The Tafsīr of Sūrah Alam Nashraḥ (Sūrat Ash-Sharḥ) (Chapter - 94)

Which was revealed in Makkah

Qur’anبِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Qur’an 94:1–8أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَٱنصَبْ وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرْغَب

«1. Have We not opened your breast for you?» «2. And removed from you your burden.» «3. Which weighed down your back?» «4. And have We not raised high your fame?» «5. Verily, along with every hardship is relief,» «6. Verily, along with every hardship is relief.» «7. So when you have finished, devote yourself to Allāh's worship.» «8. And to your Lord turn intentions and hopes.»

The Meaning of opening the Breast

Allāh says,

Qur’an 94:1أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ

«Have We not opened your breast for you?» meaning, ‘have We not opened your chest for you.’ This means, ‘We illuminated it, and We made it spacious, vast and wide.’ This is as Allāh says,

Qur’an 6:125فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَٰمِ

«And whomsoever Allāh wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islām.» (6:125) And just as Allāh expanded his chest, He also made His Law vast, wide, accommodating and easy, containing no difficulty, hardship or burden.

A Discussion of Allāh’s Favor upon His Messenger ﷺ

Concerning Allāh’s statement,

Qur’an 94:2وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ

«And removed from you your burden.» This means

Qur’an 48:2لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنۢبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ

«That Allāh may forgive you your sins of the past and the future.» (48:2)

Qur’an 94:3ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

«Which weighed down your back?» Al-Inqāḍ means the sound. And more than one of the Salaf has said concerning Allāh’s saying,

Qur’an 94:3ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

«Which weighed down your back?» meaning, ‘its burden weighed heavy upon you.’

The Meaning of raising the Fame of the Prophet ﷺ

Allāh then said,

Qur’an 94:4وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ

«And have We not raised high your fame?» Mujāhid said, “I (Allāh) am not remembered except that you are remembered with Me: I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh.”^{1Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:494.}

Qatādah said, “Allāh raised his fame in this life and in the Hereafter. There is no one who gives a sermon, declares the Testimony of Faith (Shahādah), or prays a prayer (Ṣalāh) except that he proclaims it: I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh.”^{2Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:494.}

Ease after Difficulty

Concerning Allāh's saying,

Qur’an 94:5–6فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا

«Verily along with every hardship is relief. Verily along with every hardship is relief.»

Allāh informs that with difficulty there is ease, and then he reaffirms this information (by repeating it).

The Command to remember Allāh during Spare Time

Allāh says,

Qur’an 94:7–8فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَٱنصَبْ وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرْغَب

«So when you have finished, devote yourself to Allāh's worship. And to your Lord turn intentions and hopes.»

meaning, ‘when you have completed your worldy affairs and its tasks, and you have broken away from its routine, then get up to perform the worship, and stand for it with zeal, complete devotion and purify your intention and desire for your Lord.’ Similar to this is the Prophet's statement in a Ḥadīth that is agreed-upon to be authentic,

Ḥadīthلَا صَلَاةَ بِحَضْرَةِ الطَّعَامِ، وَلَا هُوَ يُدَافِعُهُ الْأَخْبَثَانِ

«There is no prayer when the food is served, nor when the two foul things (excrement and urine) are pressing a person.»^{3Muslim 1:393.}

The Prophet ﷺ also said,

Ḥadīthإِذَا أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ وَحَضَرَ الْعَشَاءُ فَابْدَأُوا بِالْعَشَاءِ

«When the prayer has started and the dinner has been served, then begin with dinner.»^{4Fatḥ Al-Bāri 9:498.}

Mujāhid said concerning this Āyah, “When you are free from the worldy affairs, and you have stood to pray, then stand up for your Lord.»^{5Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:497.}

This is the end of the Tafsīr of Sūrah Alam Nashraḥ and all praise and blessings are due to Allāh