Tafsir

Verse 81: وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ (And say, "Truth has come and false-hood has vanished" ) was revealed after Hijrah about the conquest of Makkah. Sayyidna Ibn Masud ؓ says that on the day Makkah was conquered, the Holy Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah. At that time, there were three hundred and sixty idols standing around the Baytullah. Some ` Ulama' report a reason for this particular number. They say that the Mushriks of Makkah had a separate idol for each day of the year that they used to worship on the given day. (Qurtubi) When the Holy Prophet ﷺ reached there, this was the verse he had on his blessed lips: وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ (Truth has come and falsehood has vanished) while he went round striking at each single idol on the chest with his stick. (al-Bukhari and Muslim)It appears in some Hadith narratives that the end of this stick had a pewter or iron ferrule mounted on it. So, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ would hit an idol on the chest, it would fall back. In the end, when all idols fell down, he gave orders that they be demolished.

(Qurtubiwithreference to Qadi ` Iyad and al-Qushairi)It is necessary to erase customs and symbols of polytheism, disbelief and falsehood

Imam al-Qurtubi said that this verse proves that it is wajib (necessary, obligatory) to erase the idols of Mushriks and all other polytheistic symbols and signs - and all such false instruments that are used in the way of sin and disobedience as well. They too come under the purview of the game injunction. Ibn al-Mundhir said that pictures and sculpted figures made in wood or metal etc. also come under the injunction governing idols. The Holy Prophet ﷺ had torn the curtain having pictures made on it in lines and colors. This, incidentally, tells us about the general injunctions covering common pictures. According to Sahih Hadith, when Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will come towards the later times, he will undo the cross and eliminate the swine. These things prove that it is necessary to demolish and eliminate the instruments of shirk, kufr and batil.