Surah Nasr (An-Nasr): Arabic, meaning and learning

What is Surah Nasr?

An-Nasr is chapter 110 of the Quran. The Tanzil metadata gives it three verses, the English name Divine Support, the class Medinan (from after the move to Madinah), and a place in juz (part) 30 (1). In the al-Salama edition, Ibn Kathir opens his commentary on it with the heading that the surah is Madani (2).

Surah Nasr in Arabic and English

Each verse below has its Arabic, its English from the adapted Pickthall translation, and a plain note on the wording.

1. 1

   إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْفَتْحُ

   When Allah's succour and the triumph comes.

   The verse names the help of Allah and the conquest together. The English reads "When Allah's succour and the triumph comes", where "triumph" is this translation's word for what this page calls the conquest.

2. 2

   وَرَأَيْتَ ٱلنَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِى دِينِ ٱللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا

   And you see mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops.

   The verse speaks to the Prophet about what he sees: the English reads "entering the religion of Allah in troops".

3. 3

   فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ تَوَّابًۢا

   Then hymn the praises of your Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever ready to show mercy.

   The English reads "Then hymn the praises of your Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him" and closes "ever ready to show mercy".

What do the three verses say?

Verse 1 names the help of Allah and the conquest. Verse 2 describes people entering the religion of Allah in groups. Verse 3 gives the response: glorifying the Lord with praise and asking His forgiveness. Use this sequence to recall the surah after reading it.

What did Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, say the surah meant?

In Sahih al-Bukhari 4970, Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, brought him in with the elders of Badr, and that some of them resented it. 'Umar asked those present what the surah meant. Some said they had been commanded to praise Allah and seek His forgiveness when they were helped and given the conquest; others were silent. 3

'Umar then asked Ibn Abbas, who said it was the appointed time of the Messenger of Allah, made known to him. He gave Allah's words about the coming of the help and the conquest, addressed to the Prophet, as a sign of that time. 'Umar replied that he knew of it only what Ibn Abbas had said. 3

Grade: Sahih, by the collection convention for Sahih al-Bukhari, not a grader's verdict. 3

The narration reports these interpretations. It does not present Ibn Abbas's explanation as words of the Prophet.

What did the Prophet say in bowing and prostration?

In Sahih al-Bukhari 4968, 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reports that the Prophet often said, in his bowing and his prostration:

In our words, the supplication means: Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You; O Allah, forgive me. The report adds that he did this interpreting the Quran (yata'awwalu al-Quran).

Grade: Sahih, by the collection convention for Sahih al-Bukhari, not a grader's verdict. 4

The report does not name the surah. In Sahih al-Bukhari it sits under this surah's section of the Book of Tafsir, the commentary on the Quran. It gives no count of repetitions and does not say that the surah is recited in prayer. For the meaning of seeking forgiveness, see Astaghfirullah. For praise, see Subhanallah and Alhamdulillah.

How can you learn the three verses?

Learn one verse at a time, then join it to the next. Read the Arabic with a teacher or a recording by a qualified reader, then recall the sequence from the table above. This is a learning suggestion; it claims no count and no reward.

No audio is embedded or named on this page, and no transliteration is given.