(1–3) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. When Allah’s aid 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.”
This noble surah contains good tidings, a command to His Messenger upon their fulfillment, and an indication of what would follow.
The good tidings are Allah’s promise to grant His Messenger victory, the conquest of Makkah, and the entry of people into Allah’s religion in multitudes. Thus, many of them would become its adherents and supporters after having been its enemies. What was foretold did indeed occur. As for the command to be carried out once victory and conquest had come, Allah instructed His Messenger to thank his Lord for it, glorify Him with praise, and seek His forgiveness.
As for the indication, it contains two indications. The first is that victory for this religion would continue (1) and increase when His Messenger glorified Allah with praise and sought His forgiveness, for this is an act of gratitude. Allah says, “If you are grateful, I will surely give you more.” This indeed occurred during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and after them. Allah’s aid continued for this Muslim community until Islam attained a reach unlike any other religion, and multitudes entered it on a scale unseen in any other religion. This continued until violations of Allah’s command arose within the Muslim community, whereupon Allah afflicted them (2) with divided ranks and disarray in their affairs, and so what happened, happened.
[Even so], this Muslim community and this religion enjoy a measure of Allah’s mercy and gentleness beyond anything the mind can conceive or the imagination encompass.
The second indication is that the appointed time of Allah’s Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had drawn near. This is because his life was a noble one by which Allah swore an oath.
It is well known that noble acts are concluded by seeking forgiveness, such as prayer, Hajj, and other such acts.
Thus, Allah’s command to His Messenger to praise Him and seek His forgiveness in this circumstance indicated that his appointed term was drawing to its close. He should therefore ready and prepare himself to meet his Lord and conclude his life with the finest deeds he could perform. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.
Accordingly, he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would act in accordance with the Quran by saying this during his prayer. He would often say while bowing and prostrating, “Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. O Allah, forgive me.”
Commentary on Sūrat Tabbat
[It is] Meccan.