Ayahs 48:4–7Bounties of Allah upon the Participants of Hudaibiyah
In the first three verses of this Surah, reference was made to Allah's particular bounties bestowed upon the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the wake of the manifest victory. Some of the participants of Hudaibiyah congratulating the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، asked him that the favours are conferred exclusively upon him, but what is there in it for them? In response to this query, verses 4-7 were revealed. They distinctly refer to the good graces of Allah upon the participants of Hudaibiyah and the Pledge of Ridwan. These favours were generously bestowed upon them because of faith in, and obedience to, the Holy Prophet ﷺ . All believers whose faith and obedience are complete and perfect will receive similar good graces of Allah.
Ayahs 48:8–10Injunctions and Related Considerations
In the preceding verses, Allah referred to the favours he bestowed generously upon the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his Ummah, especially upon those who participated in the pledge of Ridwan. The Bestower of the favours is Allah and the medium is the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Therefore, in the current set of verses, the right of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the obligation of the Ummah to honour and revere him is entrenched. First, three attributes of the Holy Prophet ﷺ are referred to: shahid, mubashshir, nadhir. Shahid means 'witness' and its sense here is the same as that of shahid which occurs in [ 4:41].
. فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِن كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَىٰ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ شَهِيدًا
"How would it, then, be when We shall bring a witness from every community and shall bring you over them as a witness.
Both forms of the word mean "a witness". Every Prophet (علیہ السلام) will bear testimony to the fact that he has delivered Allah's message to his particular community - some accepted and others rejected. See Ma` ariful Qur'an, Vol 2/pp 442-3 for details. Likewise the Holy Prophet ﷺ will bear witness for his community. Qurtubi writes under [ 4:41] that the prophets' testimony will be for the people of their respective time as to who accepted their call to the Truth and who defied it. Likewise the Holy Prophet's ﷺ testimony will be for the people of his particular time. Other scholars express the view that the Holy Prophet ﷺ will bear witness to the entire community's good and bad works, and to its obedience and defiance, because, according to some versions, angels present to the Holy Prophet ﷺ morning and evening the works of the community. Thus he is aware of the entire community's works.
Mubashshir and Nadhir: Mubashshir connotes bearer of good tidings and nadhir means a warner. That is to say, he gives glad tidings of Paradise to the believing and obedient sector of the community. On the other hand, he is a Warner to those who rejected the message - making them aware of the punishment of such defiance. Further, the purpose of sending the Messenger has been indicated - that is, to believe in Allah and his Messenger ﷺ . In addition, it is mentioned that the believers must be characterized by three more qualities:
[ 1] that they should "support him"
[ 2] "and revere him"; and
[ 3] "pronounce His (Allah's) purity morning and evening."
The first phrase contains a verb which is derived from the infinitive or verbal noun ta’ zir which denotes to help or support. Punishment is also called to ta’ zir because the idea underlying punishment is to give real help to the criminal by punishing him (Raghib: Mufradatul Qur’ an). The second phrase contains a verb which is derived from the infinitive or verbal noun tawqir which means to show reverence. The third phrase contains a verb which is derived from the infinitive or verbal noun tasbih which connotes to declare the purity of Allah. In this phrase, the third person anaphoric pronoun attached to the verb refers, by consensus of Qur'anic grammarians, to "Allah", and there can be no other possibility. Therefore, most of them believe that the third person anaphoric pronouns attached to the respective verbs of the first two phrases also refer to "Allah". From this point of view, the three phrases mean: believe in Allah and help His religion and His Messenger ﷺ ، revere Him and pronounce His purity.
Other scholars refer the third person anaphoric pronouns attached to the verbs of the first two phrases to the "Messenger". From this point of view, the phrases mean: Help the Messenger and revere him; and pronounce the purity of Allah. However, there is a third group of scholars who feel that in this interpretation there is intishar-ud-dama'ir or unconcentrated distribution of pronouns - leading to pronominal ambiguity and vagueness, and making it difficult to follow the meaning of the constructions which is not in conformity with the rules of Arabic rhetoric or ` ilm-ul-balaghah. Allah knows best.
After that, there is reference to the pledge of Ridwan which was narrated in part [ 10] of the story of Hudaibiyah. The purpose of the believers in entering into the pledge at the hands of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was to act upon the command of Allah and to receive His good pleasure. Therefore, when the blessed Companions ؓ placed their hands on the hand of the Holy Prophet ﷺ it was tantamount to taking the pledge at the hands of Allah. 'Allah's hand' is in any case something falling in the category of mutashabihat the correct nature of which is cannot be known to us, nor should we attempt to investigate its reality. The significance of the pledge of Ridwan is described later in the Surah. The word bai'ah, lexically, connotes a pledge to do some particular work. The ancient and traditional method of this pledge is for the pledging parties to place their hands upon each other, although the placing of hands is not a necessary condition. Nevertheless once the pledge is consummated, juristically it is binding, and its violation is unlawful. Therefore, it is later laid down that whoever violates the pledge will cause loss to himself. It will not cause loss to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ . Whoever fulfils the terms of the pledge will receive a mighty reward from Allah.
Ayahs 48:11–14Related Considerations
Reference in this passage is to those Bedouin tribes who were invited by Allah's Messenger ﷺ to join the party of 1400 Muslims who were marching to Hudaibiyah but on one pretext or another, they requested to be excused. This was narrated in part [ 1] of the story of Hudaibiyah. According to some versions, some of those people later repented and became sincere Muslims.
Ayahs 48:15–16Injunctions and Related Issues
The reference in this passage is to the incident which took place in the 7th year of Hijrah after the Holy Prophet ﷺ returned from Hudaibiyah. When he intended to march on Khaibar, he took with him only those sincere Muslims who were with him at Hudaibiyah and participated in the Pledge of Ridwan. When Allah promised His Messenger ﷺ the conquest of Khaibar and great spoils, those Bedouin tribes who had contrived to remain behind when the Holy Prophet ﷺ went for ` Umrah, requested the Holy Prophet ﷺ to be allowed to join the Muslim army, either because they guessed that Khaibar would be conquered and they would receive a good share of the booty, or because they perceived the divine blessings bestowed on the Muslims as a result of the expedition of Hudaibiyah' and being remorseful on their wrong decision, they intended to join the new expedition. In response to their request, the Qur'an says: يُرِ‌يدُونَ أَن يُبَدِّلُوا كَلَامَ اللَّـهِ "They wish to change the statement of Allah...[ 48:15] " 'Allah's statement' refers to the injunction that the right to participate in the expedition of Khaibar and receiving a share in its spoils is reserved exclusively for those sincere Muslims who were with the Holy Prophet ﷺ at Hudaibiyah. The same injunction is again referred to by saying, كَذَٰلِكُمْ قَالَ اللَّـهُ مِن قَبْلُ "Allah had said like this beforehand.... [ 48:15] " It means that the injunction of restricting the right of participation in Khyber to the participants of Hudaibiyah had been revealed by Allah before the revelation of these verses. However, this injunction is not available in the Qur'an anywhere else. So the question is: how is it then correct to refer this injunction as a 'statement of Allah' or as 'Allah has said like this'? Answer to this question depends on understanding the different kinds of the divine revelation which follow:
Divine Revelation is not restricted to the Qur’ an; Many injunctions are revealed without being a part of the Qur’ an, and Prophetic ahadith have also the status of being 'Allah's injunctions'
Wahy [ revelation ] is divisible into two types: [ 1] Wahy Matluww or recited revelation; and [ 2] Wahy Ghayr-Matluww or unrecited revelation. Wahy Matluww refers to the Qur'an - the words and meanings of which are both from Allah. Wahy Ghayr-Matluww refers to the Hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ - the wordings of which are from the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the meanings of which are from Allah (See Ma ariful Qur an: Vol. 2/570).Wally Ghayr-Matluww, like Wahy Matluww, is one of the fundamental sources of Islamic injunctions.
With this juristic principle in mind, scholars have explained that the restrictive injunction made to the participants of Hudaibiyah is nowhere asserted explicitly in the Qur'an or Wahy Matluww. However, it was made for them to the Holy Prophet through Wahy Ghayr-Matluww on his way to Hudaibiyah to which the Qur'an refers by the phrases Kalamullah (the statement of Allah) and qalAllah (Allah said). From this a general juristic rule may be deduced that the injunctions entrenched in ahadith sahihah [ Authentic Prophetic Traditions ] have the status of being 'Allah's statement' and 'Allah's saying'. These verses are sufficient to unmask the deviation of those who turned aside from the truth by refusing to accept ahadith as a religious authority.
Some people have tried to argue that the restrictive injunction is found in the Qur'an itself, that is in verses 18 and 19 of this very Surah "so He sent down tranquility upon them, and rewarded them with a well-nigh victory, and many spoils that they would receive." This verse was revealed in the beginning of the journey to Hudaibiah, and "well-nigh victory" refers, according to consensus of Qur'anic scholars, to the victory of Khaibar. Thus the phrases Kalamullah (the statement of Allah) and qalallah (Allah said) could refer to verses 18 and 19, and it is not necessary that it is construed as an injunction conveyed through Wahy Ghayr-Matluww. But this argument is misconceived because verse 18 and 19 contain a promise that the participants of Hudaibiah would receive many spoils in the victory of Khaibar, but it is nowhere mentioned in these verses that these spoils will be restricted to the participants of Hudaibiah and no one else will participate in them. Therefore, No doubt, this restriction was made by Wahy Ghayr-Matluww or the Hadith of the Holy Prophet ﷺ which is meant by the Qur'anic phrases Kalamullah and qalallah.
Some people have applied the words, 'the statement of Allah' occurring in verse 15 to verse 83 of Surah At-Taubah:
فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُ‌وجِ فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُ‌جُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَن تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا ۖ إِنَّكُمْ رَ‌ضِيتُم بِالْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّ‌ةٍ
They sought disorder even earlier and tried to upset matters for you, until the Truth arrived and the will of Allah prevailed, though they disliked it. [ Surah Taubah: 83]
This is not true, because the verses of Surah At-Taubah pertain to the battle of Tabuk which took place in the 9th year of Hijrah whereas the expedition of Khaibar took place two years earlier in the 7th year of Hijrah (Qurtubi; and others).
قُل لَّن تَتَّبِعُونَا ("...say: 'You shall not follow us' - 48:15".) In this clause, the laggards who contrived to be left behind are emphatically told that they could not be allowed to march against the Jews of Khaibar and partake of the booty. However, this prohibition is restricted to the expedition of Khaibar, but in the near future they would be allowed to fight other battles. This is the reason why from among the laggards, the tribes of Muzainah and Juhainah later on fought in the company of the Holy Prophet ﷺ (a1-Ruh citing from al-Bahr; Bayan).
Some of the Laggards Repent and Become Sincere Muslims
All the laggards that did not march towards Hudaibiyah were prohibited from taking part in the expedition of Khaibar, whereas not all of them were hypocrites, some were sincere Muslims. And some at that particular time were hypocrites, but later on, through the Grace of Allah, they became sincere Muslims. Verse [ 16] consoles and comforts the laggards that though, because of Allah's promise made to the participants of Hudaibiyah, they cannot be allowed to take part in the expedition of Khaibar, yet in the near future the sincere Muslims would be called upon to fight against much more powerful enemies. Thus the Qur'an predicts '' سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ تُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ "You will be called against a people possessed of strong fighting power; you will have to fight them, or they will submit". (48:16)
We need to bear in mind the verse foretells that they will be invited to take part in battles that will be fought against a formidable militant nation. Islamic history bears ample testimony to the fact that this prediction was not fulfilled during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . There are several reasons for this. First of all, though battles did take place during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet ﷺ after the expedition of Khaibar, there is no proof that the Holy Prophet ﷺ called upon the Bedouins to fight. Secondly, after that no battle took place with such a nation whose fighters were so brave, chivalrous and formidable as the Qur'an describes. Although in the battle of Tabuk the encounter was with a formidable force, neither is there any evidence that the Bedouins were invited to fight, nor did any actual fighting take place in Tabuk, because Allah had infused terror in the minds of the opponents, and they did not turn up. As far as the battle of Hunain is concerned, there is no proof of their being invited, nor was the opponent so powerful. Therefore, some of the leading scholars of Tafsir express the view that the prediction in the verse refers to the fierce and protracted wars with the Byzantine and Iranian empires which took place during the reign of Sayyidna Al-Faruq ul-A` zam ؓ (Ibn ` Abba, 'Ata, Mujahid, Ibn Abi Laila, and Hasan in Qurtubi' ). Sayyidna Rafi` Ibn Khadij ؓ says: " We read this verse in the Qur'an in which the word 'qawm' (people) occurs, but we did not know to which 'qawm' reference is made, until after the Holy Prophet ﷺ when Abu Bakr ؓ took over the reign of Caliphate and invited us to take up arms against Banu Hanifah, the people of Yamamah, that is, Musailimah-Kadhdhab. So we thought the Qur'an refers to this 'qawm' (people)." However, there is no conflict or contradiction between these views. The word 'qawm' (people) could comprehend all these nations. Having cited all these views, Imam Qurtubi asserts that this verse confirms the legitimacy of the Caliphate of Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ . The Qur'an itself asserts in the above-quoted verse their calling upon the people to fight.
تُقَاتِلُونَهُمْ أَوْ يُسْلِمُونَ ("...you will have to fight them, or they will submit" ) According to the gira’ ah (reading) of Sayyidna 'Ubaiyy in the second disjunctive clause أَوْ يُسْلِمُوا au yuslimu the nun has been omitted. Therefore, Imam Qurtubi takes the disjunctive particle au originally standing for "or" in the sense of hatta (until). In other words, the fighting will carry on with that nation until they surrender - whether by embracing Islam or by submitting to the Islamic rule.
Ayah 48:17لَّيْسَ عَلَى الْأَعْمَىٰ حَرَجٌ (There is no blame on the blind, nor is there any blame on the lame, nor is there any blame on the sick...48:17) Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ reports that when some sincere Muslims who were physically unable to fight read the concluding clause of verse 16: وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْا كَمَا تَوَلَّيْتُم مِّن قَبْلُ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا .
“ And if you turn away, as you had turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment. [ 48:16] " they expressed their concern about the warning. Verse [ 17] was revealed to exempt them from the injunction of jihad. These people included blind, lame or sick persons (Qurtubi). And Allah knows best!
Ayah 48:18Commentary
لَّقَدْ رَ‌ضِيَ اللَّـهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ (Allah was pleased with the believers when they were pledging allegiance with you by placing their hands in your hands under the tree,...48:18). The reference in this verse is to the same pledge that was given at Hudaibiyah and which was referred to earlier in verse 10. Verse [ 18] reinforces verse [ 10.]. In verse [ 18] Allah announces that those sincere participants who took this solemn oath have obtained His pleasure. Therefore, the oath came to be known as bai` at-ur-Ridwan (that is, the pledge that earned Allah's pleasure). The purpose of this is to compliment the participants of the allegiance and to emphasise the obligation of fulfilling the covenant. It is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Sayyidna Jabir ؓ that on the day of Hudaibiyah, the companions were 1400 people, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ said to them: اَنتُم خَیرُ اھلِ الارضِ "You are the best of people living on the surface of the earth." It is recorded in Muslim on the authority of Umm Bishr ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said, لا یدخل النَّارَ اَحَدُ مِمَّن بَایَعَ تَحتَ الشَّجرَۃِ "None of those who swore fealty under the tree will enter the Fire" (Mazhari). Therefore, the participants of this allegiance are like the participants of the battle of Badr. The Qur'an and Hadith give glad tidings of Allah's pleasure and Paradise to the participants of the battle of Badr. Likewise the sources give glad tidings of Allah's pleasure and Paradise to the participants of bai` at-ur-Ridwan. These tidings bear testimony to the fact that these sincere participants meet their end in the state of faith, righteousness, and with deeds that please Allah, because this announcement of Allah's pleasure guarantees that.
Vilification of, and Finding Fault with, the Noble Companions prohibited
Tafsir Mazhari says that the noble Companions are among the best of the Prophet's ﷺ followers, and as such Allah has announced forgiveness of their sins, shortcomings and slips - if they committed any. Therefore, it is against the declaration of this verse to investigate into those of their deeds that are not laudable, and to make it a subject of debate. It is also a crystal clear denunciation of the attitude of Rawafid, the Shiites, who reject the legitimacy of the caliphs Abu Bakr ؓ ، ` Umar ؓ and ` Uthman, and vilify them and other blessed Companions ؓ - condemning them as unbelievers and hypocrites.
The Tree of Ridwan
The tree that is mentioned in this verse refers to mimosa arabica or the gum-acacia tree. It is reported that after the Holy Prophet ﷺ some people used to take walk there and perform salah. Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ came to know about this and feared that the future generation lacking in knowledge might start worshipping the very tree, as it happened in the past generations. Therefore, he had the tree felled (cut down a tree). However, it is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Sayyidna Tariq Ibn ` Abdur-Rahman who reports: "I once went for Hajj, and I passed by some people who had gathered in a place and were performing salah. I asked them: 'Which mosque is this?'. They replied: 'This is the tree under which the Holy Prophet ﷺ took bai` at-ur-Ridwan.' After that I went up to Sayyidna Said Ibn Musayyab and narrated this incident to him. He said: 'My father was one of those who participated in bai` at-ur-Ridwan. He said to me that when he went to Makkah the following year he looked for the tree, but could not find it.' Then Sayyidna Said Ibn Musayyab ؓ added: 'Companions ؓ who participated in bai` at-ur-Ridwan at the hands of the Holy Prophet ﷺ themselves are unaware of the location of the tree, but it is strange that you should know about it. Are you more knowledgeable than they are?'" (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani). This goes to show that later on people must have determined conjecturally - based on incomplete and doubtful evidence - about a particular tree that it was the tree under which the pledge was taken. As a result, they frequented the place and performed salah. Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ knew that it was not the real tree. Then he apprehended people's involvement in shirk. Therefore, he had the tree felled.
Conquest of Khaibar
Khaibar is the name of a province which comprises many settlements, fortresses and gardens (Mazhari). Verse 18 refers to the victory of Khaibar by saying, وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِ‌يبًا "and rewarded them with a well-nigh victory,". There is consensus of the scholars on that 'well-nigh victory' in this verse means the victory of Khaibar which occurred after returning from Hudaibiyah. According to some versions, the Holy Prophet ﷺ stayed in Madinah after returning from Hudaibiyah only for ten days, and according to other versions, he stayed for twenty days. Then he marched against Khaibar. According to Ibn Ishaq's version, he returned to Madinah in the month of Dhulhijjah and set out for Khaibar in the month of Muharram in the 7th year of Hijrah.
Khaibar was conquered in the month of Safar in the 7th year of Hijrah. This is reported by Waqidi's Maghazi. According to Hafiz Ibn-Hajar, this is the preferred opinion. (Tafsir Mazhari)
In any case, this shows that the conquest of Khaibar took place many days after the march to Hudaibiyah. According to consensus of scholarly opinion, Surah Al-Fath was revealed in the course of his return journey from Hudaibiya. However, there is a difference of opinion whether the Surah was revealed in its entirety or some of its verses were revealed later. If the first view is preferred, then the conquest of Khaibar is a prophecy that Muslims will definitely achieve and is described in past perfect tense to denote that it is as certain as an event that has already happened in the past. If the second view is preferred, it is possible that these verses were revealed after the conquest of Khaibar. Allah knows best!
Ayah 48:19وَمَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَ‌ةً يَأْخُذُونَهَا (and many spoils that they would receive...48:19) This clause refers to the great booty that fell into the hands of Muslims during the conquest of Khaibar.
Ayah 48:20ذِهِ (Allah had promised you many spoils that you would receive, so He gave these to you sooner - 48:20). The phrase "many spoils" mentioned here refers to the sizeable spoils that fell into the hands of Muslims in the conquests which followed the victory at Khaibar, in the rest of Arabia and the neighbouring countries. This verse embodies a prophecy that Muslims will achieve other great victories after the victory of Khaibar, and in consequence many spoils until the end of the world. However, before those numerous conquests, the conquest of Daibar was given first, the spoils of which were reserved by Allah exclusively for the participants of Hudaibiyah. But the spoils to be achieved in all the next conquest would be common to all. This shows that the injunction of reserving the right of participating in Khaibar is not laid down explicitly in these verses. That injunction was laid down, as detailed earlier, in a separate category of revelation, that is, in the unrecited revelation. The Holy Prophet ﷺ acted upon the injunction and imparted its knowledge to the noble Companions ؓ .
وَكَفَّ أَيْدِيَ النَّاسِ عَنكُمْ (...and stopped the hands of the people from (harming) you. ... 48:20). This refers to the unbelievers of Khaibar. In this battle, Allah did not allow them the opportunity to show much strength or force. Imam Baghawi says that the tribe of Ghatafan was the ally of the Jews of Khaibar. When it heard of the Holy Prophet's ﷺ march against the Jews of Khaibar, it equipped itself with heavy arms to defend the Jews. But Allah infused terror into their minds, and they were worried that if they went forward, it was possible that a Muslim army might attack their homes in their absence. As a result, they got cold feet and did not have the courage to proceed (Mazhari).
وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا (...And (He did this) so that He guides you to the right path.... 48:20) It is clarified earlier (in the commentary on verse 2 of this Surah that there are several degrees of guidance. From that point of view, they were all already guided on the straight path. Here it refers to the degree of guidance which they had not yet attained, that is, full reliance on Allah and increase in the power of faith.
Ayahs 48:21–23وَعَدَكُمُ اللَّـهُ مَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَ‌ةً تَأْخُذُونَهَا فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَـٰ
وَأُخْرَ‌ىٰ لَمْ تَقْدِرُ‌وا عَلَيْهَا قَدْ أَحَاطَ اللَّـهُ بِهَا (And (there are) other (victories) that have not come within your power as yet, (but) Allah has encompassed them...." (48:21). This verse embodies a prophecy that Muslims will achieve many more great victories after the victory of Khaibar. But Allah says that they were unable to achieve them at that time; they would happen in future. Among these victories, Makkah was the first one to be achieved. Therefore, some scholars refer this to the victory of Makkah. However, the wordings are general and refer to all the victories that will be achieved till the end of the world (Mazhari).
Ayah 48:24Commentary
بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ (...in the valley of Makkah...) The Arabic word used here is batn which means 'belly' and in relation to a city, it refers to its center.
However, in the present context it is used for Hudaibiyah, because of its close proximity to Makkah. This supports the Hanafi view that some parts of Hudaibiyah are included in the حِرِم Haram. The relevant details may be found in our commentary on the verse 2:196.
Ayah 48:25فَتُصِيبَكُم مِّنْهُم مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ (and thus an embarrassing situation might have befallen you because of them unknowingly....48:25): According to some authorities on lexicology ma'arrah connotes "sin"; according to others it means "harm"; and other authorities say it denotes "shame" or "embarrassment". In this context, apparently the last meaning appears to be apt. There was a nucleus of Muslims in Makkah and if the fight had broken out, Muslim army would have unwittingly killed their own Muslim brethren in faith, thereby causing great injury to their own cause, and incurring obloquy and opprobrium for themselves.
Natural Safeguard of the Noble Companions against Mistakes
Imam Qurtubi says that if a Muslim unknowingly kills another Muslim, it is not a sin or crime. It is, however, certainly a source of shame, embarrassment and regret. Since it is a Qatl Khata', the laws of diyah [ blood-wit ] will apply. Allah has protected the noble Companions ؓ against this as well. This shows the noble Companions ؓ are not infallible like the prophets of Allah, but Allah has in general terms safeguarded them in a natural way against mistakes which would be a cause of embarrassment, obloquy and opprobrium to them.
لِّيُدْخِلَ اللَّـهُ فِي رَ‌حْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ (so that Allah may admit to His mercy whom He wills...48:25): It means that Allah infused patience in Muslims on this occasion to avoid war, because He knew that many people in future would embrace Islam on whom His mercy will be showered. Similarly the nucleus of Muslims who were detained in Makkah will also receive a large share of His mercy.
لَوْ تَزَيَّلُوا (And if they [ the believing men and women ] had been separate, [ from disbelievers ], We would surely have punished those of them who disbelieved....48:25) Lexically, the word tazayyul denotes 'separation'. The sense is that if Muslims detained in Makkah had been separate and distinct from the unbelievers, the Muslims coming from Madinah would have been able to save them in case of war, and Allah would have had the disbelievers punished then and there, because that was the demand of their attitude. However, the Makkan society at that time was a mixed society - helpless Muslim men and women and non-Muslims were living together. The Muslims were indistinguishable from non-Muslims. If fighting had broken out, there would have been no way to save the Muslims. Therefore, Allah averted the war.
Ayah 48:26لَّقَدْ صَدَقَ اللَّـهُ رَ‌سُولَهُ الرُّ‌ؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ (and made them stick to the word of piety, and they were very much entitled to it, and competent for it - 48:26) ". The construction kalimat-at-taqwa connotes the word of the pious persons, that is, the Kalimah of Tauhid and Risalah whereby a person declares his faith in Allah's Oneness and in the Messenger-ship of Sayyidna Muhammad ﷺ . It is named here as 'word of piety' because this word is the foundation of piety, righteousness and right conduct. The noble Companions ؓ here are said to have better right to it and more worthy of it, and thus Allah exposed and unmasked those people who accused them of infidelity and hypocrisy. Allah asserts that the noble Companions ؓ are more worthy of the word of Islam and better entitled to it, and thus made them adhere to it firmly, whereas the wretched evil-minded people refuse to acknowledge their value and entitlement.
Ayah 48:27Recapitulation of the Event of Hudaibiyah
When the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah was completed, it was decided that the Muslims would not enter Makkah that year, and would return to Madinah without performing ` Umrah. They were highly upset at this, because the blessed Companions ؓ determination to perform ` Umrah was on account of the Holy Prophet's ﷺ vision, which is also a kind of revelation. The fact that everything was apparently happening contrary to the vision, they could not understand how the Holy Prophet's ﷺ journey had served its purpose. Some of the noble Companions ؓ ، as a result, began to doubt, God forbid!, whether the vision was not fulfilled. The non-believers and hypocrites, on the other hand, taunted the believers that their Prophet's dream was not translated into reality. At this, the current set of verses was revealed (Transmitted by Baihaqi and others from Mujahid).
لَّقَدْ صَدَقَ اللَّـهُ رَ‌سُولَهُ الرُّ‌ؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ (Indeed, Allah has made true to His Messenger ﷺ the dream (shown) with truth...48:27). Sidq صِدق[ truth ] is, lexically, the antonym of kidhb کِذب lie or falsehood ]. Both these words are used for statements. If a statement is conformable to existing fact or reality, it is Sidq. If it lacks accord with fact or reality, it is kidhb. Sometimes this word is used in relation to actions. In that case the word connotes the realization of an action, as for instance in [ 33:23], رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّـهَ (Among the believers are men who were true to their covenant with Allah;...). In this case the word sidq takes two grammatical objects, as in this verse the first object of the verb sadaqa is rasulahu and its second object is ru'ya. The verse says that Allah has made true the dream. Here the event that was to take place in future has been expressed in the past perfect tense because of its certainty of occurrence. A reinforcing context that this event is definitely going to take place in future is expressed in energetic aorist thus: لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ You will most definitely enter the Sacred Mosque." (The construction under analysis la-tadkhulu-nna is made up of the following constituents: The corroborative la is prefixed to the aorist denoting "Certainly" + the doubled energetic or corroborative nun reinforcing the sense of "most definitely" appended as a suffix to the future tense tadkhulu "you shall most definitely enter" ). That is to say, the vision you had seen that you have entered the sacred Mosque will most definitely happen. It will not happen this year. It will happen at a future date. The date had not been specified in the dream. The blessed Companions ؓ in their enthusiasm made up their mind to set out for the journey that very year, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ concurred with their determination. There was much Divine wisdom in it which became manifest at the time of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah and served many useful purposes to which reference is , already made. For example, when Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ questioned the whole situation and expressed his doubt, Sayyidna Abu Bakr رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہم allayed his suspicions and misgivings. He said no particular date and year was specified in the Holy Prophet's ﷺ vision. If it did not happen now, it does not matter; it will happen at some other time (Qurtubi).
Importance of insha-Allah for the Performance of Future Works
In this verse Allah promises the Muslims that they will most definitely enter the sacred precincts of Makkah at a future time, and in making His promise He employed the phrase اِنشَا اللہُ insha-Allah [ If Allah wills or God willing ]. Allah being fully aware of His Will, there was no need for Him to have used the phrase, yet He used it (Qurtubi). This has been done for the purpose of teaching the Messenger and the people the importance of insha-Allah. (Qurtubi)
مُحَلِّقِينَ رُ‌ءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِ‌ينَ (...your heads shaved, your hair cut short... 48:27). It is recorded in Bukhari that when ` Umrah that was missed in the sixth year of Hijrah was performed in Dhul Qa'dah of the following year [ 7.H.] and came to be known in history as عُمرَۃُ القضٰی ` Umrat-ul-Qada', Sayyidna Mu'wiyah ؓ says he trimmed the blessed hair of the Holy Prophet ﷺ with a pair of scissors. This incident took place in ` Umrat-ul-Qada', not in hajja-tul-wada' [ farewell pilgrimage ] because on the latter occasion he had his head shaved (Qurtubi).
فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا (So He knew what you did not know....48:27). It was within Allah's power to have allowed the Muslims to enter the sacred Mosque and perform their ` Umrah that very year. However, there was great wisdom in deferring it until the following year which Allah only knew and the Muslims generally did not know. Among these benefits was the conquest of Khaibar which Allah had willed must be achieved first, so that the Muslims may become a powerful force in terms of material resources. This would make it possible for them to perform their ` Umrah peacefully and with tranquility. Thus the Qur'an says: ذَٰ فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِ‌يبًا (and He assigned before that a well-nigh victory.) [ 27] " دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ ;Duna dhalika (before that) in this context stands fort) دُونَ الرُّویَا junar-ru'ya, that is to say, before the fulfilment of this vision, the Muslims must achieve the conquest of Khaibar which is near at hand. Some scholars have expressed the view that فَتْحًا قَرِ‌يبًا fathan qariban [ nigh victory ] refers to the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah itself, because that opened the gate for the victory of Makkah and all subsequent victories. Eventually, all the noble Companions ؓ acknowledged the Treaty to be the greatest of all victories. The meaning of the verse would be: you did not know what wisdom and good lay hidden in your determination to march, then your apparent failure to accomplish it, and eventually in reaching a peace settlement the terms of which seemed to be hurtful to your self-respect but Allah was fully acquainted with it. He had ordained that before the Holy Prophet's ﷺ vision should manifest itself, you might be blessed with another victory in the form of the Peace Treaty of Hudaibiyah - a victory near at hand. As a result of this victory, it was seen by all that while on the occasion of Hudaibiyah the noble Companions ؓ did not number more than 1500, later they increased in number to about 10, 000 (Qurtubi).
This was necessary because the Jews of Khaibar always conspired with the disbelievers of Makkah against the Holy Prophet who was encircled by the Makkans from the South, and by the Jews of Khaibar from the North. Any possible battle with any of them would entail the danger from the backside. The Treaty of Hudaibiyah made the South safe for the Muslims, and they were able to conquer Khaibar on the North without any fear from their back. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)
Ayah 48:28هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْ‌سَلَ رَ‌سُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ (He is the One who has sent His Messenger ﷺ with Guidance and the religion of truth, so that He makes it prevail over all religions....48:28). In the preceding verses, promises were made about conquests and spoils of war; reference was made to the special merits of the participants of Hudaibiyah and general merits of all the noble Companion ؓ ; and glad tidings were given to them. Now at the conclusion of the Surah all these themes are summarized and emphasized. Because these blessings were showered and the glad tidings were given as a result of accepting and obeying the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، the verse lays further stress on strengthening the acceptance and obedience of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It also denounces those who reject the messenger-ship of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and allays suspicions of those Muslims who were dissatisfied with the terms and provisions of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. The verse in addition confirms the messenger-ship of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and, giving glad tidings, makes a very bold prophecy to the effect that not only would Islam prevail in Arabia but would also eventually triumph over all other religions.