48

48. Al-Fath - The Victory

1WE HAVE GIVEN you a splendent victory
2That God may save you from earlier and subsequent blames, and complete His favours on you, and guide you on the straight path,
3And help you with surpassing help.
4It is He who sent down the sense of security into the hearts of believers so that their faith may increase with belief, -- God's are the armies of the heavens and the earth; and God is all-knowing and all-wise; --
5And that He may admit men and women who believe into gardens with rivers running by, to live for ever there, and absolve their evil, -- This, in the sight of God, will be the great fulfilment --
6And that He may punish men and women (who are) hypocrites, and idolaters and idolatresses who entertain evil notions of God: It is against them that the wheel of misfortune will turn, and God will be wroth with them, and condemn them. For them He has prepared Hell, an evil destination!
7For God's are the armies of the heavens and the earth; and God is all-knowing and all-wise.
8We have sent you as witness (of the truth) and harbinger of good news and a warner,
9So that (men) may believe in God and His Apostle, and honour Him and revere Him, and sing His praises morning and evening.
10Those who swear allegiance to you indeed swear allegiance to God; and God's protection is over them. Then whosoever breaks the promise breaks it to his own loss; but whosoever fulfills the promise made to God will receive a great reward from Him.
11The Arabs of the desert who had stayed behind will now say to you: "We were occupied with our flocks and herds and families, so ask forgiveness for us. They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Tell them: "Who can prevail with God for you if He wish you harm or benefit? Surely God is well aware of what you do.
12In fact you imagined that the Prophet and the faithful would never come back home; and this seemed pleasing to your hearts, and you entertained evil thoughts. You are a people lost.
13He who does not believe in God and His Apostle (should know) We have prepared for unbelievers a blazing fire."
14To God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He may forgive whosoever He please, and afflict whosoever He will. Yet God is forgiving and kind.
15Those who had stayed behind will say: "When you depart for taking the spoils, allow us to follow you." They wish to change the word of God. Tell them: "You will not follow us. That is what God has already said before." They will say: "You are envious of our gain." The fact is they understand but little.
16Say to the desert Arabs who had stayed behind: "You will be called against a formidable people. You will fight them till they surrender. If you obey, then He will give you a good reward; but if you turn back, as you had done before, He will punish you with a grievous affliction."
17It is not binding on the blind, the lame or the sick (to follow this command); but those who obey God and His Apostle will be admitted by God to gardens with running streams; but those who turn back will suffer a painful doom.
18God was pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree, for He knew well what was in their hearts, and sent down tranquility on them, and rewarded them with an expeditious victory
19And the many spoils that they were to take. God is all-mighty and all-wise.
20God had promised you many spoils that you would capture; so He gave this soon enough to you, and stayed the hands of men from you that it may serve as a sign for believers, and guide you on the straight path;
21And other (benefits) which you have not yet obtained, are within the compass of God, for God has power over everything.
22Had the unbelievers fought you they would have turned their backs and not found a protector or helper.
23This is the law of God, effective as before: You will not find any change in the law of God.
24It was He who restrained their hands from you in the heart of Makkah, and your hands from them, after He had given you victory over them, as God sees all that you do.
25It were those who disbelieved who hindered you from (going to) the Holy Mosque, preventing your offerings from arriving at the place of sacrifice. Had it not been for (the presence of) believers, men and women, (among the unbelievers) of whom you were unaware, and whom you might have trampled and thus incurred guilt unknowingly on account of them, (the matter would have been settled). (But this was not done) so that God may admit into His favour whom He willed. If these (believers) had been separated from them, He would have inflicted a grievous punishment on the unbelievers.
26When the unbelievers fostered a sense of honour in their hearts, a sense of pagan honour, God sent down a sense of tranquility on His Apostle and the believers, and obliged them to an act of self-restraint, for they were deserving and worthy of it. God is cognisant of everything.
27God has truly made the vision of His Apostle come true: You will surely enter the Holy Mosque in security if God please, without any fear, having shaved your heads and cut your hair. He knew what you did not know, and has vouchsafed you, apart from this, a victory near at hand.
28It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the true faith, so that He may exalt it over every other creed. God is sufficient as a witness.
29Muhammad is the Prophet of God; and those who are with him are severe with infidels but compassionate among themselves. You may see them kneeling and bowing in reverence, seeking His favour and acceptance. Their mark is on their foreheads from the effect of prostrations. Their likeness in the Torah, and their likeness in the Gospel, is like a seed that sends out a stalk, then makes it firm, and it becomes strong and rises straight upon its stem, gladdening the cultivator's heart, in order to fill the unbelievers with dismay. God has promised those who believe and do the right forgiveness and a great reward.
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