Verses 1–9
48. Al-Fath · The Victory
Madinan29 verses
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًۭا مُّبِينًۭا
لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنۢبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَٰطًۭا مُّسْتَقِيمًۭا
48:2that Allah may forgive you what is past of your sin and what is to come, and that He may perfect His blessing upon you and guide you on a straight path,2
وَيَنصُرَكَ ٱللَّهُ نَصْرًا عَزِيزًا
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنًۭا مَّعَ إِيمَٰنِهِمْ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا
48:4It is He who sent down composure into the hearts of the faithful that they might enhance in their faith. To Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is all-knowing, all-wise.
لِّيُدْخِلَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتِ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًۭا
48:5That He may admit the faithful, men and women, into gardens with streams running in them, to remain in them [forever], and that He may absolve them of their misdeeds. That is a great success with Allah.
وَيُعَذِّبَ ٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُنَٰفِقَٰتِ وَٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَٱلْمُشْرِكَٰتِ ٱلظَّآنِّينَ بِٱللَّهِ ظَنَّ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۚ عَلَيْهِمْ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۖ وَغَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَنَهُمْ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَسَآءَتْ مَصِيرًۭا
48:6That He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the polytheists, men and women, who entertain a bad opinion of Allah. For them shall be an adverse turn of fortune: Allah is wrathful with them and He has cursed them, and prepared hell for them and it is an evil destination.
وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
48:7To Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ شَٰهِدًۭا وَمُبَشِّرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا
48:8Indeed We have sent you as a witness, and as a bearer of good news and warner,
لِّتُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتُعَزِّرُوهُ وَتُوَقِّرُوهُ وَتُسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةًۭ وَأَصِيلًا
48:9that you may have faith in Allah and His Apostle, and that you may support him and revere him, and that you may glorify Him morning and evening.4
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 2
1.When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) started preaching Islam the infidels heaped different types of allegations on him. Leaving alone the allegations of magic, madness, poetry and fortune-telling they also alleged that he was poor, hungry and covetous of fame. When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) on the basis of divine commands issued in a dream turned his attention to Mecca In the 6th year of Hijra these allegations assumed seriousness that he intended to annex territories. He tried his utmost to explain that they had come only for performing the Umrah but no one believed him and at last against the wishes of the companions he signed a peace treaty and the Almighty Al1ah cal1ed this treaty Fateh Mubeen (a manifest victory) because it was the victory of principles as the allegations of territorial expansion were disproved. This was so because usually the victor does not behave with kindness with their vanquished foes. While the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) dealt with great humaneness.
The treaty also completed the divine bounty and it fixed a straight path for the movement of Islam and it helped the Prophet in an honourable way. That after this Khyber was also conquered and the next year Mecca was won and there was no need for further wars. If Dhanb ‘sin’ did not denote allegations there was no question of the forgiveness of the sins of people by giving them victory and that also for the sins of the future, which can never be guaranteed. For in this way it would encourage more sins and the divine aim shall be destroyed.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
‘Sakina’ is peace of the heart which was very much needed by the believers. The cause of this was the belief that all the powers of the earth and the heavens was in the control of Allah. And Allah is all Knowing and all-wise. He is aware of the situation and is capable to bestow help.
- 1
Fateh - Implies the obvious help of Allah that bestowed success on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) at Hudaibiya against the infidels.
- 2
Dhanb is that sin which was on the part of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) according to the infidels. Just as Moosa (a.s.) has said “Lahum alaiyya Dhanb” (A sin of Bani Israel is on me) which was not actually a sin but the Bani Israel were thinking that it was a serious sin.
- 3
Nasre-Azeez is the help which helps in getting victory over the enemies and the honour also remains intact and nothing is done in an unlawful manner.
- 4
Both pronouns after this refer to the personality of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the pronoun of this refers to the Absolute Being that the Prophet should be helped and honoured and Allah should be glorified.
Benefit
Verses 1 to 4 mention the effects of Treaty of Hudaibiya which are related to Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.). In the 5th ayat mention is of two rewards of the believers who had reposed faith in the Prophet (s.a.). In the 6th ayat there is mention of hypocrites who doubted the Prophet and indulged in polytheism regarding the prophethood. There were no women in Hudaibiya but due to their similar character they are included in the believers, hypocrites and polytheists.