سُوْرَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 35
فَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَتَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلسَّلْمِ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَن يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ ﴿35﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So be not weak and ask not for peace (from the enemies of Islâm) while you are having the upper hand. Allâh is with you, and He will never decrease the reward of your good deeds.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَا
falā
So (do) not
تَهِنُوا۟
tahinū
weaken
وَتَدْعُوٓا۟
watadʿū
and call
إِلَى
ilā
for
ٱلسَّلْمِ
l-salmi
peace
وَأَنتُمُ
wa-antumu
while you
ٱلْأَعْلَوْنَ
l-aʿlawna
(are) superior
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
and Allah
مَعَكُمْ
maʿakum
(is) with you
وَلَن
walan
and never
يَتِرَكُمْ
yatirakum
will deprive you
أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ
aʿmālakum
(of) your deeds
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
So do not falter or call for peace [39] when you are the uppermost. Allah is with you, and He will never diminish [40] your deeds.
[39]
Do Not Request Peace or Compromise from the Enemy:
That is, when you confront the enemy, do not show any laziness at all; rather, stake your life and all you have. And do not request peace or compromise from the disbelievers, by which your weakness would become apparent to them and they would continue to suppress you further. It should be clear that these verses were revealed at a time when the state of Madinah had just come into existence. There were about a hundred Muhajirun and some Ansar, and the number of their fighting men barely reached a thousand. Let alone abundance of war equipment, even their economic condition was not good. On the other hand, not only the Quraysh of Makkah but the entire Arabia had risen in opposition to the Muslims and wanted to wipe out this state and the Muslims from the face of the earth. In these circumstances, this guidance was given: do not show your weakness on the battlefield, nor, considering yourselves weak, request peace from the enemy. However, if you make the enemy acknowledge your strength, and they themselves request peace from the Muslims, then in that case you may accept their request for peace. As is clearly stated in verse 61 of Surah Al-Anfal.
[40]
Dominance Does Not Only Mean Political Dominance, But Also Dominance of Proof and Argument:
If you do not show laziness and strive in jihad with steadfastness and perseverance, then surely you will remain dominant, because in that case Allah is present to help you. Whatever you have spent in the cause of jihad or whatever effort and hardship you have endured, Allah will grant you its full reward. And as for the statement that you will be dominant, it does not mean that you will be dominant in every battle and in every situation. As, due to their own mistake, the Muslims had to face temporary defeat in the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Hunayn. Rather, it means that ultimately you will be dominant. Thus, Allah fulfilled this promise to the Muslims, and during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, the power of disbelief and polytheism was eradicated throughout Arabia, and Muslims and Islam became dominant. And some scholars say that dominance does not necessarily mean only political dominance; it can also mean intellectual dominance. That is, in terms of proof and argument, you will be dominant over all the religions of disbelief, and by the grace of Allah, Muslims have never been overcome by followers of any other religion in the field of proof and argument to this day. However, the first meaning is more appropriate in the context of the subject.
[39]
Do Not Request Peace or Compromise from the Enemy:
That is, when you confront the enemy, do not show any laziness at all; rather, stake your life and all you have. And do not request peace or compromise from the disbelievers, by which your weakness would become apparent to them and they would continue to suppress you further. It should be clear that these verses were revealed at a time when the state of Madinah had just come into existence. There were about a hundred Muhajirun and some Ansar, and the number of their fighting men barely reached a thousand. Let alone abundance of war equipment, even their economic condition was not good. On the other hand, not only the Quraysh of Makkah but the entire Arabia had risen in opposition to the Muslims and wanted to wipe out this state and the Muslims from the face of the earth. In these circumstances, this guidance was given: do not show your weakness on the battlefield, nor, considering yourselves weak, request peace from the enemy. However, if you make the enemy acknowledge your strength, and they themselves request peace from the Muslims, then in that case you may accept their request for peace. As is clearly stated in verse 61 of Surah Al-Anfal.
[40]
Dominance Does Not Only Mean Political Dominance, But Also Dominance of Proof and Argument:
If you do not show laziness and strive in jihad with steadfastness and perseverance, then surely you will remain dominant, because in that case Allah is present to help you. Whatever you have spent in the cause of jihad or whatever effort and hardship you have endured, Allah will grant you its full reward. And as for the statement that you will be dominant, it does not mean that you will be dominant in every battle and in every situation. As, due to their own mistake, the Muslims had to face temporary defeat in the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Hunayn. Rather, it means that ultimately you will be dominant. Thus, Allah fulfilled this promise to the Muslims, and during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, the power of disbelief and polytheism was eradicated throughout Arabia, and Muslims and Islam became dominant. And some scholars say that dominance does not necessarily mean only political dominance; it can also mean intellectual dominance. That is, in terms of proof and argument, you will be dominant over all the religions of disbelief, and by the grace of Allah, Muslims have never been overcome by followers of any other religion in the field of proof and argument to this day. However, the first meaning is more appropriate in the context of the subject.
