An-Nasr, (, , "Help", or "[Divine] Support" ), is the 110th chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 3 āyāt or verses. WHEN the assistance of Allah shall come, and the victory; and thou shalt see the people enter into the religion of Allah by troops: celebrate the praise of thy LORD, and ask pardon of him; for he is inclined to forgive.
An-Nasr translates to English as both "the victory" and "the help or assistance". It is the second-shortest surah after Al-Kawthar. Surah 112 (al-Ikhlāṣ) actually has fewer words in Arabic than Surah An-Nasr, yet it has four verses.
Text and meaning
Text and transliteration
Hafs from Aasim ibn Abi al-Najud
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Warsh from Nafiʽ al-Madani
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Meanings
When comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah),
And you see that the people enter Allah's religion (Islam) in crowds,
So glorify the Praises of your Lord, and ask for His Forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and forgives.
When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest,
And you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes,
Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.
When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory,
And thou dost see the people enter Allah's Religion in crowds,
Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy).
When Allah's succour and the triumph cometh
And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops,
Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy.
Summary
1–3 Command to praise God for the victory of Islam
The surah praises Allah for leading numerous people to Islam. This surah is also known as "The Victory" as in the victory of Islam as it refers to the conquest of Mecca where Muslims beat the enemies of Islam.
This surah talks about the very same battle. It is said that after this battle people realized the Muslims never lost because Allah was on their side and then many people joined Islam.
According to Tafsir ibn Kathir, this surah is equal to 1/4 of the Quran. This was the last surah to be revealed, only a few months before Muhammad's death.
The first ayah means that with God's help, the Muslims prevailed. The second ayah means that after the battle crowds of people came to accept Islam. The third ayah means that God allowed people to join Islam and gave them a second chance no matter how harsh their crimes are, because God is the all-forgiving to humankind.
Hadith
This short surah brings the good news to Muhammad concerning the advent of victory, the conquest and peoples' collective acceptance of Islam. It instructs him to turn towards God in a devoted adoration and a humble request for his forgiveness. The surah also presents the nature and the righteousness of this faith and its ideology - how high humanity ascends to an ideal and brilliant summit unattainable otherwise than by responding to the call of Islam.
Of the several traditions regarding the revelation of this surah, that of Imam Ahmad, goes as follows:
Aisha said that Muhammad used to repeat very frequently, towards the end of his life, 'Exaltations and praises be to God, whose forgiveness I ask; I repent of my sins.' He also said, 'My Lord told me I would see a sign in my nation. He ordered me to praise him, the Forgiving, and ask his pardon when I see this sign. Indeed,I have When the victory granted by God and the conquest come ... (transmitted by Muslim)
Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on the Qur'an:
The Conquest, it is unanimously agreed, is a reference to the conquest of Mecca. The Arab tribes were awaiting the settlement of the conflict between Quraish and the Muslims, before accepting Islam, saying: 'If he, Muhammad, prevails over his people, he would indeed be a prophet.' Consequently, when that was accomplished they accepted Islam in large numbers. Not two years were to pass after the conquest of Mecca when the whole Arabian Peninsula was dominated by Islam, and, all thanks to God, every Arab tribe had declared its belief Islam.
Al-Bukhari in his Sahih related:
Amr ibn Salamah said that when Mecca was conquered, every tribe hastened to declare acceptance of Islam to Muhammad. They were waiting for it to take place saying: 'Leave them to themselves.' He would indeed be a prophet if he prevailed over them.