Surah An-Nasr (110)

An-Nasr means "The help" (Allah's help). It is surah 110. It has 3 verses. It is one of the last surahs revealed to the Prophet ﷺ.

1. إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ Idhaa jaa'a naṣru llaahi wa l-fatḥ When Allah's help comes, and the victory,

2. وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا Wa ra'ayta n-naasa yadkhuluuna fii diini llaahi afwaajaa and you see people entering Allah's religion in whole groups,

3. فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا Fa sabbiḥ bi ḥamdi rabbika wa staghfirh, innahuu kaana tawwaabaa then glorify your Lord with His praise, and ask Him for forgiveness. He always accepts repentance.

The little lesson: for years, the Prophet ﷺ and his companions had difficult times. Then Allah helped them, and many people became Muslims. What does Allah tell them at that moment? Not "be proud of yourselves", but: "Say thank you to Allah, and ask Him for forgiveness."

When something good happens to you (a good mark, a match won, a present), it is a gift from Allah: you can say "Al-ḥamdu lillaah".

Did you know? After this surah, the Prophet ﷺ often said in his prayer: "Subḥaanaka llaahumma rabbanaa wa bi ḥamdik, allaahumma ghfir lii" ("Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You; O Allah, forgive me"). It was 'A'isha who reported it. (Bukhari 4968, Muslim 484) [À VÉRIFIER : numéros]

Memorisation tip: the surah tells a little story in 3 steps. 1: Allah's help comes. 2: people enter Islam. 3: we say thank you and sorry. Hold up 1, 2, 3 fingers as you recite!

Understanding Surah An-Nasr

1. Explanation • Verse 1: "Allah's help and the victory (al-fatḥ)". Al-fatḥ is the opening of Mecca, in year 8 after the Hijra: after more than twenty years of effort and hardship, the Prophet ﷺ returned there, and the Kaaba was cleared of idols. • Verse 2: afterwards, whole tribes came from all over Arabia to enter Islam, group after group. • Verse 3: at this moment of joy, Allah asks us to glorify Him, praise Him and ask His forgiveness. He is At-Tawwaab: He always accepts the repentance of those who turn back to Him. Scholars also explain that this surah announced that the Prophet's ﷺ mission was almost complete, and that he would soon return to Allah. This is what the companion Ibn 'Abbaas understood. (Bukhari 4970) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro]

2. Lessons to learn • Victory and success come from Allah, not only from our efforts: when I succeed, I do not boast. • Asking forgiveness is not only for mistakes: even after doing good, we say "astaghfiru llaah". The Prophet ﷺ asked Allah's forgiveness more than seventy times a day. (Bukhari 6307) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro] • Patience bears fruit: Allah's help came after many long years. • Finish things well: at the end of a task, or of a day, I thank Allah and ask His forgiveness.

3. To remember • Al-fatḥ: the opening of Mecca; afterwards, people entered Islam in groups. • In times of joy: glorify, praise, ask forgiveness. • Allah is At-Tawwaab: He always accepts repentance.

4. The message of the surah When Allah gives us success, the right response is not pride but gratitude: thanking Him, glorifying Him and asking His forgiveness.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar fi tafsir al-Qur'an (English translation), with well-known points from the tafsirs of Ibn Kathir and As-Sa'di.