لَئِنْ أُخْرِجُوا۟ لَا يَخْرُجُونَ مَعَهُمْ وَلَئِن قُوتِلُوا۟ لَا يَنصُرُونَهُمْ وَلَئِن نَّصَرُوهُمْ لَيُوَلُّنَّ ٱلْأَدْبَـٰرَ ثُمَّ لَا يُنصَرُونَ 12
Translations
If they are expelled, they will not leave with them, and if they are fought, they will not aid them. And [even] if they should aid them, they will surely turn their backs; then [thereafter] they will not be aided.
Transliteration
La-in ukhrijū lā yakhrujūn ma'ahum wa la-in qūtilū lā yansurūnhum wa la-in nasarūhum layuwallunna l-adbāra thumma lā yunsarūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the hypocrites' broken covenants and false promises to the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir during their expulsion from Medina. The verse employs a rhetorical structure of conditional statements (lā'im) to expose their treachery: they swore they would not abandon the Banu Nadir if exiled, would fight alongside them if attacked, and would help them if needed—yet they did none of these things. Ibn Kathir notes this demonstrates how the hypocrites' oaths were meaningless, as they prioritized their own safety over their pledged alliances, exemplifying the characteristic weakness and duplicity of those who harbor disbelief while outwardly claiming faith.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the historical narrative of Surah Al-Hashr regarding the expulsion of Banu Nadir (a Jewish tribe in Medina) in the year 4 AH. The hypocrites (munafiqūn) of Medina had made covenants with Banu Nadir to defend them militarily and politically, but when the Prophet besieged their fortress, these hypocrites abandoned their promises entirely. The surah chronicles this broken covenant as a sign of the hypocrites' fundamental untrustworthiness and weakness of faith.
Related Hadiths
While no single hadith directly quotes this verse, Surah Al-Hashr's entire context relates to the historical event of Banu Nadir's expulsion mentioned in multiple hadith collections. Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain narrations about the events of Banu Nadir's expulsion that provide the historical backdrop for understanding these verses.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to be wary of those whose actions contradict their words, and to recognize that hypocrisy ultimately leads to disgrace and defeat. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder to examine our own sincerity in commitments and to avoid the trap of making promises we cannot or will not keep, as such duplicity invites divine displeasure.