The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

47. MUHAMMAD
A Medinan sura that deals with issues of war, those who try to prevent conversion
to Islam and the carrying out of God’s commands (a common theme in the
Medinan suras), and the fate of the hypocrites. It specifically mentions
the iniquity of those who expelled the Prophet from Mecca, it describes the
futility of the disbelievers’ attempts to oppose God and His Prophet, and it
urges the Muslims to obey God in all matters, lest their good deeds come to
nothing on the Day of Judgement like those of the disbelievers and hypocrites.
It takes its title from the mention of Muhammad’s name in verse 2.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 God will bring to nothing the deeds of those who disbelieve and bar
others from the way of God, 2 but He will overlook the bad deeds of
those who have faith, do good deeds, and believe in what has been
sent down to Muhammad––the truth from their Lord––and He will
put them into a good state. 3 This is because the disbelievers follow
falsehood, while the believers follow the truth from their Lord. In
this way God shows people their true type.
4 When you meet the disbelievers in battle, strike them in the neck,
and once they are defeated, bind any captives firmly––later you can
release them by grace a or by ransom––until the toils of war have
ended. That [is the way]. God could have defeated them Himself if
He had willed, but His purpose is to test some of you by means of
others. He will not let the deeds of those who are killed for His cause
come to nothing; 5 He will guide them and put them into a good
state; 6 He will admit them into the Garden He has already made
known to them. 7 You who believe! If you help God, He will help you
and make you stand firm.
8 As for the disbelievers, how wretched will be their state! God has
brought their deeds to nothing. 9 It is because they hate what God
has sent down that He has caused their deeds to go to waste. 10 Have
they not travelled the earth and seen how those before them met
their end? God destroyed them utterly: a similar fate awaits the
a Commentators highlight the fact that ‘by grace’ is the first of the two options given
here, concluding that this is the preferred or recommended course of action.