سورة الفتح

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When this verse was revealed upon the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Say, "I am not a novel messenger, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you" (al-Ahqaf 46:9) — meaning in his wars — the Quraysh said, "How should we follow this Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) when he does not know what will be done with him and with us?" So Allah revealed this verse to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): إِنَّا فَتَحْنا لَکَ فَتْحاً مُبِیناً [Surely We have given to you a clear victory].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Mujammi ibn Haritha al-Ansari, who was one of the reciters (qurra'), that we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) at Hudaybiyyah. When we returned from there, the people were busy urging on their camels as a sign of joy. Some of them said, "What has happened?" They said, "Revelation has come to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)." We moved swiftly and saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) standing beside his belongings at Kura' al-Ghamim. The Companions gathered around him, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was reciting Surah al-Fath: إِنَّا فَتَحْنا لَکَ فَتْحاً مُبِیناً [Surely We have given to you a clear victory]. Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), is this indeed a victory?" He said, "Yes! By the One in whose hand is my soul, this victory will come to pass." Then he divided Khaybar among the people of Hudaybiyyah and did not admit anyone to Khaybar except those who had been present at Hudaybiyyah.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): This morning a surah was revealed to me that is more beloved to me than the world and all that is in it, and it is: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ. إِنَّا فَتَحْنا لَکَ فَتْحاً مُبِیناً، لِیَغْفِرَ لَکَ اللهُ ما تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِکَ وَ ما تَأَخَّرَ [In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. Surely We have given to you a clear victory, that Allah may forgive you your former and latter sins].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Qatadah narrates from Anas: When we returned from the Battle of Hudaybiyyah, while a barrier had come between us and our rites, and we were distressed and grieved because of this, Allah revealed the verse: إِنَّا فَتَحْنا لَکَ فَتْحاً مُبِیناً [Surely We have given to you a clear victory]. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "A verse has been revealed to me that is more beloved to me than the world and all that is in it."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: On the return from Hudaybiyyah, the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was moving with difficulty, so much so that it fell behind the others and we were moving ahead. Surah al-Fath — إِنَّا فَتَحْنا لَکَ فَتْحاً مُبِیناً [Surely We have given to you a clear victory] — had been revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and we reached the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and found him greatly delighted, and he informed us of the revelation of this surah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — In Jawami' al-Jami' it comes that what is meant by it is the victory of Hudaybiyyah, and it is narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) returned from Hudaybiyyah, a man from the companions said: "What sort of victory is this that kept us back from our houses and from offering the sacrifice as well?" The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "You have uttered a bad word. Rather, this was our greatest victory; the polytheists were content that you return from their city in ease and safety, and they were asking you about Islam and inclined to grant you safe conduct, and they observed from you matters that were unbearable for them." It is narrated from Zuhri that no victory greater than the treaty of Hudaybiyyah occurred, because the polytheists came alongside the Muslims and heard their words, and Islam settled in their hearts, and within three years a great number of them became Muslim and were added to the multitude of the Muslims. And Hudaybiyyah was a well whose water had dried up, and not even a drop of water was to be found in it; so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) came to the well and sat at its edge and asked for a vessel of water, and performed ablution and rinsed his mouth and poured the water of his blessed mouth into the well, and water gushed forth from it in such a way that all his companions and their mounts drank from it.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mufaddal ibn Umar said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), "Why does the one praying say the takbir three times after the salam and raise his hands?" The Imam said: "Because when the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) conquered Mecca, he prayed the Zuhr prayer with his companions near al-Hajar al-Aswad, and when he gave the salam he raised both hands and said the takbir three times, then said: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ وَحْدَهُ أَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ وَ نَصَرَ عَبْدَهُ وَ أَعَزَّ جُنْدَهُ وَ غَلَبَ الْأَحْزَابَ وَحْدَهُ فَ لَهُ المُلْکُ وَ لَهُ الحَمْدُ یُحْیِی وَ یُمِیتُ وَ یُمِیتُ وَ یُحْیِی وَ هُوَ عَلی کُلِّ شَیْءٍ قَدِیرٌ [There is no god but Allah, alone, alone; He fulfilled His promise, aided His servant, honoured His army, and defeated the confederates alone. His is the dominion and His is all praise; He gives life and causes death, and causes death and gives life, and He is powerful over all things]. Then he turned to his companions and said: 'Do not abandon this takbir, and recite this supplication after every obligatory prayer, for whoever does this after the salam and recites this supplication has discharged the thanks that are due, in return for the Mighty and Majestic strengthening Islam and the soldiers of the Muslims.'"

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): From the book I'lam al-Wara it is reported: In Dhul-Qa'dah of year 5, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) set out toward Mecca with a large group of his companions for umrah, taking with them seventy camels for sacrifice. News of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) departure reached the polytheists of Mecca, and they decided to confront him, so they sent out their cavalry to block his path. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had resolved not to fight the polytheists on this journey, which is why he had set out toward Mecca during the sacred month. At that time Suhayl ibn Amr with his son Abu Jandal fell into doubt regarding the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) mission, and became uncertain about their own religion — for they were polytheists and idol-worshippers. Budayl ibn Warqa' went to a group of the Quraysh and said: "O company, calm yourselves and be still. Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has not come to Mecca to fight; he has only intended to visit the House of Allah." The polytheists said: "We will not accept this word from you! Tomorrow the Arabs will say: 'Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) entered Mecca by force and power,' and we want Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) to turn back and not enter Mecca." After this, the polytheists sent Kurz ibn Hafs and Khalid ibn al-Walid, and they blocked the path of the camels which had been driven ahead as hadi (sacrificial offering). Uthman ibn Affan requested permission from the people of Mecca to enter Mecca to perform umrah, and after he entered Mecca, the polytheists imprisoned him and prevented his return. The Prophet thought the polytheists had killed him. At that moment he said to his companions: "Are you ready to pledge allegiance to me unto death?" The companions obeyed, gathered beneath a tree, and pledged to him that they would not flee from the field of battle. After this incident, the polytheists sent Suhayl ibn Amr to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and he said: "O Abul-Qasim! Mecca has been a place of honour, dignity, security and ease. Now the Arab nation knows that you are at war with us. If you were now to enter Mecca, they would think we have become powerless, and they would suddenly fall upon us and destroy us. Because of the kinship we have with you, we hope you will turn back from your decision, for Mecca has been the place of your growth and upbringing; it is as though it were a part cut from your body." The Prophet said to Suhayl ibn Amr: "So what is your purpose in coming, and what is the matter?" Suhayl said: "I intend to draw up a treaty between myself and you, so that next year you may come to Mecca without fear or dread, and without bringing an army, and now you should turn back from entering Mecca." The Prophet called Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) to him and handed him a hide which had been prepared for writing the letter, and said: "Write: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ [In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate]." Suhayl said: "We do not understand this phrase. Write a phrase that is known among us — command that they write: باسمک اللهمّ [In Your name, O Allah]." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him): "Write as he says." Ali (peace be upon him) said: "Were it not for the fact that I obey you, I would not have erased what I have written." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Write: this is the treaty which Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), concludes with Suhayl ibn Amr." Suhayl said: "If I had accepted this matter — that you are a messenger — there would no longer be any need to write this letter and treaty. Command that they write: Muhammad ibn Abd Allah." The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah! He is the Messenger of the Lord, even though your nose be rubbed in the dust." At that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him): "Erase the matter of the messengership from the letter." He said: "My hand will not help me to do this deed and erase the word 'nubuwwah (prophethood).'" The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Place my hand upon that phrase." At that moment the Prophet, with his own hand, erased the disputed spot. After this incident he said: "O Ali (peace be upon him)! In the near future you too, like me, will be afflicted with matters of this kind, and out of distress and helplessness you will submit to their proposal." After this they wrote the treaty, and its text was as follows: "Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, on behalf of the Muslims, and Suhayl ibn Amr, on behalf of the people of Mecca, have concluded a treaty to act with one another according to the following: First: They shall refrain from fighting one another and shall not deceive one another. Second: The matter of belief in religion and creed shall be free, and each person may act according to whichever religion he wishes. Third: The Muslims of Mecca shall be free in professing their religion and shall freely perform their religious obligations. Fourth: Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is permitted, in the coming year, to come to Mecca for a period of three days, and all of Quraysh shall leave that place except one person who shall remain in Mecca with Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his companions. Fifth: Whoever of Quraysh joins Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his companions must be returned to Quraysh. Sixth: And whoever of the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) goes over to Quraysh, they have the right not to return him." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "One who, after hearing my words, comes over to you — I have no need of him. Seventh: Quraysh have no right to help the enemies of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) or to give them weapons or men." After this incident, Abu Jandal, son of Suhayl ibn Amr, came and sat in the presence of the Messenger of Allah. His father said: "Return him to me." The Muslims said: "We will not return him." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) took his hand and said: "O Allah, if Abu Jandal is truthful in his speech, deliver him." Then he turned his face toward the Muslims and said: "There is no harm upon Abu Jandal; he is going to his father and mother, and I intend to fulfil this treaty." After the covenant and pact they returned toward Medina, and on the way the Surah إِنَّا فَتَحْنا [Surely We have given you a victory] was revealed.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mufaddal ibn Umar said: I asked my master Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the verse: "We wish to bestow favor upon those who have been oppressed on the earth and make them leaders and make them the inheritors of the earth" (Qasas/5). The Imam (peace be upon him) said: After him, his son Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon him) will complain of Mu'tasim, and after him his son Ali ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him) of Mutawakkil, and after him his son Hasan ibn Ali (peace be upon him) of the tyranny of Mu'tazz. Then the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), who bears the same name as my grandfather the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), will come — wearing the shirt of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) stained with the blood of his forehead and his pure tooth, and the angels surrounding him — and will stand before the Prophet and say: "O noble grandfather! You described me with attributes by which the people were to recognise me, and you mentioned my name, lineage, and kunya. Yet, despite this, the ummah denied my existence and rebelled and said: 'The Mahdi has not been born and never existed. If he does exist, where is he and when will he come? His father died and left no offspring, and had he really been alive and well, Allah would not have delayed his coming until this time.' I endured patiently until now, and now, by the command of Allah, I have appeared." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) will say: "Praise be to Allah, who fulfilled His promise to us and made the earth (Paradise) our inheritance, so that we may take our dwelling wherever we wish. How excellent is the reward of those who work" (Zumar/74). And he will also say: جاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ [The help of Allah and the victory has come], and the verse: "He is the One who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may cause it to prevail over all religions, even though the polytheists may dislike it" (Tawbah/33) — today it has found its fulfilment and its ta'wil (interpretation). Then he will recite this verse: إِنَّا فَتَحْنا لَکَ فَتْحاً مُبِیناً لِیَغْفِرَ لَکَ اللهُ ما تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِکَ وَ ما تَأَخَّرَ وَ یُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَیْکَ وَ یَهْدِیَکَ صِراطاً مُسْتَقِیماً وَ یَنْصُرَکَ اللهُ نَصْراً عَزِیزاً [Surely We have given you a clear victory, that Allah may forgive your past and future faults, and complete His favour upon you, and guide you to a straight path, and that Allah may help you with a mighty help].