48:1  WE HAVE given you¹ a signal victory,²

48:2  so that God may forgive you your past and future sins, and perfect His goodness to you; that He may guide you on to a straight path

48:3  and that God may bestow on you His mighty help

48:4  He it was who sent down the Divine Presence³ into the hearts of the faithful, so that their faith might grow stronger― God‘s are the legions of the heavens and the earth: God is all knowing and wise

48:5  that He may admit the believers, both men and women, into gardens watered by running brooks, therein to abide for ever; that He may forgive them their sins ― this, in God‘s sight, is a glorious triumph

48:6  and that He may punish the hypocrites and the idolaters, men and women, who think evil thoughts about God. A turn of evil shall befall them, for God is angry with them. He has laid on them His curse and made Hell ready for them: a wretched fate

48:7  God‘s are the legions of the heavens and the earth. God is mighty and wise

48:8  We have sent you¹ forth as a witness and as a bearer of joyful tidings and warnings

48:9  so that you² may have faith in God and His apostle and that you may assist Him, honour Him, and praise Him morning and evening

48:10  Those that swear fealty to you, swear fealty to God Himself. The Hand of God is above their hands. He that breaks his oath breaks it at his own peril, but he that keeps his pledge to God shall be richly recompensed by Him

48:11  The desert Arabs who stayed behind³ will say to you: ‘We were occupied with our goods and families. Implore God to pardon us.‘ They will say with their tongues what they do not mean in their hearts. Say: ‘Who can intervene on your behalf with God if it be His will to do you harm or good? Indeed, God is cognizant of what you do.‘

48:12  No! You⁴ thought the Apostle and the believers would never return to their people; and with this fancy your hearts were delighted. You harboured evil thoughts and thus incurred damnation

48:13  As for those that disbelieve in God and His apostle, for the unbelievers We have prepared a Conflagration

48:14  It is God who has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth; He pardons whom He will and punishes whom He pleases. And God is ever forgiving and compassionate

48:15  Those that stayed behind when you set forth to take the spoils will say: ‘Let us come with you.‘ They seek to change the Word of God. Say: ‘You shall not come with us. So God has said beforehand.‘ They will say: ‘You are surely jealous of us.‘ But how little they understand

48:16  Say to those of the desert Arabs who stayed behind: ‘You shall be called upon to fight a people possessed of overwhelming might, unless they willingly embrace Islām. If you prove obedient, God will reward you well. But if you turn away, as you did turn away from this, He will inflict on you a woeful punishment.‘

48:17  It shall be no offence for the blind, no offence for the lame, and no offence for the sick to stay behind. He that obeys God and His apostle shall be admitted into Gardens watered by running brooks; but on him that turns and flees He will inflict a woeful punishment

48:18  God was well pleased with the faithful when they swore allegiance to you under the tree; He knew what was in their hearts. Therefore He sent down the Divine Presence¹ upon them, and rewarded them with a speedy victor

48:19  and with abundant spoils to take. Almighty is God and wise

48:20  God has promised you abundant spoils to take, and has given you this² with all promptness. He has stayed your enemies‘ hands, so that He may make your victory a sign to true believers and guide you along a straight path

48:21  And God knows of other spoils which you have not yet taken. God has power over all things

48:22  If the unbelievers join battle with you, they shall be put to flight. They shall find none to protect or help them

48:23  Such was the way of God in days gone by: nor shall you ever find change in the way of God

48:24  And He it was who ended hostilities between you in the Valley of Mecca³ after He had given you victory over them. God was watching all your actions

48:25  It was they who disbelieved and debarred you from the Sacred Mosque and prevented your offerings from reaching their destination. But for the fear that you might have trampled underfoot believing men and women unknown to you and thus incurred unwitting guilt on their account, He ordained it thus that He might admit whom He will into His mercy. Had they stood apart from them, We would have inflicted a woeful punishment on those of them who were unbelievers

48:26  And while bigotry ― the bigotry of ignorance ― was holding its sway in the hearts of the unbelievers, God sent down His Divine Presence¹ on His apostle and on the faithful and made the word of piety binding on them, for they were most worthy and deserving of it. God has knowledge of all things

48:27  God has in all truth fulfilled His apostle‘s vision: ‘If God wills, you shall enter the Sacred Mosque secure and fearless, with hair cropped or shaven.‘ He knew what you knew not; and what is more, He granted you a speedy victory

48:28  He it is that has sent forth His apostle with guidance and the Religion of Truth, that he may exalt it above all religions. Sufficient is God as a witness

48:29  Muhammad is God‘s apostle. And those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. You behold them worshipping on their knees, seeking grace of God and His good will. Their marks are on their faces, the traces of their prostrations. Thus are they described in the Torah, and are described in the Gospel:² they are like the seed which puts forth its shoot and strengthens it, so that it rises stout and firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers. Through them He seeks to enrage the unbelievers. Yet to those of them who will embrace the Faith and do good works God has promised forgiveness and a rich recompense