بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Fath 48:2
The Victory · Juz 26 · Page 511
لِّيَغۡفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنۢبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡكَ وَيَهۡدِيَكَ صِرَٰطٗا مُّسۡتَقِيمٗا ٢
That Allāh may forgive for you what preceded of your sin [i.e., errors] and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 48:2
Analysis of Verses
لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ (so that Allah may forgive you of your previous and subsequent faults...." - 48:2). If the particle "lam" (translated above as 'so that' ) is taken to be for "ta'lil", it indicates the purpose for which, and the reason why, such a manifest Victory is given to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It is mentioned in this verse that the victory was given to him to bless him with three different bounties. The first bounty is forgiveness of all his past and future shortcomings. Attention was drawn in Surah Muhammad that all Prophets (علیہم السلام) are infallible. Wherever words likes ذَنب dhanb and عصیان ` isyan ('sin' or 'fault' ) are attributed to them in the Qur'an, they are in relation to their lofty status. Works that are merely unadvisable contrary to the preferred practice are also referred to as dhanb in relation to the high status of the Prophets (علیہم السلام) by way of reprimand. 'Previous' refers to shortcomings committed before conferment of prophethood, and 'subsequent' refers to shortcomings committed after the conferment of prophethood (Mazhari). The reason why this victory caused forgiveness for such shortcomings is that large masses of people entered the fold of Islam after it, and naturally the credit of spreading the call of Islam goes to the Holy Prophet ﷺ for which he deserved the divine reward, and an increase in reward always entails forgiveness of the shortcomings.
وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا ("...and may guide you to a straight path," 48:2.) This is the second bounty which resulted from the manifest victory. Here arises a question of the highest significance: The Holy Prophet was established in the right path from the very outset. Not only was he himself on the right path, but also a source of guidance for the entire world. His night-and-day preoccupation was to call the people towards the Straight Path. So what then is the meaning of guidance to the straight path through manifest victory in the 6th year of Hijrah? A detailed answer to this question can be found in Ma’ ariful-Qur an Vol 1/pp 71-81 - particularly look at the definitions and the three degrees of Hidayah [ guidance ].
Definition of Hidayah
Hidayah has been defined as to show the path or to lead someone gently and kindly towards his destination. The real destination of man is to attain Allah's pleasure and his proximity. The degrees of pleasure and proximity are unlimited. Having attained the first degree, man needs to go for the next one, then he should aim for the third one and so on to no end. Not any man, Muslim, saint or prophet is above the need of such spiritual and moral attainment. Therefore, the instruction to pray for right guidance in the first Surah is not only to the Muslim Community, but also to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He is to soar higher and higher in the path of spiritual and moral attainment. Allah has, in this manifest victory, raised the Holy Prophet ﷺ to the highest pinnacles of spiritual eminence which is described by the clause yahdiyaka.
Page 511
سورة الفتح
Al-Fath
The Victory · Medinan · 29 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
48:1
إِنَّا فَتَحۡنَا لَكَ فَتۡحٗا مُّبِينٗا ١
Indeed, We have given you, [O Muḥammad], a clear conquest1
1 translator’s note
- Ibn Masʿūd said, "You [people] consider the conquest to be that of Makkah, but we consider it to be the Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyyah." Al-Bukhārī reported a similar quotation from al-Barā’ bin ʿĀzib. Although initially regarded by the companions as a setback, the treaty, in effect, served to promote the spread of Islām, which led to the conquest of Makkah two years later. ↩
48:2
لِّيَغۡفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنۢبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعۡمَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡكَ وَيَهۡدِيَكَ صِرَٰطٗا مُّسۡتَقِيمٗا ٢
That Allāh may forgive for you what preceded of your sin [i.e., errors] and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path
48:3
وَيَنصُرَكَ ٱللَّهُ نَصۡرًا عَزِيزًا ٣
And [that] Allāh may aid you with a mighty victory.
48:4
هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ لِيَزۡدَادُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا مَّعَ إِيمَٰنِهِمۡۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا ٤
It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allāh belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allāh Knowing and Wise.
48:5
لِّيُدۡخِلَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنۡهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ فَوۡزًا عَظِيمٗا ٥
[And] that He may admit the believing men and the believing women to gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide therein eternally and remove from them their misdeeds - and ever is that, in the sight of Allāh, a great attainment –
48:6
وَيُعَذِّبَ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ وَٱلۡمُشۡرِكَٰتِ ٱلظَّآنِّينَ بِٱللَّهِ ظَنَّ ٱلسَّوۡءِۚ عَلَيۡهِمۡ دَآئِرَةُ ٱلسَّوۡءِۖ وَغَضِبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَعَنَهُمۡ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ جَهَنَّمَۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرٗا ٦
And [that] He may punish the hypocrite men and hypocrite women, and the polytheist men and polytheist women - those who assume about Allāh an assumption of evil nature. Upon them is a misfortune of evil nature; and Allāh has become angry with them and has cursed them and prepared for them Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
48:7
وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا ٧
And to Allāh belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth. And ever is Allāh Exalted in Might and Wise.
48:8
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ شَٰهِدٗا وَمُبَشِّرٗا وَنَذِيرٗا ٨
Indeed, We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner
48:9
لِّتُؤۡمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتُعَزِّرُوهُ وَتُوَقِّرُوهُۚ وَتُسَبِّحُوهُ بُكۡرَةٗ وَأَصِيلًا ٩
That you [people] may believe in Allāh and His Messenger and honor him and respect him [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ)] and exalt Him [i.e., Allāh] morning and afternoon.