NAME: محمد, القتال, Muhammad, Al-Qital.

Surah has two names. Names taken from Verse 2 and 20 where there is a mention of the name of prophet Muhammad and word “Qital” respectively.

٢  وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَآمَنُوا بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ
2  And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad – and it is the truth from their Lord – He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition.

٢٠  وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌ ۖ فَإِذَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ ۙ رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ ۖ فَأَوْلَىٰ لَهُمْ
20  Those who believe say, “Why has a surah not been sent down? But when a precise surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned therein, you see those in whose hearts is hypocrisy looking at you with a look of one overcome by death. And more appropriate for them [would have been]

But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.

ENGLISH NAME: Muhammad, Fighting.

CHAPTER NUMBER: 47

SURAH MUHAMMAD TOTAL VERSES: 38

SURAH MUHAMMAD TOTAL WORDS: 542

TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 340

TOTAL LETTERS: 2,423

REVELATION PERIOD:

Medinan, Approx. 622 – 623 AD. 

MAIN CHARACTERS:

God, Muhammad, Believers, Martyr, Disbelievers, Previous Generations, Hypocrites, Angels. 

SURAH MUHAMMAD MAIN TOPICS:

Mention Of Muhammad’s Name, Fighting Instructions, Martyr Will Be In A Paradise Already Known To Them, Previous Generations Were Stronger Than You, Traits of Hypocrites, Worldly Life Is Only Amusement.

SURAH MUHAMMAD KEY VERSES:

٢  وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَآمَنُوا بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ

2  And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad – and it is the truth from their Lord – He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition.

٤  فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَثْخَنْتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَاءً حَتَّىٰ تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَاءُ اللَّهُ لَانْتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَٰكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَ بَعْضَكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَلَنْ يُضِلَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ

4  So when you meet those who disbelieve [in battle], strike [their] necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure their bonds, and either [confer] favor afterwards or ransom [them] until the war lays down its burdens. That [is the command]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken vengeance upon them [Himself], but [He ordered armed struggle] to test some of you by means of others. And those who are killed in the cause of Allah – never will He waste their deeds.

١٢  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الْأَنْعَامُ وَالنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَهُمْ

12  Indeed, Allah will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, but those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.

١٥  مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ لَبَنٍ لَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ خَمْرٍ لَذَّةٍ لِلشَّارِبِينَ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ عَسَلٍ مُصَفًّى ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِي النَّارِ وَسُقُوا مَاءً حَمِيمًا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ

15  Is the description of Paradise, which the righteous are promised, wherein are rivers of water unaltered, rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from their Lord, like [that of] those who abide eternally in the Fire and are given to drink scalding water that will sever their intestines?

٢٧  فَكَيْفَ إِذَا تَوَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ

27  Then how [will it be] when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs?

SUMMARY OF TOPICS

1-3(Mention Of Muhammad’s Name, Allah Will Remove Misdeeds Of Believers), 4(Fight Orders, Slay, Take Captive, Free After Ransom, This Is All To Test Some Of You By Means Of Others), 6(Martyr Will Be In A Paradise Already Known To Them), 7-11(Help Allah Cause, Allah Will Help You, Otherwise Already Many Dead And Reached Their End Before You), 12-14(Disbelievers Eat Like Cattle, Previous Generations Were Stronger Than Your City), 15(Paradise: Springs Of Water Milk And Honey, Fruits And Forgiveness, Hell: Fire And Scalding Water ), 18(Last Day’s Beginnings Have Already Begin), 20(Believers Demand Why No Surah For Fight, But When Sent, Hypocrites Staring At You Like A Man In The Swoon Of Death), 27-34(At Time Of Death Angels Will Beat At Their Faces And Back, If God Willed He Could Show To You Hypocrites Real Faces In This World), 35( Do Not Weaken And Call Your Enemies For Peace), 36-38(Worldly Life Is Only Amusement, You Are Invited To Spend In God’s Cause, Whoever withholds only withholds [benefit] from himself, Allah Will Replace You By Others Not Like You)

SURAH MUHAMMAD BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND:

This Surah has 38 verses divided into 4 Rukus/Sections. The Surah was revealed in Madina in the first year of migration and before the battle of Badr. It has two names “Muhammad” And “Qital.” First name taken from word “مُحَمَّدٍ” mentioned in verse 2:  وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَآمَنُوا بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ  and second name from verse 20: وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌ ۖ فَإِذَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ ۙ where word “الْقِتَالُ” is mentioned.

The Surah speaks about the actual struggle that will take place between the truth and falsehood. After migration to Madina, although the believers came out of individual persecution, they were facing at Mecca, but as a community, they know that the tribes of Mecca will not tolerate seeing them growing and leaving in peace. Rumors of Quraysh plannings have reached them. So these were the conditions when this Surah was revealed. Its theme is to prepare the believers for war and to give them preliminary instructions in this regard. This is also the reason why this Surah also called Surah Qital. The status of those who give their lives in Allah’s cause was told and that Martyrs will surely get Paradise. It is told that In this struggle, the truth will be victorious, and the falsehood will be ultimately defeated.

The Prophet of God PBUH said: For one who recites Surah Muhammad, it is the right upon Allah to drink him through the streams of Paradise.