You See People Entering Allah's Religion in Multitudes — The Sign of the End

Verses: "When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest (1) and you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes (2) then exalt with praise of your Lord and ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance."

Reflection:
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both) understood from this surah that it foretold the Prophet's death — and he wept when he recited it before Umar and said: "Our Prophet was informed of his departure — when the victory of Allah and the conquest come, this is the sign of his approaching departure." And Umar affirmed him.

A profound subtlety: When the Prophet reached the peak of his success — the conquest of Makkah and people entering Islam in multitudes — he was commanded to seek forgiveness, not to celebrate. In this lies the deepest lesson of humility: the greatest success is the moment of greatest accountability.

"Then exalt with praise of your Lord and ask His forgiveness": Combining glorification and seeking forgiveness at the close of the mission — glorification: because Allah is the One who accomplished it; forgiveness: because the servant no matter how great falls short of Allah's full right.

Ibn Kathir said: "The Prophet was commanded at the completion of the blessing to give thanks and seek forgiveness — just as the worshipper is encouraged to seek forgiveness after completing the prayer."

Lesson: When you succeed at something great, do not only celebrate — glorify and seek forgiveness. Success is a blessing requiring gratitude, not pride.