'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'

'Tafsir of Surah Al-Fath'

This surah was revealed to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, upon his return from Al-Hudaybiyah. There are many hadiths about this from Anas, Ibn Mas'ud, and others that confirm its authenticity. By this, it is considered to be in the category of Medinan surahs. Al-Zahrawi reported from Mujahid and from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that it was revealed in Medina. However, the first opinion is more correct. It seems that some parts of it were revealed in Medina. As for the beginning of the surah and most of it, as we said, it is confirmed by the words of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, to Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, while they were on that journey: 'Indeed, a surah has been revealed to me tonight that is dearer to me than the world and all that is in it.' Here, Makki mentioned that the meaning is: provided that the world remains and does not perish. There is some consideration in this. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, set out on that journey to perform Umrah in Mecca, but the polytheists prevented him - the well-known story - in the sixth year of the Hijrah.

Allah, the Exalted, said:

'Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory, so that Allah may forgive you what has preceded of your sin and what will follow, and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path, and Allah will grant you a great victory.' He is the One who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers, that they may increase in faith along with their faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Knowing and Wise.

A group said - as reported by al-Zahrawi -: "We have opened for you" means the opening of Mecca. Al-Thaalabi also mentioned this and attributed it to al-Kalbi. Allah informed him of it in the sense of: We have decreed it. And "the opener" means the judge in the language of Yemen. It was said that what is meant is: We have opened for you by guiding you to Islam so that He may forgive. The majority of people said - and the correct view supported by the story of al-Hudaybiyyah - is that Allah's saying: "Indeed, We have opened for you" means: What Allah conceals for you in that expedition is a clear opening that you will face. The surah was revealed to comfort the believers because they were unsettled by the rejection of Quraysh towards them, and by that truce which the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, made with them. Thus, the surah was revealed to comfort them regarding their prevention from the House, and to remove what was in their hearts. Among this is the famous narration of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and what he said to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, received in that journey that he had made a truce with his enemy until he became strong. The sign of water appeared by his hands at the well of al-Hudaybiyyah, where he placed his arrow and the water surged until it was sufficient for the army. The pledge of Ridwan took place, which is the greatest opening, as stated by Jabir ibn Abdullah and al-Bara' ibn Azib. His sacrificial animals reached their destination, as stated by al-Sha'bi. He anticipated the opening of Khaybar, and the hands of the believers were filled with goodness. It was opened only by the people of al-Hudaybiyyah, and no one else shared in it. There is a point of consideration here; because the companions of the ship with Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, shared with them in the distribution. It should be said: No one from those who lagged behind al-Hudaybiyyah shared with them. At that time, a great battle occurred between the Romans and the Persians, in which the Romans emerged victorious. This was part of the opening for the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and he and the believers were pleased with the victory of the People of the Book over the Magians and the decline of the greatest power of disbelief.

Then Allah, the Most High, magnified the matter of His Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and honored him by informing him that He has forgiven him for what has preceded of his sin and what has followed. His saying, the Most High: "to forgive" is a لام of "to make"; however, it differs from it in meaning. What is meant here is that Allah has opened for you so that this becomes a sign and a marker of His forgiveness for you. It is as if it is a لام of transformation. For this reason, he, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "A Surah has been revealed to me tonight that is more beloved to me than the world." And Al-Tabari and Ibn Kaysan said: The meaning is: We have opened for you, so glorify your Lord and seek His forgiveness so that He may forgive you. They based this verse on His saying, the Most High: "When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest" [An-Nasr: 1], and this is weak for two reasons. One of them is that the Surah "When the victory of Allah has come" was revealed at the end of the Prophet's, blessings and peace be upon him, time, announcing his own death, as Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said when Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked him about that. The second is that the specification of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, with this honor would be lost, because every one of the believers is addressed by what Al-Tabari said, that is: glorify and seek forgiveness so that Allah may forgive you. This does not imply that forgiveness has occurred. What we presented at the beginning necessitates the occurrence of forgiveness for the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and this is indicated by the saying of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to him, blessings and peace be upon him, when he stood until his feet became swollen: Do you do this, O Messenger of Allah, while Allah has forgiven you for what has preceded of your sin and what has followed? He said: "Should I not be a grateful servant?" This is a text that indicates that forgiveness has occurred. And Mundhir ibn Sa'id said: The meaning is: Your striving for Allah, the Most High, associated with the conquest is to forgive. And Al-Thaalabi narrated from Al-Husayn ibn Al-Fadl that the meaning is: We have opened for you, so seek forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and women so that Allah may forgive you... the verse. And this is similar to the saying of Al-Tabari.

And His saying, exalted is He: "What has preceded of your sin and what will come after". Sufyan al-Thawri said: "What has preceded" means (p-667) before the Prophethood, and "what will come after" refers to everything that he does not know. This is weak. Rather, the meaning is the honor of this ruling even if he has no sins at all. The scholars unanimously agree on the infallibility of the Prophets, blessings and peace be upon them, from major sins and from minor sins that are vices. [Some of them permitted minor sins that are not vices]. They differed on whether this occurred from Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, or not. Al-Tha'labi reported from 'Ata al-Khurasani that he said: "What has preceded" is the sin of Adam and Hawwa, peace be upon them, meaning by Your blessing, and "what will come after" are the sins of your nation, by your supplication. Al-Tha'labi said: The Imamiya do not permit minor sins upon the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, or upon the Imam, and the verse refutes them. Some of them said: "And what has preceded" is his saying, blessings and peace be upon him, on the day of Badr: "O Allah, if this group is destroyed, they will not worship." And "what will come after" is his saying, blessings and peace be upon him, on the day of Hunayn: "We will not be defeated today due to our fewness." All of this is objectionable.

And "the completion of the blessing upon him" is His manifestation and His dominance over his enemy and His pleasure in the Hereafter. And His saying, exalted is He: "And He will guide you to a straight path" means: to a straight path, so the preposition was omitted and the verb is transitive. This can also be transitive without a preposition. And "the mighty victory" is that which is accompanied by the defeat of the enemy and overcoming him. The victory that is not mighty is that which is only implied by protection and repelling the enemy. And "the sending down of tranquility into the hearts of the believers" - and it is a verbal noun from tranquility - is its calming for that truce with Quraysh until they felt secure, and they knew that the promise of Allah, exalted is He, through the tongue of His Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him, is true. Thus, their faith increased with that to their initial faith, and their affirmation increased. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When they believed in the Oneness, acts of worship increased them little by little, so they would increase in faith until he said to them: "Today I have completed for you your religion" [Al-Ma'idah: 3]. He granted them the most complete faith of the people of the heavens and the earth, there is no deity but Allah. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, interpreted tranquility as mercy. And His saying, exalted is He: "And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth" is also an indication of the calming of souls, and that they should be submissive, for He grants victory whenever He wills and in whatever form He wills, which is not arranged by humans. And among His soldiers is the tranquility that He sent down into the hearts of the companions of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, which strengthened their insight. And His saying, exalted is He: "And Allah was" meaning: and He will be: it indicates existence with this attribute, not specified to a past time. And "knowledge" and "wisdom" are two attributes necessitating the might of victory for whoever is described by them to grant him victory.