The Empty Promises of the Hypocrites

Sūrat al-Ḥashr also speaks of the hypocrites, who had sent word to Banū al-Naḍīr: "If you stay firm and resist, we will not give up on you. If you fight, we will fight along with you, and if you are expelled, we will leave with you."

The munāfiqūn are just talk, but they are empty, they are worthless: they promised the Jews that they would stand with them, that if they were fought against they would fight with them, that if they were expelled they would leave with them — none of this happened, it was all lies. Here Allah (swt) is revealing some of the characteristics of the munāfiqūn. Therefore, the believers should not be afraid of the munāfiqūn: there are munāfiqūn in the ummah, and they are very loud — they talk a lot and they threaten a lot, but all of it is empty talk. So the Muslims should not be threatened by these kinds of people — and they deceived the Jews. Banū al-Naḍīr were waiting for help from ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy, and none of it showed up; Allah (swt) says even if they had helped them, it would not have made a difference.

You believers are more fearful within their hearts than Allah: they fear you more than they fear Allah. This is talking about all of the disbelievers, not just the hypocrites — the hypocrites and the Jews, all of the kuffār. You believers are more feared within their breasts than Allah. That is because they are a people who do not understand. They will not fight you all together except within fortified cities or from behind walls. Here Allah (swt) is disclosing to us this quality of the kuffār: they are not going to fight the Muslims unless they are well fortified.

Subḥān Allāh, this fear of the kuffār translates itself into different forms. In the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), it was these fortresses. In the time of the Crusades, it manifested itself in architectural wonders: in the land of al-Shām, the most beautiful works of architecture are the castles of the Crusaders. Yes, they are wonderful works of architecture, but they also reflect the fear that they had of the soldiers of Allah (swt). Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn was not building all of these castles; these castles were built by the Crusaders. And today the enemies of Allah (swt) will not fight the Muslims except if they are well fortified. Look at this wall that is now built in Palestine: that is a reflection of the fear. Subḥān Allāh, that wall is a fulfilment of this āyah of the Qurʾān. They will not fight except from behind the wall, or from a well-protected cockpit in a plane, or from the bowels of a ship.

Allah (swt) says: "Their violence among themselves is severe." This is to tell the Muslims that even though they gang up against them and come together to fight them, their hearts are different and they have hatred among themselves. Look at what the kuffār do to each other: in the First World War, ten million killed; in the Second World War, fifty million. Look at the wars that happened among the European nations, look at the wars in Africa, look at the wars all over the world. So one should not think that the kuffār are all one. No, they have differences among themselves; but when it comes to Islam, yes, they unify, and they come and fight together. But we should realise that they have differences among themselves too. Their violence among themselves is severe — again, the First World War and the Second World War are an example of that. You think they are together, but their hearts are diverse. That is because they are a people who do not reason.

There is like the example of those shortly before them: they tasted the bad consequences of their affair, and they will have a painful punishment. This is talking about Banū Qaynuqāʿ, who were driven out of Madīnah before Banū al-Naḍīr. Banū al-Naḍīr should have taken heed of what happened to Banū Qaynuqāʿ. These are some lessons from the āyāt of Sūrat al-Naḍīr; the āyāt have been read up to about verse 15 or 16, for anyone who wants to go back and check them.