Commentary on Surat al-Nasr

﴿In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful﴾

﴿When Allah’s help and the conquest come * and you see people entering Allah’s religion in multitudes * then glorify your Lord with praise and seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance.﴾

The basmala has already been discussed.

﴿When Allah’s help and the conquest come﴾: These words are addressed to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace. ﴿Allah’s help﴾ means that Allah enables a person to overcome his enemy, defeat him, and subdue him. Victory is the greatest joy a servant experiences in his endeavors, for the victor feels tremendous elation, joy, and exhilaration. When victory is attained in support of the truth, however, it is good.

It is authentically reported that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said, “I was granted victory through terror from a month’s journey away.” (1) That is, his enemy would be terrified of him even when a month’s journey separated them. Terror is the most devastating thing that can afflict an enemy, for anyone whose heart is seized by terror can never stand firm; rather, he will flee like the wind.

Thus, ﴿When Allah’s help comes﴾ means: when Allah grants you victory over your enemy. ﴿And the conquest﴾ is coordinated with “help.” Although conquest is a form of help, it is mentioned separately to emphasize its importance. This is an instance of mentioning the specific after the general, as in the words of Allah Almighty: ﴿The angels and the Spirit descend therein﴾ [al-Qadr: 4]—that is, during the Night of Decree. Gabriel is one of the angels, but Allah singled him out because of his distinction.

The definite article in “the conquest” refers to the conquest already known and understood in your minds: the conquest of Mecca. The conquest of Mecca took place in Ramadan, in the eighth year after the Hijra. Its cause was