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Surah 48 · Madinah · 29 āyāt

Phase 06 · Conquest, completion and farewell(6–11 AH) — view in timeline

Al-FatḥThe Victory

الفتح

Revealed as the Prophet ﷺ and his companions journeyed back from Ḥudaybiyah, at a moment when many of them felt the treaty had cost them dearly and gained them little. The surah opens by naming that very treaty a clear victory, then retells the events at Ḥudaybiyah from Allah's vantage point: the tranquillity sent into anxious hearts, the pledge given under a tree to fight to the death if needed, and the divine pleasure earned by those who gave it. It closes with the fulfilment of the Prophet's ﷺ true dream of entering the Sacred Mosque, and a portrait of the believers around him drawn from the Torah and the Gospel.

Why it was revealed

The Prophet ﷺ had set out with some 1,400 companions intending only ʿumrah, unarmed for battle, wearing iḥrām. Quraysh blocked their entry to Makkah, negotiations dragged on, and a treaty was eventually signed at al-Ḥudaybiyah whose terms — a ten-year truce, the Muslims' return to Madīnah without performing ʿumrah that year, and the surrender of any Muslim who came to the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah — struck many companions, including ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, as a humiliating concession. It was on the road back, with that unease still fresh, that this surah was revealed opening with the words 'We have given you a clear victory.'

Drawn fromṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2731; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2731–2732; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2731–2732 (ʿUmar's account of Ḥudaybiyah and the revelation of Sūrat al-Fatḥ); Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4169 (Jābir on Bayʿat ar-Riḍwān); Ibn Kathīr on 48:1; Ibn Kathīr on 48:18; Ibn Kathīr on 48:27; Ibn Kathīr, introduction to Sūrat al-Fatḥ; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr, introduction to Sūrat al-Fatḥ; Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah; Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah (via Ibn Isḥāq)

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb later said that he went to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, 'Are we not upon the truth and they upon falsehood? Then why should we give away what is demeaning to our religion?' The Prophet ﷺ told him he was Allah's servant and messenger and would not disobey his Lord. Not long after, on the return journey, this surah was revealed, and the Prophet ﷺ told ʿUmar, 'A surah has been revealed to me dearer to me than anything the sun rises upon,' and recited it to him.

Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2731–2732 (ʿUmar's account of Ḥudaybiyah and the revelation of Sūrat al-Fatḥ); Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr, introduction to Sūrat al-Fatḥ

In the Prophet's ﷺ life

LossDhū al-Qaʿdah 6 AH · Age About 59 · Al-Ḥudaybiyah

Setting out for ʿumrah, turned back at al-Ḥudaybiyah

The Prophet ﷺ led some 1,400 companions out of Madīnah in iḥrām, intending only to perform ʿumrah, but Quraysh sent forces to block the road, and the caravan halted at al-Ḥudaybiyah on the edge of the sanctuary.

Recalled in āyah 1, 2

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا

Indeed, We have given you, [O Muḥammad], a clear conquest

لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنۢبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَٰطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

That Allāh may forgive for you what preceded of your sin [i.e., errors] and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path

Cited toIbn Hishām, al-Sīrah (via Ibn Isḥāq); Ibn Kathīr, introduction to Sūrat al-Fatḥ

  • Madd — 2 vowels
  • Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
  • Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
  • Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
  • Ghunnah — 2 vowels
  • Qalqalah
  • Ikhfāʾ
  • Ikhfāʾ shafawī
  • Idghām shafawī
  • Idghām with ghunnah
  • Idghām without ghunnah
  • Idghām mutajānisayn
  • Idghām mutaqāribayn
  • Iqlāb
  • Hamzat al-waṣl
  • Lām shamsiyyah
  • Silent letter

Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).

THEME 01Āyāt 1–3

A treaty renamed: 'We have given you a clear victory'

Indeed, We have given you a clear conquest, that Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow, complete His favour upon you, and guide you to a straight path. The surah opens by declaring the very agreement that felt like a setback to many companions a clear victory in Allah's sight — its fruits being unhindered daʿwah, safety, and the conversions that followed in the two years afterward.

Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 48:1–2; Ibn Kathīr on 48:1

1

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا

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Indeed, We have given you, [O Muḥammad], a clear conquest

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2

لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنۢبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَٰطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا

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That Allāh may forgive for you what preceded of your sin [i.e., errors] and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path

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From the tafsīr

The 'clear conquest' refers to the Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyah itself; scholars note that in the two years after the treaty, more people entered Islam than in all the years before it combined, because the truce allowed free movement and conversation between the two sides.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 48:1

The forgiveness mentioned is understood as elevation of rank rather than removal of sin the Prophet ﷺ was infallible from major wrongdoing; being singled out for such address is itself an honour bound to the victory just granted.

Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 48:1–2

Key takeaways

Reflect

What setback in your own life might, with time, be revealed as the doorway to something greater?

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Question 1 of 2

According to Ibn Kathīr, what followed in the two years after the treaty?

Question 2 of 2

What event does 48:1 name as 'a clear conquest'?

THEME 02Āyāt 4–7

Tranquillity sent into anxious hearts

It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their faith. To Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth. Amid the uncertainty of a treaty many did not yet understand, Allah describes His own intervention in the believers' hearts as the true source of their steadiness, not any worldly reassurance.

Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 48:4; Ibn Kathīr on 48:4

4

هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا مَّعَ إِيمَـٰنِهِمْ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

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It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allāh belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allāh Knowing and Wise.

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From the tafsīr

The sakīnah (tranquillity) here is understood as a calm certainty that settled the believers' hearts after the unease of the treaty's terms, allowing their faith to grow rather than waver.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 48:4

That 'to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth' immediately follows the mention of tranquillity shows that Allah's help is not limited to visible armies; an unseen calming of hearts is itself among His hosts.

Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 48:4

Key takeaways

Reflect

When has an unseen calm carried you through a situation that made no outward sense yet?

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0 / 1 correct

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Question 1 of 1

What does al-Saʿdī note about the mention of 'soldiers of the heavens and the earth' after tranquillity in 48:4?

THEME 03Āyāt 10, 18

The pledge under the tree

Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you are actually pledging allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is over their hands. Allah was certainly pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree — He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with an imminent conquest. When word spread that ʿUthmān had been killed, some 1,400 companions pledged themselves to fight to the death, and Allah announces His pleasure with them by name.

Drawn fromIbn Kathīr on 48:18; Tafsīr as-Saʿdī on 48:10

10

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۚ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِمَا عَـٰهَدَ عَلَيْهُ ٱللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

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Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, [O Muḥammad] - they are actually pledging allegiance to Allāh. The hand of Allāh is over their hands. So he who breaks his word only breaks it to the detriment of himself. And he who fulfills that which he has promised Allāh - He will give him a great reward.

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18

۞ لَّقَدْ رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَـٰبَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

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Certainly was Allāh pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you, [O Muḥammad], under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility upon them and rewarded them with an imminent conquest

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From the tafsīr

This pledge, known as Bayʿat ar-Riḍwān ('the pledge of good pleasure'), was taken under a samurah tree at al-Ḥudaybiyah after the rumour of ʿUthmān's death; Allah's direct declaration of pleasure with those present is unique in the Qur'an to this event.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 48:18

'The hand of Allah is over their hands' is affirmed as one of Allah's attributes in a manner befitting His majesty, without likening it to created hands, following the standard method of the early scholars with such verses.

Cited toTafsīr as-Saʿdī on 48:10

Key takeaways

Reflect

What commitment have you made that, in truth, is owed first to Allah rather than to any person?

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Question 1 of 2

What prompted the pledge described in 48:18, known as Bayʿat ar-Riḍwān?

Question 2 of 2

How does al-Qurṭubī explain the phrase 'the hand of Allah is over their hands' in 48:10?

THEME 04Āyāt 27

The vision fulfilled: entering the Sacred Mosque

Certainly has Allah shown to His Messenger the vision in truth: you will surely enter al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, if Allah wills, in safety, with heads shaved and shortened, not fearing — He knew what you did not know, and has arranged before that a conquest near at hand. The dream that had raised hopes before the Ḥudaybiyah journey is confirmed as true, even though its fulfilment was delayed by a year.

Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī on 48:27; Ibn Kathīr on 48:27

27

لَّقَدْ صَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ ٱلرُّءْيَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ ٱلْحَرَامَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَ ۖ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا۟ فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

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Certainly has Allāh showed to His Messenger the vision [i.e., dream] in truth. You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, if Allāh wills, in safety, with your heads shaved and [hair] shortened, not fearing [anyone]. He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a conquest near [at hand].

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From the tafsīr

The Prophet ﷺ had seen in a dream before setting out that he would enter Makkah and perform ʿumrah; when the party was turned back at Ḥudaybiyah, some were troubled that the dream seemed unfulfilled, and this āyah confirms it was true — its timing simply was not the same year.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 48:27

'He knew what you did not know' is read as addressing the disappointment some felt at Ḥudaybiyah: Allah's arrangement included the immediate benefit of the treaty itself as 'a conquest near at hand', prior to the fuller entry the following year.

Cited toAl-Ṭabarī on 48:27

Key takeaways

Reflect

What promise are you still waiting to see fulfilled, whose timing is simply not yet clear to you?

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Check yourself

0 / 1 correct

Answer from memory before scrolling back — retrieval is what makes it stick.

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Question 1 of 1

What had troubled some companions about the Prophet's ﷺ dream after the Ḥudaybiyah journey?

THEME 05Āyāt 29

The closing portrait: 'forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves'

Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure; their sign is in their faces from the effect of prostration. The surah closes with a description of the companions drawn from the Torah and the Gospel, likening their growth to a plant that delights its sowers and enrages its enemies.

Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 48:29; Ibn Kathīr on 48:29

29

مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُۥٓ أَشِدَّآءُ عَلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَآءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَىٰهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنًا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِى وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ ٱلسُّجُودِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ ۚ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِى ٱلْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْـَٔهُۥ فَـَٔازَرَهُۥ فَٱسْتَغْلَظَ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِۦ يُعْجِبُ ٱلزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ ٱلْكُفَّارَ ۗ وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًۢا

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Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allāh and [His] pleasure. Their sign is in their faces from the effect of prostration [i.e., prayer]. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that He [i.e., Allāh] may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allāh has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.

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From the tafsīr

The description in the Torah and Gospel is understood to be a prophecy of the character and eventual flourishing of the Prophet's ﷺ community, growing in numbers and strength until it provokes the disbelievers' anger by its very success.

Cited toIbn Kathīr on 48:29

Firmness toward disbelief and mercy within the believing community are named together as complementary qualities, not a contradiction; each is exercised toward its proper object.

Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 48:29

Key takeaways

Reflect

Does your own bearing show both firmness in principle and mercy toward those close to you?

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Check yourself

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Answer from memory before scrolling back — retrieval is what makes it stick.

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Question 1 of 2

What image does 48:29 use to describe the community's growth, as found in the Gospel?

Question 2 of 2

According to 48:29, how are the companions described toward one another?

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VOCABULARY

Roots from this surah

Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.

ف ت ح

āyāt 1, 18, 27

to open, to grant victory

  • فَتَحْنَاWe have granted victory
  • فَتْحًاa conquest, an opening
  • الفَاتِحthe One who grants victory / opens

س ك ن

āyāt 4, 18, 26

to be still, to settle, tranquillity

  • ٱلسَّكِينَةَtranquillity
  • سَكَنَhe became still, settled
  • مَسْكَنdwelling place

ب ي ع

āyāt 10, 18

to trade, to pledge allegiance

  • يُبَايِعُونَكَthey pledge allegiance to you
  • بَيْعَةa pledge of allegiance
  • بَاعَhe sold, he traded

غ ف ر

āyāt 2, 14, 29

to forgive, to cover

  • يَغْفِرَHe may forgive
  • مَّغْفِرَةًforgiveness
  • غَفُورEver-Forgiving

ر ض ي

āyāt 18, 29

to be pleased, to approve

  • رَضِىَHe was pleased
  • رِضْوَٰنًاpleasure, approval
  • مَرْضِيّone who is pleased [with]

ن ك ث

āyāt 10

to break, undo [a pledge]

  • نَّكَثَhe broke [his pledge]
  • نَاكِثone who breaks a pledge
  • نَكْثthe breaking of a covenant

ح م د

āyāt 29

to praise

  • مُّحَمَّدٌMuḥammad, the praised one
  • ٱلْحَمْدُall praise
  • مَحْمُودpraiseworthy

ش د د

āyāt 29

to be strong, firm, intense

  • أَشِدَّآءُforceful, firm
  • شَدِيدsevere, intense
  • اشْتَدَّit became intense

Carry this with you

  • A treaty that looks like a concession can be named a clear victory by Allah if it opens hearts to guidance.
  • Tranquillity in the heart is itself among Allah's unseen soldiers, sent to increase faith amid uncertainty.
  • A pledge of loyalty to the Messenger ﷺ is, at its root, a pledge of loyalty to Allah.
  • Sincerity known only to Allah can be answered with an explicit declaration of His pleasure.
  • A true promise from Allah is not undone by a delay in its fulfilment; His knowledge of the timing exceeds ours.
  • Firmness in principle and mercy within the community are companion virtues, not contradictions.
  • Visible marks of devotion testify to an inward reality cultivated over time.
  • Growth rooted in sincere worship can, like a sturdy plant, quietly unsettle those who oppose it.

Where this surah connects

Cross-surah threads

Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.

The four trials2 movementsThe signs you already walk on2 movementsThe Hour and the accounting1 movementProvision, wealth and the tongue that forgets1 movementPatience while the answer is delayed1 movementRefuge, protection and the unseen harm1 movement
All threads →

Sources behind Sūrah Al-Fatḥ

Every line of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these references. Ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com and āyah references open on quran.com, so you can check the claim rather than take it on trust. The Arabic text itself is fetched live from a verified public corpus.

Seerah & history2

  • Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah
  • Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah (via Ibn Isḥāq)
FINAL ASSESSMENT

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Al-Fatḥ — full exam

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8 questions across 5 themes.

Al-Fatḥ · The closing portrait: 'forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves'

What image does 48:29 use to describe the community's growth, as found in the Gospel?

Arabic (Uthmānī script) and the Ṣaḥīḥ International translation are fetched live from the Quran.com API (v4), sourced from the King Fahd Complex muṣḥaf — api.quran.com API docs · Translation: Ṣaḥīḥ International · Integrity & testing protocol