness," which necessitates the closeness of what was done to them, which is the "likeness." This is the objective of the statement’s benefit, and it includes reproaching them for having had an example in the people of Badr or the Banu Qaynuqa', while the traces of what befell them had not yet been erased—which is the case, assuming the occurrence. The sentence "they tasted" is explanatory of the likeness and has no place in syntax. It is necessary for "closely" to be attached to what follows it, on the assumption that "those before them" refers to the hypocrites of past nations. So contemplate this.

"And for them" in the Hereafter "is a painful punishment," whose magnitude cannot be estimated.

The sentence, it is said, is a conjunction to the previous sentence, even if they differ in being verbal or nominal. It is also said that it is a circumstantial clause derived from the pronoun in "they tasted." Regardless, it is included within the [scope of the] likeness. It is also said: It is a conjunction to the sentence "their likeness is like the likeness of those before them," but its remoteness is not hidden.

And His saying, Exalted is He: ...