48. Surah Al-Fath

We have given thee a clear victory,

That God might forgive thee that which preceded of thy transgression, and what will follow, and complete His favour upon thee, and guide thee by a straight path,

And that God might help thee with mighty help.

He it is that sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers, that they might increase in faith with their faith, — and to God belong the forces of the heavens and the earth; and God is knowing and wise —

That He might make the believing men and the believing women enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, they abiding eternally therein, and remove from them their evil deeds — and that in the sight of God is a great achievement —

And punish the wavering men, and the wavering women, and the idolaters, and the idolatresses, — those who think an evil thought about God — for them is an evil reversal; and God is wroth with them, and has cursed them, and has prepared for them Gehenna; and evil is it as a journey’s end.

And to God belong the forces of the heavens and the earth; and God is exalted in might and wise.

We have sent thee as a witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,

That you might believe in God and His messenger, and support him and honour him — and give glory to Him morning and evening.

Those who swear fealty to thee but swear fealty to God; the hand of God is over their hands. Then whoso reneges, he but reneges against his soul. And whoso fulfils what he has taken upon him as a covenant to God, He will give him a great reward.

Those who were left behind of the desert Arabs will say to thee: “Our possessions and our families engaged us, so ask thou forgiveness for us.” They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say thou: “Who has power for you against God in anything if He intends for you harm or intends for you benefit?” The truth is, God is aware of what you do.

The truth is, you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families; and that was made fair in your hearts, and you thought an evil thought and are a people ruined.

And whoso believes not in God and His messenger, then have We prepared for the false claimers of guidance an inferno.

And to God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills; and God is forgiving and merciful.

Those who were left behind will say, when you set forth for spoils, to take them: “Let us follow you!” They wish to change the words of God. Say thou: “You will not follow us. Thus said God before.” Then will they say: “The truth is, you envy us!” The truth is, they have understood not save a little.

Say thou to those who were left behind of the desert Arabs: “You will be called against a people possessed of strong might — to fight them, or they submit. If you obey, God will give you a goodly reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.”

There is no blame upon the blind, nor is there blame upon the lame, nor is there blame upon the sick. And whoso obeys God and His messenger, him will He make enter gardens beneath which rivers flow; but whoso turns away, him will He punish with a painful punishment.

God was pleased with the believers when they swore fealty to thee beneath the tree; and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them, and rewarded them with a near victory,

And many spoils they will take; and God is exalted in might and wise.

God has promised you many spoils you will take, and He has hastened this for you, — and He restrained the hands of men from you, that it might be a proof for the believers, and that He might guide you by a straight path —

And others over which you have not had power: them has God encompassed; and God is over all things powerful.

And had those who ignore warning fought you, they would have turned their backs; then would they have found neither ally nor helper.

The practice of God which was before. And thou wilt not find in the practice of God any change.

And He it is that restrained their hands from you, and your hands from them, in a belly of destruction after He made you victorious over them; and God is, of what you do, seeing.

Those are they who disbelieved, and turned you away from the inviolable place of worship, and the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And were it not for believing men and believing women whom you knew not whom you might have trampled — then had dishonour befallen you on their account without knowledge — that God might make enter into His mercy whom He wills. Had they been separate, We would have punished those who ignore warning among them with a painful punishment.

When those who ignore warning set in their hearts bigoted disdain: — the bigoted disdain of ignorance — then God sent down His tranquillity upon His messenger and upon the believers, and imposed upon them the word of prudent fear; and they have more right to it and are worthy of it; and God is knowing of all things.

God has confirmed the vision to His messenger in truth: — “You will enter the inviolable place of worship, if God wills, secure, shaven-headed and cut; not fearing.” And He knew what you knew not, and He appointed, besides that, a near victory.

He it is that sent His messenger with the guidance and the doctrine of truth, that He might make it manifest over all doctrine; and sufficient is God as witness:

Muḥammad is the messenger of God. And those with him are hard against the atheists, merciful among themselves — thou seest them lowly, in submission, seeking favour from God and approval, their mark on their faces of the effects of the Submission — that is their likeness in the Torah. And their likeness in the Gospel is like a seed that put forth its shoot, and strengthens it, and established itself upon its stem pleasing the sowers, that by them He might enrage the atheists. God has promised those who heed warning and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.