Al-Naṣr

Verse 1

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَالْفَتْحُ

Upon the completion of support for you, O Messenger, against the disbelievers of Quraish, and your completing the conquest of Makkah….

Verse 2

وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ أَفْوَاجًا

…and your seeing large numbers of people entering Islām, groups [of them] after groups–

Verse 3

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا

when that happens, get prepared for the meeting with your Lord by mentioning much His being far above all deficiencies,¹ while glorifying Him and expressing thanks²; and by increasing [also] in seeking His forgiveness.³

Indeed, He ever guides to and accepts the repentance of those who mention His being far above all deficiencies as well as those who seek [His] forgiveness. He guides them to repentance, treats them with mercy and care, and accepts their repentance.

Translator’s Notes

¹This is called al-tasbīḥ
²The Arabic here, bi ḥamdihi, means that the tasbīḥ referred to above is to be made along with ḥamd, which means glorifying and Allāh while expressing thanks
³In his monumental work, Al-Silsilah Al-Ṣaḥīḥah, Shaikh Muḥammad Nasir al-Dīn Al-Albānī narrated (ḥadīth 3157):

At the end of his ﷺ situation, he would frequently say:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ

Subḥānallāhi wa bi ḥamdihi; astaghfirullāha wa atūbu ilayhi.

(ʿĀʾishah said:) So I said: “O Messenger of Allāh, what is it with me that I see you saying ‘Subḥānallāhi wa bi ḥamdihi; astaghfirullāha wa atūbu ilayhi’ very often?!”

He said: Indeed, my Lord has informed me that I would see a sign in my people, and He ordered me, when I see that sign, that I declare Him being far above all deficiencies,while glorifying His complete perfection with thanks. So I have seen it:

إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَالْفَتْحُ

وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ أَفْوَاجًا

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا

Source: Al-Tafsīr Al-Muyassar. King Fahd Qurʾān Printing Complex. Madīnah: 1433 H.