Surah Al-Hashr (The Banishment)

It consists of twenty-four verses, and it is a Medinan Surah.

Translation:

Glorify Allah whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

(Note: The provided excerpt is very short, containing only the introductory information and the first verse. The translation reflects this structure.)

Al-Hashr (The Gathering): (1) Glorified is Allah...

The Banu Nadir were sent a message by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stipulating that they would neither be against him nor for him. When the Muslims were victorious at Badr, they said: "He is the Prophet described in the Torah as bringing victory." When the Muslims were defeated at Uhud, they repented and broke their covenant. Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf went out with forty riders to Mecca and allied himself with Abu Sufyan near the Ka‘bah. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded Muhammad ibn Maslamah al-Ansari, who killed Ka‘b by stealth, even though Ka‘b was his foster-brother.

Then the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) accompanied the army, riding a donkey whose halter was made of palm fiber. He told them: "Get out of Medina." They replied: "Death is more beloved to us than that." So they called for war. It is also said that they asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for a ten-day respite to prepare for departure. Abdullah ibn Ubay sent word to them saying: "Do not leave the fortress; if they fight you, we are with you and will not abandon you. If you leave, we will leave with you." They fortified the alleys, and the Muslims besieged them for twenty-one nights. When Allah cast terror into their hearts, and they despaired of help from the hypocrites, they sought a truce. The Prophet refused anything but expulsion, on the condition that every three men could carry whatever possessions they wished on one camel.

They were expelled to the Levant, to Ariha (Jericho) and Azra‘at. Except for two households among them: the household of Abu al-Huqayq and the household of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, as they joined the people of Khaybar. A group also joined the people of Hira.

Here are some questions:

Answer: It is the lām found in your saying: "I came at such-and-such a time." The meaning is: He brought out those who disbelieved at the time of the first gathering.

Answer: Hashr (gathering/expulsion) is the moving of a group from one place to another. As for why this expulsion was called the "first gathering," there are several explanations:

1. The view of Ibn Abbas and the majority: This was the first time the People of the Scripture were gathered and expelled from the Arabian Peninsula. They had not suffered such humiliation before, as they were people of strength and honor.
2. The view related to the Hour: Allah made their expulsion from Medina a hashr, and He made it the first hashr in the sense that people will be gathered toward the Levant just before the Hour, and the Hour will overtake them there.
3. The second expulsion: This was their first expulsion, and their last expulsion was when 'Umar expelled them from Khaybar to the Levant.
4. The first battle: It means He expelled them from their dwellings for the first time they would fight Him, as this was the first battle the Messenger of Allah fought against them.
5. Qatadah's view: This was the first gathering. The second gathering is a fire that will gather people from the East to the West. It will stay with them where they stay at night, and rest with them where they rest at noon. It is mentioned that this fire is visible at night but not during the day.