تُبشّر هذه السورة القصيرة محمدًا ﷺ، رسولَ الله، بأن نصر الله آتٍ، وبأن الفتح والنصر سيحلّان، وبأن الناس سيدخلون في دين الله أفواجًا. وتأمره أن يتوجّه إلى ربه بالتسبيح والحمد مع الاستغفار متواضعًا. كما تعرض السورةُ طبيعةَ هذا الدين وصلاحَه، وعقيدتَه ومنهجَه، الذي يرفع الإنسانَ إلى مستوى من الكرامة والتفاني والحرية لا يبلغه إلا بالاستجابة لدعوة الإسلام وتطبيق رسالته.

This short sūrah brings the good news to Muĥammad, God’s Messenger, that God’s help will be forthcoming, as will victory and peoples’ collective acceptance of His religion. It instructs him to turn towards his Lord in devoted adoration coupled with a humble request for His forgiveness. The sūrah also presents the nature and the righteousness of this faith and its ideology, which elevates humanity to a standard of dignity, dedication and freedom that it can never attain except through responding to the call of Islam and implementing the Islamic message.

من بين الروايات العديدة في سبب نزول هذه السورة، نذكر الرواية التي أخرجها الإمام أحمد، وهي كما يلي: قالت عائشة: كان رسول الله ﷺ يكثر أن يقول في آخر حياته: سبحان الله وبحمده، أستغفر الله وأتوب إليه. وقال أيضاً:

Of the several traditions regarding the revelation of this sūrah, we quote the one related by Imām Aĥmad which runs as follows: “`Ā’ishah said that God’s Messenger used to repeat very frequently, towards the end of his life: All glorification and praises are due to God. I seek His forgiveness; and I repent of my sins.’ He also said:

أَخْبَرَنِي رَبِّي أَنِّي سَأَرَى عَلَامَةً فِي أُمَّتِي، وَأَمَرَنِي إِذَا رَأَيْتُهَا أَنْ أُسَبِّحَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّي وَأَسْتَغْفِرَهُ، إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا. وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهَا.ﷺ

‘My Lord told me I would see a sign in my community. He ordered me to glorify and praise Him, the Forgiving, and ask His pardon when I see this sign. Indeed, I have.

عندما يأتي نصرُ الله والفتحُ، وترى الناسَ يدخلون في دين الله أفواجًا، فسبّحْ بحمد ربك واستغفره إنه كان توّابًا﴾. [رواه أيضًا مسلم بسند آخر.] يقول ابن كثير في تفسيره للقرآن: "النصر المذكور في هذه السورة يُراد به، باتفاق، فتحُ مكة. وكانت القبائل العربية تنتظر انتهاءَ الصراع بين قريش والمسلمين قبل أن تتخذ قرارها بقبول الإسلام، قائلةً: إن ظفر محمدٌ بقومه فهو نبيٌّ حقًّا. فلما تحقق ذلك دخلت في الإسلام أفواجًا. وفي غضون سنتين من فتح مكة سيطر الإسلام على جزيرة العرب كلها، وأعلنت كل قبيلة عربية، بفضل الله، إيمانها بالإسلام." وينقل البخاري في صحيحه عن عمرو بن سلمة قوله: "لما فُتحت مكةُ للإسلام، بادرت كل قبيلة إلى إعلان قبولها الإسلام لرسول الله ﷺ."

When God’s help and victory come, and you see people embracing God’s religion in large numbers then extol your Lord’s limitless glory, and praise Him, and seek His forgiveness. He is the One who accepts repentance.’“ [Related also by Muslim with a different chain of transmission.] Ibn Kathīr says in his commentary on the Qur’ān: “The victory mentioned in this sūrah refers, as unanimously agreed, to the conquest of Makkah. The Arab tribes were awaiting the settlement of the conflict between the Quraysh and the Muslims, before making a decision about their acceptance of Islam, saying that if Muĥammad were to prevail over his people, he would indeed be a prophet. Consequently, when that was accomplished they accepted Islam in large numbers. Within two years of the conquest of Makkah, the whole Arabian Peninsula was dominated by Islam, and, all thanks to God, every Arab tribe declared its belief in Islam.” In his Şaĥīĥ al-Bukhārī quotes `Amr ibn Salamah as saying: “When Makkah fell to Islam, every tribe hastened to declare to God’s Messenger its acceptance of Islam.

كانوا ينتظرون وقوعه، قائلين: «دعوه مع قومه، فإنه لو غلبهم لكان نبيًّا...» وتتفق هذه الروايات زمنيًّا مع لفظ السورة، بمعنى أن نزولها كان علامةً على أمرٍ سيقع، مع بعض التوجيهات للنبي ﷺ عمّا ينبغي أن يفعله حين يقع ذلك الحدث.

They were waiting for it to take place, saying, ‘Leave him alone with his people. He would indeed be a prophet if he prevailed over them...” These reports are chronologically in line with the wording of the sūrah, in the sense that its revelation was a sign of something to follow, with some instructions to the Prophet on what he should do when this event would take place.

ومع ذلك، هناك رواية أخرى لا يصعب التوفيق بينها وبين ما سبق أن ناقشناه. يروي عبد الله بن عباس، ابن عم النبي ﷺ وصحابي العلم، فيقول: «كان عمر يدخلني مع أشياخ بدر، فوجد بعضهم في نفسه، فقال: لم يدخل هذا معنا ولنا أبناء مثله؟ فقال عمر: إنه من حيث علمتم. فدعاهم ذات يوم فأدخله معهم، فما رُئيتُ أنه دعاني يومئذ إلا ليُريهم، قال: ما تقولون في قول الله تعالى: ﴿إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ﴾؟ فقال بعضهم: أُمرنا أن نحمد الله ونستغفره إذا نُصرنا وفُتح علينا، وسكت بعضهم فلم يقل شيئا. فقال لي: أكذلك تقول يا ابن عباس؟ فقلت: لا. قال: فما تقول؟ قلت: هو أجل رسول الله ﷺ أعلمه له، قال: ﴿إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ﴾ فذلك علامة أجلك ﴿فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا﴾. فقال عمر: ما أعلم منها إلا ما تقول» [رواه البخاري]. فيجوز أن يكون رسول الله ﷺ، لما شاهد آية ربه، أدرك أنه قد أتم رسالته في هذه الحياة، وأن وقت رحيله قد حان، وهذا هو ما قصده ابن عباس فعلا.

There is, nevertheless, a different report which is not difficult to reconcile with the one we have already discussed. `Abdullāh ibn`Abbās, the Prophet’s cousin and learned Companion, reports: “Umar used to let me join the company of elders who were present at Badr, but some of them felt uneasy and asked why I should be allowed with them when I was of the same age as their own children. But `Umar said to them, ‘You know to what family he belongs.’ One day `Umar invited them all and invited me as well. I felt that he wanted to show them why he gave me such a privilege. He asked them, ‘What do you make of God’s saying: When God’s help and victory come?’ Some of them replied, ‘It is an order that we must praise Him and seek His forgiveness when He helps us to triumph and bestows His favours on us.’ Others remained silent. Then `Umar asked me, ‘Do you agree with this view, Ibn `Abbās?’ I answered in the negative. `Umar asked me again, ‘What, then, do you say?’ I replied, ‘It was a sign from God to His Messenger indicating the approach of the end of his life. It means: when God’s help and victory come, you should know that your end is near, then extol your Lord’s limitless glory, and praise Him, and seek His forgiveness. He is the One who accepts repentance.’“ `Umar commented, ‘To my knowledge, it only means what you have just said.” [Related by al-Bukhārī.] So it is possible that God’s Messenger, having witnessed his Lord’s sign, realized that he had fulfilled his mission in this life, and that it was time for him to depart, which was what Ibn `Abbās actually meant.

ورَوَى البَيْهَقِيُّ رِوَايَةً أُخْرَى عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، تَذْكُرُ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ السُّورَةُ دَعَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ابْنَتَهُ فَاطِمَةَ، وَقَالَ لَهَا: «قَدْ نُعِيَتْ إِلَيَّ نَفْسِي». فَرُئِيَتْ وَهِيَ تَبْكِي، ثُمَّ بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ ضَحِكَتْ. وَبَعْدَ مُدَّةٍ شَرَحَتْ ذَلِكَ قَائِلَةً: «بَكَيْتُ حِينَ أَخْبَرَنِي بِقُرْبِ وَفَاتِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي: اصْبِرِي، فَإِنَّكِ أَوَّلُ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي لُحُوقًا بِي، فَضَحِكْتُ». وَبِحَسَبِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ الْأَخِيرِ يَكُونُ زَمَنُ نُزُولِ السُّورَةِ مُتَأَخِّرًا عَنِ الْعَلَامَةِ، أَيْ: عَنِ النَّصْرِ وَدُخُولِ النَّاسِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ جَمَاعَاتٍ. وَعَلَى هَذَا النَّحْوِ مِنْ تَتَابُعِ الْأَحْدَاثِ عَلِمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنَّ حَيَاتَهُ سَتَنْتَهِي قَرِيبًا. غَيْرَ أَنَّ الرِّوَايَةَ الْأُولَى أَصَحُّ، وَأَنْسَبُ لِمَعْنَى السُّورَةِ، لَا سِيَّمَا وَأَنَّ قِصَّةَ فَاطِمَةَ وَبُكَائِهَا وَضَحِكِهَا وَرَدَتْ فِي سِيَاقٍ آخَرَ يُوَافِقُ الرِّوَايَةَ الَّتِي نُرَجِّحُهَا. وَهَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةُ الْأُخْرَى هِيَ: قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: «دَعَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَاطِمَةَ يَوْمًا فِي عَامِ الْفَتْحِ، وَحَدَّثَهَا سِرًّا، فَبَكَتْ، ثُمَّ حَدَّثَهَا ثَانِيَةً فَضَحِكَتْ. فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ سَأَلْتُهَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَتْ: أَخْبَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ مَقْبُوضٌ فِي وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ، فَبَكَيْتُ، ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنِّي أَوَّلُ أَهْلِهِ لُحُوقًا بِهِ، وَأَنِّي سَيِّدَةُ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، إِلَّا مَرْيَمَ بِنْتَ عِمْرَانَ، فَضَحِكْتُ». [رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ]. وَهَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةُ تُوَافِقُ الْمَعْنَى الْعَامَّ لِلنَّصِّ الْقُرْآنِيِّ، وَمَا رَوَاهُ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ، وَكَذَلِكَ مَا وَرَدَ فِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ، أَيْ: أَنَّ ثَمَّةَ عَلَامَةً بَيْنَ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ﷺ بَيَّنَتْهَا السُّورَةُ. فَلَمَّا تَحَقَّقَ النَّصْرُ الَّذِي أَدْخَلَ مَكَّةَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ، عَلِمَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ سَيَلْقَى رَبَّهُ قَرِيبًا، فَكَلَّمَ فَاطِمَةَ عَلَى النَّحْوِ الَّذِي ذَكَرَتْهُ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ.

A different report related by al-Bayhaqī, also on Ibn `Abbās’s authority, mentions that when this sūrah was first revealed, the Prophet asked his daughter, Fāţimah, to come over and told her, ‘My death has been announced to me.’ She was seen to start crying. But a little later she smiled. Some time later she explained, “I cried when he told me of his approaching death. But he then said to me, Be patient, because you will be the first of my household to join me’, so I smiled.” According to this last ĥadīth, the time of the revelation of the sūrah is actually fixed as coming later than the sign. That is, the victory and the people’s collective acceptance of Islam. When events took place in this fashion the Prophet knew that his life would soon come to a close. But again the first account is more authentic and fits in more suitably with the import of the sūrah, especially as the incident concerning Fāţimah and her crying and smiling is related in a different context which agrees with the version we prefer. This other report goes as follows: “Umm Salamah, the Prophet’s wife, said: ‘The Prophet invited Fāţimah one day during the year of the victory and spoke to her in private. She cried. Then he spoke to her again and she was smiling. After he died, I asked her about the incident and she explained, God’s Messenger told me he was soon to die, so I cried. Then he told me that I would be the next most celebrated woman in heaven, next to Maryam bint `Imrān, so I smiled.’“ [Related by al-Tirmidhī.] This report agrees with the general meaning of the Qur’ānic text and with what Imām Aĥmad related, which also appears in Muslim’s Şaĥīĥ. That is, there was a sign between God and His Messenger, which the sūrah specifies. Hence, when the victory that secured Makkah to Islam was accomplished, the Prophet knew that he was soon to meet his Lord. Hence he spoke to Fāţimah in the manner described by Umm Salamah.

حدث منتظر سنتأمل الآن في الدلالة الدائمة والتوجيهات المتضمنة في هذه السورة القصيرة: ﴿إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ * وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا * فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا﴾ (النصر: ١-٣)

An Awaited Event We will now consider the permanent import and instructions outlined in this short sūrah: “When God’s help and victory come, and you see people embracing God’s religion in large numbers, then extol your Lord’s limitless glory, and praise Him, and seek His forgiveness. He is the One who accepts repentance.” (Verses 1-3)

يتضمّن أوّل الآية ضمنًا تصوّرًا لما يجري في هذا الكون وللأحداث التي تقع في هذه الحياة، كما يشمل الدور الفعلي للنبيّ ﷺ وأتباعه في تقدّم الإسلام، وإلى أيّ مدى يعتمد ذلك على جهودهم. أمّا قوله: ﴿إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ﴾، فيدلّ على أنّ النصر عونٌ من الله، وأنّه هو الذي يحقّق الفتح في وقته الذي يشاؤه، وعلى الصورة التي يقدّرها، ولِلغاية التي يحدّدها. ولا دخل للنبيّ ﷺ وأصحابه في ذلك إطلاقًا، ولا ينالون منه مكسبًا شخصيًّا. ويكفيهم أنّ الله يُجريه على أيديهم، ويجعلهم حرّاسًا له، ويعهد إليهم بحمله. هذا كلّ ما ينالونه من عون الله، ومن النصر، ومن إقبال الناس أفواجًا على دينه.

The beginning of the first verse implicitly presents a concept of what goes on in this universe and the events that take place in this life. It also covers the actual role of the Prophet and his followers in the progress of Islam, and to what extent it depends on their efforts. ‘When God’s help and victory...’, denotes that it is help granted by God, and it is He who brings about victory in His own good time, in the form He decides and for the purpose He determines. The Prophet and his Companions have nothing to do with it at all, and they obtain no personal gain from it. It suffices for them that He does it through them, appoints them as its guards and entrusts it to them. This is all they acquire from God’s help, the victory and people’s acceptance en masse of His religion.

وفقًا لهذا المفهوم، كان واجب النبي ﷺ وأصحابه الذين اختارهم الله وشرّفهم بأن جعلهم أدوات نصره لدينه، أن يتوجهوا إليه عند ذروة النصر بالحمد والشكر، وطلب المغفرة. فالحمد والشكر له على كرمه بأن اختارهم ليكونوا حاملي لواء دينه، وعلى رحمته وفضله على البشرية جمعاء بجعل دينه منتصرًا، وعلى فتح مكة ودخول الناس في الإسلام جماعات.

According to this concept, the duty of the Prophet and his Companions whom God chose and gave the privilege of being the instruments of victory for His cause, was to turn to Him at the climax of victory in praise, expressing gratitude and seeking forgiveness. Gratitude and praise are for His being so generous as to have chosen them to be the standard-bearers of His religion; for the mercy and favour He did to all humanity by making His religion victorious; and for the conquest of Makkah and people’s collective acceptance of Islam.

يُطلَب منه غفرانُ أيِّ شعورٍ معيبٍ يُخفيه في نفسه، كالإعجاب بالنفس، الذي قد يتسلَّل أحيانًا إلى القلب عند تحقيق النصر بعد كفاحٍ طويل. ومن المتعذَّر تقريبًا على بني البشر أن يمنعوا حدوثَ ذلك، ولهذا يُطلَب عفو الله. ويُطلَب الغفران كذلك عمّا ربما خطر في القلب أثناء الكفاح الطويل القاسي، وعن الضجر الناتج عن تصوُّر تأخُّر النصر، أو آثار اليأس المُمِضّ، كما يذكر القرآن في موضعٍ آخر: ﴿أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِن قَبْلِكُم﴾.

His forgiveness is sought for any defective feeling, privately entertained, such as vanity, which sometimes creep into one’s heart when victory is attained after a long struggle. It is almost impossible for human beings to prevent this happening and therefore God’s forgiveness is to be sought. Forgiveness also has to be sought for what might have been insinuated within one’s heart during the long and cruel struggle and for petulance resulting from a conceived delay of victory, or the effects of convulsive despair, as the Qur’ān mentions elsewhere: “Do you reckon that you will enter paradise while you have not suffered like those [believers] who passed away before you?

وَمَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ ۝ (البقرة: ٢١٤)

Affliction and adversity befell them, and so terribly shaken were they that the Messenger and the believers with him would exclaim, ‘When will God’s help come?’ Surely, God’s help is close at hand.” (2: 214)

ومن الواجب أيضاً أن يستغفر المرء الله تعالى عن تقصيره في حمد الله وشكره على نعمه الجليلة التي تُمنح في كل حين. ﴿وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا﴾ (النحل: ١٨). ومهما بذل المرء من جهد في هذا الباب، فإنه لا يبلغ الكفاية أبداً.

It is also necessary to seek God’s forgiveness for one’s shortcomings in praising God and thanking Him for His infinite favours which are granted at all times. “If you were to count God’s favours, never will you be able to number them.” (16: 18) However great one’s efforts in this respect are, they are never adequate.

إن طلب المغفرة في لحظة النصر يُثير كذلك مشاعر الضعف والنقص في وقتٍ يبدو فيه الكبرياء والغرور أمرًا طبيعيًا. وكل هذه العوامل تضمن ألّا يقع ظلمٌ على المغلوبين. ويُدرك القائد المنتصر أن الله هو الذي اختاره، وهو إنسانٌ لا قوة له بذاته ولا يملك أي قدرة، لغايةٍ مقدّرة؛ وبذلك يكون النصر والفتح والدين كلّه لله، وإليه تُرجع الأمور في النهاية.

Seeking forgiveness at a moment of triumph also arouses feelings of weakness and imperfection at a time when an attitude of pride and conceit seems natural. All these factors guarantee that no tyranny will afflict the vanquished. The victorious leader is made to realize that it is God who has appointed him, a man who has no power of his own and who is devoid of any strength, for a predetermined purpose; consequently the triumph and the conquest as well as the religion are all His, and to Him all things ultimately return.

هذا هو المثل الأعلى السامي الرفيع الذي يحثّ القرآنُ الناسَ على السعي نحوه، مثلٌ يكون فيه سموّ الإنسان في إهمال كبريائه الذاتية، وتكون فيه حرية روحه في خضوعها لله. والغاية المنشودة هي التحرر الكامل للنفوس البشرية من أغلال أنانيتها، ولا يكون طموحها الوحيد سوى نيل رضا الله.

This is the lofty, dignified ideal the Qur’ān exhorts people to toil towards, an ideal in which man’s exaltation is in neglecting his own pride and where his soul’s freedom is in his subservience to God. The goal set is the total release of human souls from their egoistic shackles, their only ambition being to attain God’s pleasure.

مع هذا الإصدار لا بد من بذل جهدٍ يُعين الإنسان على الازدهار في الدنيا، ويُعزز الحضارة الإنسانية، ويوفّر قيادةً راشدةً، نقيةً من الشوائب، بنّاءةً، عادلةً، مخلصةً لله.

Along with this release there must be exerted effort which helps man flourish in the world, promotes human civilization and provides a rightly-guided, unblemished, constructive, just leadership devoted to God.

في المقابل، فإن جهود الإنسان في تحرير نفسه وهو في قبضة الأنانية، مقيّد بشغفه بالأمور الدنيوية، أو مغلوب على أمره بشهواته، تظهر عديمة الجدوى تماماً ما لم يتحرر من الرغبات والطموحات الشخصية. يجب أن يُقدَّم ولاؤه لله على كل شيء آخر، ولا سيما عند لحظة النصر وجمع الغنائم. وهذا السلوك، الذي يريد الله للبشرية أن تبلغه، كان السمة المميزة لجميع الأنبياء.

By contrast, man’s efforts to liberate himself while in the grip of egoism, shackled by his zest for worldly things, or overpowered by his cravings, turn out to be absolutely useless unless he frees himself from personal desires and ambitions. His loyalty to God must be made to override everything else, particularly at the moment of triumph and the collection of booty. Such behaviour, which God wants humanity to attain, was the characteristic feature of all the Prophets.

وهكذا كان الحال مع النبي يوسف عليه السلام، لما تحقق كل ما أراده، وصار حلمه حقيقة: ﴿وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقَالَ يَا أَبَتِ هَٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُم مِّنَ الْبَدْوِ مِن بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ﴾ [12: 100]

Such was the case with the Prophet Joseph, when all he wanted was achieved and his dream came true: “And he raised his parents to the highest place of honour, and they fell down on their knees, prostrating themselves before him. He said: ‘Father, this is the real meaning of my dream of long ago. My Lord has made it come true. He has been gracious to me, releasing me from prison, and bringing you all from the desert after Satan had sown discord between me and my brothers. My Lord is gracious in whatever way He wishes. He is All-Knowing, truly Wise.” (12: 100)

ثم عند تلك اللحظة الحاسمة، انصرف يوسف عن الفرح والعناق المحيطين به ليتوجه إلى ربه، حامدًا إياه بشعور خالص من الامتنان: «رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ». (يوسف: 101)

Then, at that moment of climax, Joseph took himself away from the jubilations and embracing arms to turn towards his Lord, praising Him with a pure sense of gratitude: “My Lord, You have given me power and imparted to me some understanding of the real meaning of statements. Originator of the heavens and the earth! You are my guardian in this world and in the life to come. Let me die as one who has surrendered himself to You, and admit me among the righteous.” (12: 101)

فَزَالَ بِذلك كلُّ أثَرٍ للأنانيّةِ والفرحِ الذي أحدثَه لقاؤُه بأسرتِه، ولم يَبْقَ أمامَنا إلّا صورةُ إنسانٍ، هو يوسفُ، يدعو اللهَ أن يُعينَه على البقاءِ مُسلِمًا لهُ حتى يموتَ، وأن يُلحقَه، برحمتِه وفضلِه، بعبادِه الصالحين.

Thus any sense of his own egotism and happiness brought about by his reunion with his family vanished, and the picture we are left with is that of an individual, Joseph, praying to God to help him remain submissive to Him until he dies and to let him, out of His mercy and grace, join His righteous servants.

و كان ذلك أيضاً مع النبي سليمان عليه السلام، حين رأى عرش ملكة سبأ قد أُحضر إلى متناوله: ﴿فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرّاً عِندَهُ قَالَ هَذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ﴾ (النمل: 40)

o, it was also with the Prophet Solomon, when he saw the Queen of Sheba’s throne brought into his very reach: “When he saw it set in his presence he said: ‘This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or remain ungrateful. He who gives thanks does so for his own good, and he who is ungrateful, well, my Lord is all sufficient and bountiful.” (27: 40)

وهكذا كان محمدٌ ﷺ طوال حياته. ففي لحظة الظفر، حين تمّ فتح مكة، دخل المدينة على ظهر ناقته وقد خفض رأسه تواضعًا. نسي فرحة النصر، وشكرًا لربه خفض رأسه طالبًا مغفرته، مع أنه كان قد فتح مكة للتو، وهي المدينة التي اضطهده أهلها وأخرجوه منها علانيةً دون حياء. وكان هذا أيضًا منهج صحابته من بعده.

And so indeed it was with Muĥammad throughout his life. In the moment of triumph, as the conquest of Makkah was accomplished, he entered the city on the back of his camel with his head bowed low. He forgot the joy of victory and thankfully bowed his head seeking his Lord’s forgiveness, even though he had just conquered Makkah, whose people had openly and unashamedly persecuted and expelled him. This also was the practice of his Companions after him.

وبالإيمان بالله، ارتفعت تلك الأمة العظيمة من البشر إلى مستوى رفيع، بلغت فيه درجةً من العظمة والقوة والحرية لا نظير لها.

Thus, upon belief in God, was that great generation of humanity raised very high, reaching an unparalleled standard of greatness, power and freedom.