1-When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory,
2- And thou dost see the people enter Allah.s Religion in crowds,
3- Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy).
1. When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory,
The victory in this verse refers to the conquest of Mecca. There can be no victory without Allah’s Help.
Victory comes only by the Help of Allah. Verily! Allah is Mighty, Wise.
In Surah al-Imran, Allah says:
If Allah is your Helper none can overcome you, and if He withdraws His Help from you, who is there who can help you after Him? In Allah let believers put their trust.
Prior to the conquest of Mecca, Allah gave Muslims the good news of this great victory in Surah al-Fatah, at the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (an agreement that took place between Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Quraysh of Mecca although most of the clauses of the treaty were against Muslims).
Verily We have granted you a manifest Victory.
Allah guaranteed this victory to Muslims after a long period of trials and patience.
This verse also indicates that Allah has completed the mission of His Messenger by making him successful in conveying the message.
Narrated Ibn Abbas (RA):
Umar (RA) asked the people regarding Allah’s Statement: “When comes the Help of Allah (to you O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest of Mecca?” They replied, “It indicates the future conquest of towns and palaces (by Muslims).” Umar said, “What do you say about it, O Ibn Abbas?” I replied, “(This Surah) indicates the termination of the life of Muhammad. Through it he was informed of the nearness of his death.”
2. And you see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds,
Truly, the conquest of Mecca opened a new chapter in the history of Islam. Earlier, many of the Arab tribes resisted joining with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They wanted to see who would emerge victorious between him and the Quraysh. They reasoned that if the Quraysh were victorious, then Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was not really a prophet! But if he was victorious, they reasoned, then he must really be a Messenger of Allah. [6]
Narrated Hz Amr bin Salama (RA):
And the Arabs (other than Quraysh) delayed their acceptance of Islam till the Conquest (of Mecca). They used to say. “Leave him (i.e. Muhammad) and his people Quraysh: if he overpowers them, then he is a true Prophet.” So, when Mecca was conquered, then every tribe rushed to embrace Islam.
3. Celebrate the praises of your Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy).
Allah is the One who gives victories, so thanks should be given to Him. This is why in this verse Allah tells us to celebrate His praises, and offer thanks to Him.