سورة الحشر

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Khadijah narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The date-stone is the mother of the date. And it is that stone which Allah the Mighty and Majestic sent down from Paradise for Adam (peace be upon him). Concerning the words of Allah the Exalted: مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِینَةٍ أَو تَرَکْتُمُوهَا قَائِمَةً عَلی أُصُولهَا [Whatever palm-tree you cut down or leave standing upon its roots] he said: What is meant is the date-stone.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) forbade the cutting down or burning of a tree that bears fruit — that is, in the land of war and elsewhere — unless doing so is in the interest of the Muslims. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: ما قَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ لِینَةٍ أَوْ تَرَکْتُمُوها قائِمَةً عَلی أُصُولِها فَبِإِذْنِ الله وَ لِیُخْزِیَ الْفاسِقِین [Whatever palm-tree you cut down or leave standing upon its roots, it is by Allah's command, and that He may abase the transgressors].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Allah revealed this verse concerning the reproach of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) regarding the cutting of the palm trees: مَا قَطَعْتُم مِّن لِینَةٍ أَو تَرَکْتُمُوهَا قَائِمَةً عَلی أُصُولهَا فَبِإِذْنِ اللهِ ولیُخْزِیَ الفَاسِقِینَ [Whatever palm-tree you cut down or leave standing upon its roots, it is by Allah's command, and that He may abase the transgressors].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had besieged them until he gained complete mastery over them. As a result, whatever he asked of them, they gave him, and he made peace with them on the terms that their blood would be spared, that he would expel them from their land and homeland, and would move them toward "Adhri'at" in Syria, and he allotted for every three of them one camel and a waterskin. They set out and went toward "Adhri'at" and "Ariha" (Jericho), except for the people of two households among them — the family of Abu al-Huqayq and the family of Huyayy ibn Akhtab — for they joined Khaybar, and a group of them joined "al-Hira".

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): هُوَ الَّذِی أَخْرَجَ الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْکِتَابِ مِنْ دِیَارِهِمْ لِأَوَّلِ الْحَشْرِ مَا ظَنَنْتُمْ أَنْ یَخْرُجُوا [He it is Who caused those who disbelieved of the People of the Book to go forth from their homes at the first banishment. You did not think that they would go forth]. The reason for the revelation of these verses is that in Medina there were three groups of Jews: Banu al-Nadir, Qurayza and Qaynuqa', and between them and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) there was a covenant and pact. They broke the covenant and pact, and the cause of that breaking lay with Banu al-Nadir. Then they said: 'We shall leave from here and take with us whatever the camels can carry.' He said: 'No, leave from here and no one shall take anything with him, and whoever we find with anything, we shall kill him.' So in this manner they left that land, and some of them went to Fadak and Wadi al-Qura, and some of them went to Syria. Allah revealed concerning them this verse: هُوَ الَّذِی أَخْرَجَ الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْکِتَابِ مِنْ دِیَارِهِمْ لِأَوَّلِ الْحَشْرِ مَا ظَنَنْتُمْ أَنْ یَخْرُجُوا وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ مَانِعَتُهُمْ حُصُونُهُمْ مِنَ اللهِ فَأَتَاهُمُ اللهُ مِنْ حَیْثُ لَمْ یَحْتَسِبُوا ... فَإِنَّ اللهَ شَدِیدُ الْعِقَابِ [He it is Who caused those who disbelieved of the People of the Book to go forth from their homes at the first banishment. You did not think that they would go forth, and they thought that their fortresses would defend them against Allah; but Allah came upon them whence they did not expect ... indeed Allah is severe in retribution].