"And they requested victory," meaning: the Messengers; that is, they invoked [judgment] against their people when they became certain that they would not believe.
Muhammad said: The meaning of 'they requested victory' (istaftahu) is that they asked Allah to grant them victory (fath); that is, to grant them aid. Every victory is a 'fath' (opening/triumph), and this is the meaning of the statement of Yahya.
﴿واستفتحوا﴾ يَعْنِي: الرُّسُلَ؛ أَيْ: دَعَوْا عَلَى قَوْمِهِمْ، حِينَ اسْتَيْقَنُوا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يُؤمنُونَ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: معنى (استفتحوا): سَأَلُوا اللَّهَ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ لَهُمْ؛ أَيْ: يَنْصُرَهُمْ، وَكُلُّ نَصْرٍ هُوَ فَتْحٌ؛ وَهُوَ مَعْنَى قَوْلِ يحيى.
