Conquest (Al-Fath)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹Verily, We have granted you a manifest Victory:¹

²That Allah may forgive you your faults of the past and those to follow; fulfill His favor to you; and guide you on the straight way;²

³And that Allah may help you with powerful help.

⁴It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they may add faith to their faith; for to Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom;

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Inna fatahna laka fat ham mubina

²Liyagfira laka lahu ma taqad dama min zanbika wa ma ta akara wa yutim ma nimatahu alaika wa yahdiyaka sirata mustaqima

³Wa yansurakalahu nasran aziza

⁴Huwal lazi anzala sakinata fi qulubil muminina liyazdadu imanam maa imanihim wa lillahi junudus samawati walard wa kana lahu aliman hakima

1. This is the victory over the Meccans when the Quraish tribes gave in to Islam and averted a massacre. After Muhammad and his followers were kicked out of Mecca, he was able to marshal an army of 10,000, with whom he went against Mecca and won this victory.

2. There should be more doubt as to where Muhammad stood with Allah, Muhammad was a sinner who was repeatedly told to confess his sins before Allah. The Bible says that at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Qur’an 40:55, 47:19, 20 and now this, is just enough.

⁵That He may admit the men and women who believe to gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein for ever and remove their ills from them; and that is in the sight of Allah the highest achievement.

⁶And that He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the polytheists, men and women, who imagine an evil opinion of Allah. On them is a round of evil: the wrath of Allah is on them: He has cursed them and got hell ready for them: and evil is it for a destination.

⁷And to Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is exalted in power, full of wisdom.

⁸We have truly sent you as a witness as a bringer of glad tidings and as a warner:

⁵Liyudhilal muminina wal muminati jannatin tajri min tahtihal anharu halidina fiha wa yukaf fira anhum sayi atihim wa kana zalika indalahi fauzan azhima

⁶Wa yuazibal munafiqina wal munafiqati wal musrikina wal musrikatizan nina billahi zannas saui alaihim dairatus saui wa gadibalahu alaihim wa laanahum wa aadda lahum jahan nam wa saat masira

⁷Wa lillahi junudu samawati walard wa kana lahu azizan hakima

⁸Inna arsalnaka sahida wa muba sira wa nazira

[Commentary continues below.]

⁹In order that you may believe in Allah and His apostle that you may assist and honor Him and celebrate his praises morning and evening.

¹⁰Verily, those who plight their fealty to you do no less than plight their fealty to Allah: the hand of Allah is over their hands: Then anyone who violates His oath does so to the harm of his own soul and anyone who fulfills what he has covenanted with Allah, Allah will soon grant him a great reward.

⁹Lituminu billahi wa rasulihi wa tua ziruhu wa tuwa qiruh wa tusabbihuhu bukrata wa asila

¹⁰Innal lazina yubayiunaka inna ma yubayiunalah yadu lahi fauqa aidihim faman nakatsa fa innama yankutsu ala nafsihi wa man aufa bima ahada alaihul laha fasayutihi ajran azima

[Commentary continues below.]

¹¹The desert Arabs who lagged behind will say to you: “We were engaged in our flocks and herds and our families; do then ask forgiveness for us.” They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: “Who then has any power at all on your behalf with Allah, if His will is to give you some loss or to give you some profit? but Allah is well acquainted with all that you do.

¹²“No, you thought that the apostle and the believers would never return to their families; this seemed pleasing in your hearts, and you conceived an evil thought, for you are a people lost.”

¹³And if any believe not in Allah and His apostle, We have prepared for those who reject Allah a blazing fire!

¹⁴To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: He forgives whom He wills and He punishes whom He wills: but Allah is always forgiving, most merciful.

¹¹Sayaqulu lakal mukha lafuna minal arabi sagalatna amwaluna wa ahluna fastagfir lana yaquluna bi alsinatihim ma laisa fi qulubihim qul fama yamliku lakum mina lahi sai an in arada bikum dar ran au arada bikum nafa bal kana lahu bima tamaluna khabira

¹²Bal zanantum alla yanqalibar rasulu wal muminuna ila ahlihim abada wa zuyina zalika fi qulubikum wa zanantum zana saui wa kuntum qauman bura

¹³Wa mallam yumin billahi wa rasulihi fa inna atadna lilkafirina saira

¹⁴Wa lillahi mulku samawati walard yahgfiru lima yasyau wa yuazibu mayasya wa kana lahu gafura rahima

[Commentary continues below.]

¹⁵Those who lagged behind when you march and take booty: “Permit us to follow you.” They wish to change Allah’s decree: Say: “You shall not follow us: Allah has already declared beforehand”: then they will say “but you are jealous of us.” No but little do they understand such things.

¹⁶Say to the desert Arabs who lagged behind: “You shall be summoned against a people given to vehement war: then shall you fight or they shall submit. Then if you show obedience, Allah will grant you a goodly reward, but if you turn back as you did before, He will punish you with a grievous penalty.”

¹⁵Sayaqulu mukal lafuna izan talaqtum ila maganima litakuzu ha zaruna natabikum yuriduna ayubad dilu kalamallah qulan tatabiuna kazalikum qalal lahu min qablu fasayaquluna ba tahsudunana bal kanu la yafqahuna illa qalila

¹⁶Qul lilmukal lafina minal arabi satudauna ila qaumin uli basin sadidin tuqatilunahum au yuslimun fa intutiu yutikumul lahu ajran hasana wa in tatawal lau kama tawal laitum min qablu yua zibkum azaban alima

[Commentary continues below.]

¹⁷No blame is there on the blind, nor is there blame on the lame, nor on one ill, but he that obeys Allah and His apostle, Allah will admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow; and he who turns back, Allah will punish him with a grievous penalty.

¹⁸Allah’s good pleasure was on the believers when they swore fealty to you under the tree: He knew what was in their hearts and He sent down tranquility to them and He rewarded them with a speedy victory;

¹⁹And many gains will they acquire: and Allah is exalted in power, full of wisdom.

¹⁷Laisa alal ama harajuw wa la alal araji haraju wa la alal maridi haraj wa ma yutiil laha wa rasulahu yudkhilhu jannatin tajri min tahtihal anhar wa ma yatawal la yua zibu azaban alima

¹⁸Laqad radiyal lahu anil muminina iz yubayiunaka tahta sajarati faalima ma fi qulubihim fa anzalas sakinata alaihim wa atsabahum fat han qariba

¹⁹Wa maghanima katsirata yakhuzunaha wa kana lahu azizan hakima

[Commentary continues below.]

²⁰Allah has promised you many gains that you shall acquire and He has given you these beforehand; and He has restrained the hands of men from you; that it may be a sign for the believers and that He may guide you to a straight path;

²¹And other gains which are not within your power but which Allah has compassed: and Allah has power over all things.

²²And if the unbelievers should fight you, they would certainly turn their backs; then would they find neither protector nor helper.³

²³Such has been the practice of Allah already in the past: no change will you find in the practice of Allah.⁴

²⁴And it is He who has restrained their hands from you and your hand from them in the midst of Mecca, after that He gave you the victory over them. And Allah sees well all that you do.

²⁰Wa adakumul lahu maghanima kasiratan takhuzunaha faajala lakum hazihi wa ka fa aidiyan nasi ankum wa li takuna ayatal lilmuminina wa yahdiyakum sirata mustaqima

²¹Wa ukhra lam taqdiru alaiha qad ahatallahu biha wa kana lahu ala kuli saiin qadira

²²Wa lau qatalakumu lazina kafaru lawal lawul adbara summa la yajiduna wali ya wala nasira

²³Sun natal lahil lati qad khalat min qablu wa lan tajida lisun natil lahi tabdila

²⁴Wa huwa lazi ka fa aidiyahum ankum wa aidiyakum anhum bibatnikmak kata min badi an azfarakum alaihim wa kana lahu bima tamaluna basira

3. From verse 15, the subject has been dominated by the booty they acquire in the wars with their enemies. Or shall we say the spoil they took from the nations they invaded. These are the two reasons for the quick spread of Islam. 1). The fear of the unbelievers like the Meccans who embraced Islam for fear of the lives and 2). The men who thought that that was a get rich quick scheme. One who may have been poor but goes on a raid, gets a share of the booty and becomes rich overnight. It provided the premise for future Caliphs (successors of Muhammad) to “conquer” other lands for Islam.

4. Islam teaches abrogation which in effect is the fact that Allah changes his mind over a number of things, some of which have become contradictory to the nature of God Almighty.

²⁵They are the ones who denied revelation and hindered you from the sacred mosque and the sacrificial animals detained from reaching their place of sacrifice. Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know that you were trampling down and on whose account a crime would have accrued to you without your knowledge, that He may admit to His mercy whom He will. If they had been apart We should certainly have punished the unbelievers among them with a grievous punishment.

²⁵Humu lazina kafaru wa sad dukum anil masjidil harami wal had ya makufan ayabluga mahillah wa laula rijalum muminuna wa nisaum muminatul lam talamuhum an tata uhum fatusibakum minhum maar ratun bigairi ilm liyudhilal lahu fi rahmatihi ma yasyau lau taza yalu laaz zabna lazina kafaru minhum azaban alima

²⁶While the unbelievers got up in their hearts heat and cant, the heat and cant of Ignorance, Allah sent down His tranquility to His apostle and to the believers and made them stick close to the command of self restraint; and well were they entitled to it and worthy of it. And Allah has full knowledge of all things.

²⁷Truly did Allah fulfill the vision for His apostle: You shall enter the sacred mosque if Allah wills, with minds secure,⁵ heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear. For He knew what you knew not and He granted besides this a speedy victory.

²⁸It is He who has sent His apostle with guidance and the religion of truth to proclaim it over all religion: and enough is Allah for a witness.

²⁶Iz jaala lazina kafaru fi qulubihimul hami yata hami yatal jahili yati fa anzalal lahu sakinatahu ala rasulihi wa alal muminina wa alzamahum kalimatat taqwa wa kanu ahaq qa biha wa ahlaha wa kana lahu bikuli saiin alima

²⁷Laqad sadaqal lahu rasulahur ruya bilhaq la tadkhulan nal masjidal harama in sa allahu aminina muhal liqina ruusakum wa muqash sirina la takhafun faalima ma lam talamu fajaala min duni zalika fat hanqariba     

²⁸Huwa lazi arsala rasulahu bil huda wa dinil haqqi liyuzhirahu alad dini kullih wa kafa bil lahi sahida

²⁹Muhammad is the apostle of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, compassionate among each other. You will see them bow and prostrate themselves seeking grace from Allah and His good pleasure. On their faces are their marks the traces of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Torah; and their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed which sends forth its blade then makes it strong; it then becomes thick and it stands on its own stem, the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result it fills the unbelievers with rage at him. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.

²⁹Muhammadur rasulul lah wa lazina maahu asyid dau alal kuf fari ruhamau bainahum tarahum ruk kaan suj jada yabtaguna fadlam mina lahi wa ridwana simahum fi wujuhihim min atsaris sujud zalika matsaluhum fi taurati wa matsaluhum fi injil jkazarin akhraja satahu fa azarahu fastaglaza fastawa ala suqihi yujibuz zuraa liyagiza bihimul kufar waada lahul lazina amanu wa amilu salihati minhum magfirata wa ajran azima