Surah Muhammad – Mustafa Ismail

Muhammad is the 47th surah of the Quran. It is a Medinan surah of 38 verses and the 95th in the traditional order of revelation, after Al-Hadid. It is named after the Prophet ﷺ, whose name appears in verse 2, and is also known as Al-Qital ("Fighting"), because it came down when the Muslims of Medina were at war with Quraysh and much of it deals with that struggle.

Themes

• Two camps: those who disbelieve and bar others from God's way, whose works are lost, and those who believe in what was sent down to Muhammad, whose misdeeds are erased (47:1–3).
• Conduct in battle: once the enemy is subdued, captives are to be freed as a favour or for ransom (47:4), with the promise "If you support God, He will support you and make your feet firm" (47:7).
• The rivers of Paradise, of unstaling water, milk, wine and purified honey (47:15).
• "Know that there is no god but God, and ask forgiveness for your sin" (47:19). Al-Bukhari placed this verse at the head of his chapter "Knowledge comes before speech and action".
• The hypocrites, who look faint with fear when a decisive surah mentioning fighting is revealed (47:20), and the question "Do they not reflect on the Quran, or are there locks upon their hearts?" (47:24).
• Severing ties of kinship (47:22). In a hadith of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet describes the womb seeking refuge with God from those who cut it off, and Abu Hurayra would then recite this verse.
• Trials that reveal who strives and endures (47:31), and a closing warning to the stingy: if you turn away, God will replace you with another people who will not be like you (47:38).

Related surahs

The story continues in Al-Fath, which tells of the truce of Hudaybiya; the rules of war are also treated in Al-Anfal. The name Muhammad occurs four times in the Quran: here, in 3:144, 33:40 and 48:29.