He is the One who drove out those who disbelieved among the people of the Book from their homes in the first Gathering; you didn’t think that they would go out, and they thought that indeed their fortresses would protect them from Allah; then Allah came to them in a way they didn’t reckon, and He cast terror into their hearts; they destroyed their homes with their own hands and with the hands of the believers; then you learn a lesson, Oh you who are endowed with intelligence.
‘The people of the Book’ mentioned in the verse is ‘Banu-Nalir’, a Jew tribe that lived at Medina during the period of the Messenger Muhammad. This tribe, which was continuously breaching the contract and conditions made with Messenger Muhammad, even attempted to kill the Messenger by cheating. Then the Messenger gave them an order to vacate Medina within ten days. But they defiantly ignored the acknowledgement of the Messenger, thinking that their fortresses would protect them from Allah. Then the Messenger and companions blockaded their fortresses, which caused them to destroy their homes with their own hands, aiming that if they were compelled to vacate from there, their houses, which they made with much expectation, would not be useful to the believers. Finally, they sought permission from the Messenger to migrate from Medina, taking their household things and leaving the war instruments there. Thus, they were permitted to leave Medina just like ‘‘Banu Khainukha’a’’, who were exiled before, by taking materials that a camel can afford to bear. This is the event mentioned in the verse: ‘drove out those who disbelieved among the people of the Book from their homes in the first Gathering’. Since the believers are living for Allah and are serving Him alone, it is told about the Messengers and believers who went to blockade the fortresses as: ‘Allah came to them in a way they didn’t reckon, and He cast terror into their hearts’. See explanation 8: 17-19.
But the Fujjar who read these verses in the Arabic Qur’an are involved in terrorist activities, mischievous activities, bloodshedding, breaching of contracts and pledges, etc., all over the world. By this, the teaching of the Lord through His Messenger that “you will follow the Jews and Christians cubit by cubit and feet by feet so much so that if they are trying to creep into the hole, you will also try to enter into it” has happened true upon them. Because of the evil character of these Fujjar, they are suffering humiliation and hate all over the world as explained in verse 2: 85. See explanation 48: 6, 24-25, 29; 57: 16-19, 27; and 58: 14-19.