with them wherever they spend the night, and rests with them wherever they rest. (1)

“You did not think,” O believers, “that they would leave” Madinah, because of their might and strength. This was because they possessed fortresses, property, and abundant date palms. “And they thought that their fortresses would protect them from Allah”—that is, Banu al-Nadir thought that their fortresses would protect them from the power of Allah. “But Allah came upon them,” meaning the command and punishment of Allah, “from where they had not expected”: He commanded His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to fight and expel them, something they had not anticipated. “And He cast terror into their hearts” through the killing of their leader Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf.

“They destroyed”: Abu 'Amr recited it with a doubled consonant, whereas the others recited it without doubling; both readings have the same meaning. “Their homes with their own hands and the hands of the believers.” Al-Zuhri said: This was because, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made peace with them on the condition that they could take whatever their camels could carry, they would look at the timber in their houses, demolish them, remove whatever they found desirable, and load it onto their camels; the believers would then destroy what remained. (2)

Ibn Zayd said: They would pull out the pillars, tear down the roofs, breach the walls, and remove the timber—even the pegs—destroying them so that the believers would not live in them, out of envy and hatred. (3) Qatadah said: The Muslims would demolish the exterior portions facing them, while the Jews would demolish them from within. (4)

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Whenever the Muslims gained control of one of their houses, they demolished it so that the fighting ground would be more spacious for them. Meanwhile, the enemies of Allah would breach the rear of their houses and emerge into the next house, where they would fortify themselves, demolishing what was adjacent to them. From the house they had left, they would hurl missiles at the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Thus is His saying, mighty and exalted is He: “They destroyed their homes with their own hands and the hands of the believers. So take warning”—that is, take admonition and consider what befell them—“O people of insight,” O people of intellect and discernment.

“And had Allah not decreed exile for them, He would have punished them in this world; and in the Hereafter they will have the punishment of the Fire.” (3)

“And had Allah not decreed exile for them,” meaning departure from their homeland, “He would have punished them in this world” by killing and captivity, as He did to Banu Qurayzah. “And in the Hereafter they will have the punishment of the Fire.”