Waqul jaa alhaqqu wazahaqa albatilu inna albatila kana zahooqa (surah Al Isra: 81)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(17:81) And declare, "The Truth has come and falsehood has vanished: for falsehood is a thing that must by its nature vanish." *101

Wa qul jaaa`al haqqu wa zahaqal baatil; innal baatila kaana zahooqaa

*101) At the time of this declaration, the persecution of the Muslims was at its height. A large number of them had emigrated to Habash, and those who had remained behind were suffering from untold hardships at Makkah and its suburbs: so much so that the life of the Holy Prophet himself was always in danger. Therefore, to all appearances, falsehood was prevailing everywhere and there was no sign to show that the truth would ever overpower falsehood. That is why the disbelievers took it for a boastful talk and scoffed at it when this declaration was trade. But this prophecy of victory did come out true in less than a decade when the Holy Prophet entered the same city of Makkah as a conqueror, and entered the Ka'abah where he made the same declaration while he was breaking the three hundred and sixty idols. According to a Tradition of Bukhari, related by Hadrat 'Abdullah bin Mas`ud, "On the day of the conquest of Makkah the Holy Prophet went on striking idols and uttering these words: `The Truth has come and falsehood has vanished; for falsehood is a thing that must by its nature vanish. The Truth has come and falsehood will never reappear nor return' . "