‘بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
اِذَا جَآءَ نَصۡرُ اللّٰہِ وَ الۡفَتۡحُ ۙ﴿۱﴾ وَ رَاَیۡتَ النَّاسَ یَدۡخُلُوۡنَ فِیۡ دِیۡنِ اللّٰہِ اَفۡوَاجًا ۙ﴿۲﴾ فَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّکَ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرۡہُ ؕؔ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ تَوَّابًا ٪﴿۳﴾
اللہ کے نام سے جو رحمان و رحیم ہے۔
جب اللہ کی مدد آجائے اور فتح نصیب ہو جائے اور ﴿اے نبی ؐ ﴾ تم دیکھ لو کہ لوگ فوج در فوج اللہ کے دین میں داخل ہو رہے ہیں تو اپنے رب کی حمد کے ساتھ اُس کی تسبیح کرو، اور اُس سے مغفرت کی دُعا مانگو، بے شک وہ بڑا توبہ قبول کرنے والا ہے۔ ؏١

Surah An-Nasr (110)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
When Allah’s help comes and victory is granted,
and you see people entering Allah’s religion in multitudes,
then glorify your Lord with His praise, and seek His forgiveness —
indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.

Translation: Surah An-Nasr — Period of Revelation & Theme

Period of Revelation
Ibn Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ) states that this is the last Surah of the Quran — meaning that after it, no complete Surah was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. [Ref: Muslim, Nasa’i, Tabarani, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn Mardawayh]
Ibn Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrates that this Surah was revealed at Mina during the middle days of Tashreeq at the time of the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat ul-Wada’), after which the Prophet ﷺ mounted his she-camel and delivered his famous sermon. [Ref: Tirmidhi, Bazzar, Bayhaqi, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abd ibn Humayd, Abu Ya’la, Ibn Mardawayh]
Bayhaqi recorded that sermon in Kitab al-Hajj through the narration of Sarra’ bint Nabhan, who said:
“During the Farewell Pilgrimage, I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: ‘O people, do you know what day this is?’ The people replied: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘This is the middle day of Tashreeq.’ He then asked: ‘Do you know what place this is?’ They replied: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘This is Mash’ar al-Haram.’ Then the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘I do not know — perhaps after this I may not meet you again. Beware — your blood and your honour are forbidden to one another, just as this day and this place are sacred, until you stand before your Lord and He questions you about your deeds. Let those present convey this to those who are absent. Have I conveyed it to you?’ When we returned to Madinah, not many days had passed before the Prophet ﷺ passed away.”
Taking both narrations together, it becomes clear that between the revelation of Surah An-Nasr and the passing of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ there was an interval of approximately three months and some days — for historically, that is precisely how much time elapsed between the Farewell Pilgrimage and his ﷺ departure from this world.
Ibn Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ) states that when this Surah was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ said: “I have been informed of my death, and my appointed time has arrived.” [Ref: Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Mardawayh]
Other narrations from Ibn Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ) relate that upon the revelation of this Surah, the Prophet ﷺ understood that he had been given notice of his departure from this world. [Ref: Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir, Nasa’i, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Mardawayh]
Umm al-Mu’minin Umm Habibah (رضی اللہ عنہا) narrates that when this Surah was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ said: “I am going to pass away this year.” Upon hearing this, Fatimah (رضی اللہ عنہا) wept. He ﷺ then said: “Of all my family, you will be the first to come and join me.” Upon hearing this, she smiled. [Ref: Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Mardawayh] — A narration of similar content has also been transmitted by Bayhaqi from Ibn Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ).
Ibn Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ) further narrates: “Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ) used to include me in his gatherings alongside the senior veterans of the Battle of Badr. This displeased some of those elders, and they said: ‘Our sons are just like this boy — why is he specifically included with us?’” — Imam Bukhari and Ibn Jarir have clarified that the one who said this was Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (رضی اللہ عنہ). Umar replied: “You know the station this young man holds in knowledge.”
One day, Umar summoned the veterans of Badr and included me among them. I understood that I had been called that day to demonstrate why I was included in their gatherings. During the conversation, Umar asked the elders: “What do you say about: ‘Idha ja’a nasrullahi wal-fath’?”
Some said: “We are commanded therein that when Allah’s help comes and we are granted victory, we should praise Allah and seek His forgiveness.” Others said: “It refers to the conquest of cities and fortresses.” Some remained silent.
Umar then turned to me and said: “Ibn Abbas, do you say the same?” I replied: “No.” He asked: “Then what do you say?” I submitted: “It refers to the appointed time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He was informed therein that when Allah’s help comes and victory is granted, that is the sign that his ﷺ appointed time has arrived — after which he should engage in praising Allah and seeking His forgiveness.”
At this, Umar said: “I know nothing other than what you have said.” One narration adds that Umar then said to the veterans of Badr: “How can you reproach me, when you have now seen for yourselves the reason I include this young man in these gatherings?” [Ref: Bukhari, Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Mardawayh, Baghawi, Bayhaqi, Ibn al-Mundhir]

Theme and Subject Matter
As is evident from the above narrations, in this Surah Allah informed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that when the victory of Islam was complete in Arabia and people began entering Allah’s religion in multitudes, this would mean that the mission for which he ﷺ had been sent into this world had been accomplished. He was then commanded to devote himself to praising and glorifying Allah — for it was by His grace that he had been enabled to accomplish so great a task — and to supplicate Him for forgiveness for any lapse or shortcoming that may have occurred in the discharge of this duty.
Reflecting on this, one can clearly see the immense difference between a Prophet and an ordinary worldly leader. If any worldly leader succeeds in bringing about a great revolution during his own lifetime, it becomes for him an occasion of celebration and pride in his own leadership. But here we see the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, who in the brief span of 23 years completely transformed an entire nation’s beliefs, thought, habits, morals, civilization, culture, social order, economy, politics, and military capability — lifting a people drowned in ignorance and jahiliyyah to a level where they could conquer the world and become the leaders of all nations. Yet after such a monumental achievement was accomplished at his hands, he was not commanded to celebrate, but to praise and glorify Allah and seek His forgiveness — and with complete humility, he devoted himself entirely to fulfilling this command.
Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) narrates: “Before his passing, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would frequently recite: ‘Subhanakal-lahumma wa bihamdika, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk’ — (in some narrations: ‘Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi, astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilayh’). I asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are these words you have now begun to recite?’ He ﷺ replied: ‘A sign has been designated for me — that when I see it, I should say these words — and that sign is: Idha ja’a nasrullahi wal-fath.’” [Ref: Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Mardawayh]
In similar narrations, Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) also relates that in his ruku’ and sujud the Prophet ﷺ would frequently say: “Subhanakal-lahumma wa bihamdika, Allahummaghfir li” — and that this was his ﷺ living implementation (ta’wil) of the Quran, i.e., of Surah An-Nasr. [Ref: Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Jarir]
Umm Salamah (رضی اللہ عنہا) narrates that in his final period of life, the words “Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi” were constantly upon the blessed tongue of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — whether sitting, standing, coming, or going. One day she asked: “O Messenger of Allah, why do you recite this dhikr so frequently?” He replied: “I have been commanded to do so” — and then recited this Surah. [Ref: Ibn Jarir]
Ibn Mas’ud (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrates that after this Surah was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would constantly repeat: “Subhanakal-lahumma wa bihamdika, Allahummaghfir li — Subhanak Rabbana wa bihamdika, Allahummaghfir li, innaka Antat-Tawwabul-Ghafur.” [Ref: Ibn Jarir, Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Abi Hatim]
Ibn Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ) states that after the revelation of this Surah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ devoted himself to striving and worship in preparation for the Hereafter with an intensity greater than at any previous time in his life. [Ref: Nasa’i, Tabarani, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Mardawayh]