Tafsir of Surah Al-Fath - Verse 27

Allah has indeed fulfilled the True Vision which He showed to His Prophet

In a dream, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw himself entering Makkah and performing Tawaf around the House. He told his Companions about this dream when he was still in Al-Madinah. When they went to Makkah in the year of Al-Hudaybiyyah, none of them doubted that the Prophet's vision would come true that year. When the treaty of peace was conducted and they had to return to Al-Madinah that year, being allowed to return to Makkah the next year, some of the Companions disliked what happened. `Umar bin Al-Khattab asked about this, saying, "Haven't you told us that we will go to the House and perform Tawaf around it" The Prophet said,

«بَلَى أَفَأَخْبَرْتُكَ أَنَّكَ تَأْتِيهِ عَامَكَ هذَا؟»

(Yes. Have I told you that you will go to it this year) `Umar said, "No." The Prophet said,

«فَإِنَّكَ آتِيهِ وَمُطَّوِّفٌ بِه»

(Then you will go to it and perform Tawaf around it.) `Umar received the same answer from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, letter for letter. This is why Allah the Exalted and Most honored said,

لَّقَدْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ الرُّؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ

(Indeed Allah shall fulfill the true vision which He showed to His Messenger in very truth. Certainly, you shall enter Al-Masjid Al-Haram, if Allah wills,) and He willed that this matter shall certainly occur,

ءَامِنِينَ

(secure,) means, `upon your entering,'

مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ

((some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your hair cut short,) and some of them indeed had their head hair shaved, while some of them had their head hair shortened. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«رَحِمَ اللهُ الْمُحَلِّقِين»

(O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their head shaved.) The people said, "O Allah's Messenger! And (invoke Allah for) those who get their hair cut short." He said,

«رَحِمَ اللهُ الْمُحَلِّقِين»

(O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their head shaved.) The people said, "O Allah's Messenger! And those who get their hair cut short." The Prophet said,

«رَحِمَ اللهُ الْمُحَلِّقِين»

(O Allah! Be merciful to those who have their head shaved.) The people said, "O Allah's Messenger! And those who get their hair cut short." The Prophet said (the third or the fourth time),

«وَالْمُقَصِّرِين»

(And to those who get their hair cut short.) Allah said,

لاَ تَخَـفُونَ

(having no fear), indicating that they will be safe and will have no fear when they enter Makkah. This occurred in the `Umrah performed the following year, on the seventh year of Hijrah during the month of Dhul-Qa`dah. When the Messenger ﷺ left from Al-Hudaybiyyah, during the month of Dhul-Qa`dah (the sixth year of Hijrah), he went back to Al-Madinah. He remained in Al-Madinah during the months of Dhul-Hijjah and Al-Muharram. In Safar, he marched forth to Khaybar, and Allah opened that city for him, partly by force and partly by its people surrendering to him. Khaybar was a wealthy province that had abundant date trees and vegetation. The Prophet hired the (defeated) Jews of Khaybar to attend to a part of its green fields and divided the province among those who attended Al-Hudaybiyyah with him. No one else except those Companions took part in attacking Khaybar, except Ja`far bin Abi Talib, who came back with his companions from Ethiopia. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari and his people also attended that battle. None of them were absent except Abu Dujanah Simak bin Kharashah, according to Ibn Zayd. This fact is well recorded in (the Books of) history. The Prophet then returned to Al-Madinah. When the month of Dhul-Qa`dah came, the seventh year of Hijrah, the Prophet went to Makkah for `Umrah accompanied by those who were with him at Al-Hudaybiyyah. He resumed Ihram from Dhul-Hulayfah and took the sacrificial animals with him. It was said that the sacrificial animals were sixty. The Prophet and his Companions started reciting the Talbiyah aloud. When they came close to Marr Az-Zahran, he sent Muhammad bin Maslamah before him with the horses and weapons. When the idolators saw this advance regiment, they were overwhelmed with fear. They thought that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would attack them and that he had betrayed the treaty that he conducted with them, which stipulated cessation of hostilities for ten years. The idolators went quickly to Makkah to inform its people. When the Prophet made camp in the area of Marr Az-Zahran, where he was close enough to see the idols that were erected all around the Haram, he sent the weaponry, arrows, arrow cases and spears, to the valley of Ya`jaj. He next went on his way towards Makkah with the swords resting in their sheaths, just as he agreed to in the peace treaty. While the Prophet was still on the way to Makkah, the Quraysh sent Mikraz bin Hafs who said, "O Muhammad! We never knew you to be one who betrays his promises." The Prophet said,

«وَمَا ذَاكَ؟»

(Why do you say that) Mikraz said, "You are headed towards us with the weaponry, the arrows and the spears." The Prophet said,

«لَمْ يَكُنْ ذلِكَ وَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا بِهِ إِلَى يَأْجَج»

(I did not do that, I sent all that to the valley of Ya`jaj.) Mikraz said, "This is the way we knew you to be, trustworthy and keeping to your promises." The leaders of the disbelievers left Makkah so that they would not have to look at the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions, out of rage and anger. As for the rest of the people of Makkah, men, women and children, they sat on the pathways and house roofs watching the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions. The Messenger ﷺ entered Makkah with his Companions while reciting the Talbiyah. The Prophet sent the sacrificial animals to Dhu Tuwa while riding his camel, Al-Qaswa', the same camel he was riding on the day of Hudaybiyyah. `Abdullah bin Rawahah, from Al-Ansar, was holding the bridle of the Prophet's camel and repeating this poem, "In the Name of He, other than Whose religion there is no true religion, In the Name of He, Whom Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger, O children of the disbelievers, stay out of his way, For today, we shall impose on you the fulfillment of its interpretation, Just as we fought with you to accept its revelation, Severe fighting that removes the heads from where they rest, And overwhelms the companion from attending to his companion, Ar-Rahman has sent down in His revelation, In pages that are being recited before His Messenger, That the best death is that which occurs in His cause, So, O Lord, I believe in its statements." This story is collected from various narrations. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Abbas said, "When Allah's Messenger ﷺ and his Companions came to Makkah, the fever of Yathrib (Al-Madinah) had weakened and bothered them. The idolators circulated the news that a group of people were coming to them and that they had been weakened and bothered by the fever of Yathrib (Al-Madinah). The idolators sat in the area close to Al-Hijr. Allah conveyed to His Prophet what the idolators said, so he ordered his Companions to do Ramal in the first three rounds, so that the idolaters witness their strength. The Companions did Ramal the first three rounds. He also ordered them to walk normally between the two corners, for from there the idolators would not be able to see them. The Prophet did not order them to do Ramal in all the rounds of Tawaf out of pity for them. The idolators commented, `Are these the people whom you claimed were weakened by the fever. They are stronger than so-and-so!"' The Two Sahihs also recorded this Hadith. In another narration, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ and his Companions came (to Makkah) on the morning of the fourth day of Dhul-Qa`dah. The idolators circulated the news that a group of people was coming to them, who had been weakened by the fever of Yathrib (Al-Madinah). So, the Prophet ordered his Companions to do Ramal in the first three rounds of Tawaf. The Prophet did not order them to do Ramal in all the rounds of Tawaf out of pity for them." Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "In the year when the Prophet came as stipulated by the peace treaty, he said, `Perform Ramal.' So that the idolators may witness their strength. At that time, the idolators were watching from the area of Qu`ayqi`an." Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ performed Tawaf of the Ka`bah and the Sa`y at As-Safa and Al-Marwah to show his strength to the idolators." Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ set out for `Umrah, but the Quraysh idolators prevented him from reaching the Ka`bah. So, he slaughtered his sacrifice, got his head shaved at Al-Hudaybiyyah, agreed to a formal pact with them that he would perform `Umrah the following year, would not carry weapons against them, except swords and would not stay in Makkah, except for the period they allowed. The Prophet performed the `Umrah in the following year and entered Makkah according to the treaty. And when he stayed for three days, the idolators ordered him to depart, and he departed." Allah's statement,

فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُواْ فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَلِكَ فَتْحاً قَرِيباً

(He knew what you knew not, and He granted besides that a near victory.) means, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored knew the benefit and goodness of turning you away from Makkah and preventing you from entering it in the year of Al-Hudaybiyyah, He knew that which you had no knowledge of,

فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَلِكَ

(and He granted besides that) `before entering Makkah as you were promised in the vision that the Prophet saw, He granted a close victory, i.e. the treaty of peace that you conducted between you and your idolator enemies.

The Good News that Muslims will conquer the Known World, and ultimately the Entire World

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said, while delivering the glad tidings to the believers that the Messenger ﷺ will triumph over his enemies and the rest of the people of the earth,

هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ

(He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth,) with beneficial knowledge and righteous good deeds. Indeed, the Islamic Shari`ah has two factors, knowledge and deeds. The true religious knowledge is by definition true, and the accepted Islamic acts are by definition accepted. Therefore, the news and creed that this religion conveys are true and its commandments are just,

لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ

(that He may make it superior to all religi- ons.) all the religions of the people of the earth, Arabs and non-Arabs alike, whether having certain ideologies or being atheists or idolators.

وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيداً

(And All-Sufficient is Allah as a Witness.) that Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger and that He will grant him victory. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored has the best knowledge.

Recapitulation 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)

The Hudaybiyyah journey was undertaken as a result of a dream the Prophet Muhammad had. In his dream in Madinah, he had reached Makkah and was performing ‘umrah. People took this dream as a good tiding and left Madinah for Makkah. But the Quraysh obstructed their path at Hudaybiyyah and ultimately he had to return without performing ‘umrah. For this reason certain people thought that the Prophet’s dream had not been true. But this surmise proved incorrect, because the dream did not specify that ‘umrah would take place the same year, and according to the terms of the treaty itself, ‘umrah was performed peacefully and properly the very next year in Dhu’l-Qa‘dah in the seventh year of hijrah. That year the postponement of ‘umrah was agreed upon in the interests of something of greater importance, i.e. it facilitated the drawing up of a ten-year no-war pact with the Quraysh. When this was executed, it resulted in a proper atmosphere being created for dawah work. This in itself was a victory, because as a consequence, the door was opened for a final and total victory over the flag-bearers of polytheism.