Explanation of Sūrah An-Nasr

Explanation of Sūrah An-Nasr

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-`ālamīn. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam is His Messenger.

The verses.

Sūrah An-Nasr (The Divine Support)

Almighty Allāh Says:

“Itha jā nasrullāhiwalfath. Wara aytānnasa yadkhulūnafī deenillāhi afwaja. Fasabbih bihamdi rabbika wastaghfir.  Innahu kana tawwaba. (When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest [of Makkah]. And you see the people entering into the religion of Allāh in multitudes. Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever accepting of repentance.)”

[An-Nasr, 110:1-4]

Explanation

Anas Ibn Mālik (radiyallāhu`anhu) narrated that the Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) once asked a man: "Are you married?" He replied: "No, I swear by Allāh, O Messenger of Allāh! For I have nothing, so how can I marry?" Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) asked the man: “Do you not have: Say: `He is Allāh, the One."'[i.e. Sūrah Al-Ikhlās]?” The man replied: "Certainly!" Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: "It is (equivalent to) one third of the Qur`ān." Then Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) asked: "Do you not have: When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest [of Makkah]" [i.e. Sūrah An-Nasr]?" The man replied: "Certainly!" The Prophet (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) then said: "It is (equivalent to) one quarter of the Qur`ān." [At-Tirmidzi]

`Ubaydullāh Ibn `Abdullāh Ibn `Utbah (radiyallāhu`anhum) narrated that Ibn `Abbās (radiyallāhu`anhu) said to him: "Do you know which Sūrah (chapter) was the last to be revealed from the Qur`ān?" I replied: "Yes, and it was: "When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest [of Makkah]."" He said: "You are right." [At-Tirmidzi]

Abu Bakar Al-Bazzār and Al-Bayhaqi (rahimahullāh) both narrated from Ibn `Umar (radiyallāhu`anhu)  that he said: “This Sūrah was revealed to the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) during the days of Tashrīq (i.e., the 11th, 12th and 13th of Dzul-Hijjah) and Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) knew that it was his farewell address. Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) called for his riding-camel, and when he had travelled some way on it, Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) stood and addressed the people with his famous farewell speech.” According to Imām Al-Bayhaqi (rahimahullāh), Ibn `Abbās (radiyallāhu`anhu) said: “This Sūrah was revealed, following which the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) summoned his daughter Fātimah (radiyallāhu`anha) and said to her: ‘It heralds my death.’ At this, Fātimah (radiyallāhu`anha) began to cry; but she laughed when Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: ‘Have Patience, for you are the first of my family who will join me’.” [Muslim]

Imām At-Tabarāni (Rahimahullāh) related on the authority of Ibn `Abbās (radiallāhu`anhu) that he said: “When the Sūrah: ‘When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest [of Makkah].’ was revealed, it heralded to Allāh's Messenger (Sallallāhu `layhi wasallam) that his death was near, and so Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) intensified his preparations for the Hereafter (by increasing his prayers, fasting, supplicating etc.); after embarking upon this, Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: ‘The conquest and the help of Allāh have come, and the people of Yemen have come.’ A man asked: ‘O Messenger of Allāh! Who are the people of Yemen?’ Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) replied: ‘A people who are gentle-hearted and moderate in their ways: faith is in Yemen; fiqh (understanding of Islam) is in Yemen’.” [Al-Bukhāri]

It has been confirmed from Ibn `Abbās (radiyallāhu`anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said on the day of the conquest of Makkah: “There is no Hijrah (i.e. emigration) after the conquest, but there is Jihād and Niyyah (pure intention) and if you are called upon, then respond to the call.” [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

Masrūq (radiyallāhu`anhu) said: I heard `Aishah (radiyallāhu`anha) saying that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) would repeat: “Glorified be Allāh and all praise be to Him, I ask Allāh's forgiveness and I turn to Him in repentance.”  Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) continued: “Indeed, my Lord has informed me that I will see a sign amongst my people, and He ordered me, if I do see it, to glorify His praises and ask His forgiveness, and I have seen it, (it is): ‘When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest [of Makkah]. And you see the people entering into the religion of Allāh in multitudes. Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever accepting of repentance’.” [Muslim]

Umm Salamah (radiyallāhu`anha) said: “Towards the end of his life, the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) would not stand, nor sit, nor depart, nor arrive, without saying: “Most Glorified is Allāh and all praise is due to Him.” So I said to him: “O Messenger of Allāh! I have observed you frequently glorifying Allāh and praising Him.” Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: “I was ordered to do it.”  Then Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said: “When the victory of Allāh has come and the conquest [of Makkah]... (to the end of the Sūrah).”

What is meant by ‘the conquest’ is the conquest of Makkah. The people of Arabia were slow in answering the call to Islam until the fall of Makkah, then they entered the Religion of Allāh in crowds and within two years, the whole of Arabia became unified in faith and all the tribes of Arabia embraced Islam.

Imām Al-Bukhāri (rahimahullāh) reported that when Makkah was conquered, delegations from all the tribes of Arabia came to the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) to declare their allegiance to Islam, while prior to it, they were slow to embrace Islam.

Imām Ahmad (rahimahullāh) narrated on the authority of the neighbor of Jābir Ibn `Abdullāh (radiyallāhu`anhu) that he (i.e., the neighbor) said: “I once returned from a journey and Jābir Ibn `Abdullāh (radiyallāhu`anhu) came to me and greeted me. I began to talk with him about the disunity of the people and their innovations (in religion). Jābir then began to cry and said: I heard Allāh's Messenger (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) say: ‘Indeed, the people entered the Religion of Allāh in crowds and they will abandon it in crowds’.” [Imām Ahmad]

[Via Islam Dec 26, 2010; excerpted from: Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr ('Juz' 'Amma)']

Please See: The Essence of Surah Al-Fātihah