Juz 26- Juz Gem
A Clear Victory
Assalaamu Alaykum! Tonight our mashaayikh will recite the 26th juz of the Qur’an and in it, we find a very powerful few verses in Surat al-Fath, the Triumph:
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا ﴿١﴾ لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّـهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَيَهْدِيَكَ صِرَاطًا مُّسْتَقِيمًا ﴿٢﴾وَيَنصُرَكَ اللَّـهُ نَصْرًا عَزِيزًا ﴿٣﴾
Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear conquest, that Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path, And [that] Allah may aid you with a mighty victory, (Surat al-Fath ayaat 1-3).
These verses were revealed after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, which to some Muslims, didn’t seem like a clear victory initially. Before heading out to Mecca in the 6th year after hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad (sas) had a dream that he was entering the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, together with his Companions some of them having shaved their heads and some with their hair cut short. This delighted the companions as they yearned to visit the Kaaba and were waiting for the Messenger’s (sas) permission to do so. However, the pagans of Mecca did not allow the 1400 Muslims who were already in ihram, and not allowed to fight, to enter Mecca and perform their sacred rites. Eventually, after sending four emissaries to the Prophet (sas) and his companions, they drew up a treaty with the Prophet Muhammad (sas). While this treaty did not acknowledge him as a Prophet (sas), and forbade them from entering the Haram, it served the Muslims very well in the long run. The treaty stipulated that there would be no war between the two parties for ten years, which eased the pressure off of the Muslims to invite others to Islam while no longer wrought with the consequences of death and torture. While they did have to send Muslims who left Mecca without the permission of their guardian back, this ultimately allowed a Muslim presence in Mecca which aided in its peaceful conquest.
However, many of the companions felt humiliated that they were unable to perform the umrah that they had set their hearts on. They refused to slaughter their animals and shave their heads until the Prophet Muhammad (sas), upon taking the advice of his wife, Umm Salamah, broke out of his ihram. Eventually, the companions followed suit. On their journey back to Medina, Surat al-Fath was revealed and sent solace and tranquility upon the hearts of the believers (48:4).
“Indeed We have given you a clear conquest,” is an aya that is more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (sas) than the entire world and what it contains. There are so many times in life, because of our limited knowledge and inability to foresee the future, that we resist, fight, and rail against our current circumstances. If we zoom out a little bit and continue to foster a forbearing and resilient spirit, we may be able to understand why Allah (swt) tests us through difficulty and hardship. While the companions feel humiliated, Allah reassures their hearts and promises them that the treaty is a clear victory. This is the salve they need- reassured that Allah will never abandon them, as long as they are on the truth and continuously focused on the process instead of the end result.
There are only a few days left of this most blessed month of the year. May Allah make this month a fath mubeena, or a clear triumph for us. May He use us in the best of ways, even if we may not understand the wisdom behind it. May we learn the true meaning of success, triumph, and victory as Allah teaches it and understand that we may hate a thing and in it, there is much good. May we constantly strive to be those that find and value the good from wherever it comes.