English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 110: An-Nasr — The Help (Revealed at Makkah: 3 verses)
Introduction:
This chapter speaks of the great Divine Help and victory, mentioned in the first verse, which the Holy Prophet received in the cause of Truth. It is reported that this chapter was revealed during the last pilgrimage of the Holy Prophet and that he lived only eighty days after its revelation. Being revealed at Makkah during the Madinah period, it showed how those wonderful pro-phecies announced when the Holy Prophet was alone and helpless were now fulfilled by his visiting Makkah with the whole of Arabia accepting him.
Translation:
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
اِذَا جَآءَ نَصۡرُ اللّٰہِ وَ الۡفَتۡحُ ۙ﴿۱﴾
110:1 When Allah’s help and victory comes,1
وَ رَاَیۡتَ النَّاسَ یَدۡخُلُوۡنَ فِیۡ دِیۡنِ اللّٰہِ اَفۡوَاجًا ۙ﴿۲﴾
110:2 and you see people entering the religion of Allah in companies,
فَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّکَ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرۡہُ ؕؔ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ تَوَّابًا ٪﴿۳﴾
110:3 celebrate the praise of your Lord and ask His protection.2 Surely He is ever Returning (to mercy).
Commentary:
- The great victory which had come was the triumph of the religion of Islam in the whole of Arabia. Deputation after deputation from all parts of Arabia came to Madinah and accepted Islam. History does not present another example of the wonderful transformation wrought by the Holy Prophet within the short space of twenty years. ↩
- On witnessing the greatest triumph known to history, the Holy Prophet is told to celebrate the praise of his Lord, and to ask protection. For whom was protection to be asked? If it was for himself, it was a protection against elation at an unprecedented victory, because elation ill befitted a Teacher of righteousness. But more likely, he was required to ask protection for the masses which were now accepting Islam in companies. In fact he was required to ask Divine forgiveness or protection for his erstwhile oppressors, forgiveness for his deadly enemies, who were guilty of the gravest crimes. ↩