They differed concerning this conquest. It is narrated from Abu Ja‘far al-Razi, from Qatadah, from Anas, that it was the conquest of Mecca. Mujahid said: “It was the conquest of Khaybar.” (1)

The majority held that it was the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. (2)

The meaning of conquest is the opening of that which is closed. The treaty with the idolaters at Hudaybiyyah had been impossible until Allah, glorified and exalted is He, opened the way to it. Shu‘bah narrated from Qatadah, from Anas, concerning the words, “Indeed, We have given you a clear conquest,” that he said: “It was Hudaybiyyah.”

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il related to us; Ubayd Allah ibn Musa related to us, from Isra’il, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Bara’, who said: “You consider the conquest to be the conquest of Mecca. The conquest of Mecca was indeed a conquest, but we regarded the conquest as the Pledge of al-Ridwan. On the day of Hudaybiyyah, we were fourteen hundred men with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Hudaybiyyah was a well, and we drained it until we left not a drop in it. This reached the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so he came to it and sat at its edge. Then he asked for a vessel of water, performed ablution, rinsed his mouth, supplicated, and poured it into the well. We left it for only a short while, and then it supplied as much water as we and our mounts wished.” (3)

Al-Sha‘bi said concerning the words, “Indeed, We have given you a clear conquest”: “It was the conquest of Hudaybiyyah: his past and future sins were forgiven, they were granted the date palms of Khaybar, the sacrificial animals reached their place of sacrifice, and the Romans prevailed over the Persians. Thus, the believers rejoiced at the victory of the People of the Scripture over the Magians.” (4)

Al-Zuhri said: “There was no conquest greater than the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. This was because the idolaters mixed with the Muslims and heard their words, so Islam became firmly established in their hearts. In three years, great numbers of people embraced Islam, and through them the ranks of Islam greatly increased.” (5)

His words, glorified and exalted is He, “Indeed, We have given you a clear conquest,” mean: “We have decreed for you a manifest decree.” Al-Dahhak said: “Indeed, We...”