Surah Al-Fath, Ayah 23

Good News of abundant Spoils of War

Mujahid said that Allah's statement,

وَعَدَكُمُ اللَّهُ مَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَةً تَأْخُذُونَهَا

(Allah has promised you abundant spoils that you will capture,) refers to the spoils that Muslims earned up until this time, while,

فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَـذِهِ

(and He has hastened for you this,) means, the conquest of Khaybar. Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said,

فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَـذِهِ

(and He has hastened for you this,) means, "The peace treaty of Al-Hudaybiyyah." Allah said,

وَكَفَّ أَيْدِىَ النَّاسِ عَنْكُمْ

(and He has restrained the hands of men from you,) meaning, `no harm that your enemies had planned against you, both fighting and warfare, touched you. Allah also restrained the hands of men, whom you left behind close to your families and children, from harming them,'

وَعَدَكُمُ اللَّـهُ مَغَانِمَ كَثِيرَ‌ةً تَأْخُذُونَهَا فَعَجَّلَ لَكُمْ هَـٰ

وَأُخْرَ‌ىٰ لَمْ تَقْدِرُ‌وا عَلَيْهَا قَدْ أَحَاطَ اللَّـهُ بِهَا (And (there are) other (victories) that have not come within your power as yet, (but) Allah has encompassed them...." (48:21). This verse embodies a prophecy that Muslims will achieve many more great victories after the victory of Khaibar. But Allah says that they were unable to achieve them at that time; they would happen in future. Among these victories, Makkah was the first one to be achieved. Therefore, some scholars refer this to the victory of Makkah. However, the wordings are general and refer to all the victories that will be achieved till the end of the world (Mazhari).

This refers to the unhappiness and uneasiness which had been created in the hearts of the companions over the outwardly one-sided Hudaybiyyah Treaty. However, they accepted this commandment of God with patience and in peace of mind. Within a few months, the benefits of this treaty, started becoming apparent. This treaty separated the Quraysh from their nexus with the Jews and in this way it became easy to subdue the latter. With the end of war-like conditions, the propagation of Islam increased manifold, so much so that the Quraysh themselves were subdued through the peaceful dawah process, for no ground was to be gained by fighting against them.