Surah 94. Ash-Sharh

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Verses [Section]: 1-8[1]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-894. Ash-Sharhبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِاَلَمْHave notنَشْرَحْWe expandedلَكَfor youصَدْرَكَۙyour breast وَ وَضَعْنَاAnd We removedعَنْكَfrom youوِزْرَكَۙyour burden الَّذِیْۤWhichاَنْقَضَweighed uponظَهْرَكَۙyour back وَ رَفَعْنَاAnd We raised highلَكَfor youذِكْرَكَؕyour esteem فَاِنَّSo indeedمَعَwithالْعُسْرِthe hardshipیُسْرًاۙ(is) ease اِنَّIndeedمَعَwithالْعُسْرِthe hardshipیُسْرًاؕ(is) ease فَاِذَاSo whenفَرَغْتَyou are freeفَانْصَبْۙthen stand up وَ اِلٰیAnd toرَبِّكَyour Lordفَارْغَبْ۠turn your attention

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Translation of Verse 1-8In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(94:1) (O Prophet), Did We not lay open your breast¹

(94:2) and relieve you of the burden

(94:3) that had well-nigh broken your back?²

(94:4) And did We not exalt your fame?³

(94:5) Indeed, there is ease with hardship.

(94:6) Most certainly, there is ease with hardship.⁴

(94:7) So, whenever you are free, strive in devotion,

(94:8) and turn to your Lord with longing.⁵

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Commentary

1. This question and its answer in the later part of the Sarah indicate that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was distressed at that time by the hardships confronting him in the wake of his call to Islam. While he faced hostility all around him, Allah consoled him, reminding him of His many favors. Given this, he should not feel worried.

2. If one reflects on the use of the expression “to open the breast” in the Qur’an, it becomes evident that it denotes two things. Let us first study its use at several places:

“So whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast for Islam... (al An'am 6: 125)

Can he whose breast Allah has opened up for Islam and who is thus (moving along a path) illumined by a light from Allah (be likened to him who derives no lesson from what he observes)? (al-Zumar 39: 22)

In both these instances, “opening up the breast” signifies the state of a person when he overcomes every kind of mental reservation and reluctance and attains the conviction that Islam is the right way of life. He firmly believes that the Islamic articles of faith and the Islamic stance on morals and culture and Islamic commands alone are best suited for mankind.

Some other examples of the Quranic use of the same expression are as follows: Moses said: “My Lord! I fear that they will brand me a liar. My breast is constricted...” (al-Shu‘ara’ 26: 12-13)

Moses said: “Lord! Open my breast for me, and ease my task for me,” (Ta Ha 20: 25-26)

The constriction of the breast is synonymous here with the lack of resolve to confront a mighty tyrant and to shoulder the onerous duty of Messenger ship. In contrast, opening up the breast - represents the state of a person who has become imbued with the spirit to embark on any task, however arduous, for the sake of Islam and who acquires the resolve to take up the great responsibilities of Prophet hood.

On reflection, it appears that both the above meanings are _ intended regarding the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Taken in its former sense, it means that in his pre-Prophetic days he rejected all the existing faiths as false, be it Arab polytheism, Christianity, Judaism or Zoroastrianism. He was not fully satisfied either with the hanifiyah professed by some Arab monotheists of the day. For it was very vague, and failed to give detailed guidance of the right way. (For details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, Vol. VII, al-Sajdah 32: n. 5, pp. 159-160.) Since he himself had no idea of the right way, it perturbed him very much. As Allah bestowed Messenger ship on him, he was relieved of this burdensome worry and his heart was filled with conviction.

If we opt for the latter sense, the meaning will be that along with investing him with Messenger ship, Allah also infused in him the resolve, commitment and breadth of vision required for carrying out his Prophetic mission. He was blessed with such immeasurable knowledge to which no person has had access ever before or since. He was granted such wisdom as guided him to resolve everything. He gained such conviction that without any material support he rose to confront the die-hard votaries of Jahiliyah, to face the storm of opposition, to bear with all hardships, and to pursue his mission uninterruptedly. As Allah opened up his breast in the above sense, he need not be daunted by initial difficulties

Some Qur’anic scholars tend to interpret “opening up the breast” in its literal sense and cite this verse as proof of the miracle reported in Ahadith. Let us clarify that miracle is only related in Ahadith. It is not proper to substantiate it with reference to any Quranic verse. In the Arabic language sharh al-sadr and shaqq al-sadr are not synonyms. In his Ruh al-Ma‘ani, Alusi declares: “According to scholars, any reference to this verse regarding the miracle of shaqq sadr is out of place.” Some Quranic scholars misconstrue this in the sense that in the pre-Prophetic days the Prophet (peace be upon him) had committed ‘some lapses, which weighed heavily on his mind, and that this verse relieves him of his anxiety on this count. In our opinion, however, this interpretation is patently flawed. Wizr does not mean to sin; it stands only for a burden. Given this, its interpretation in terms of some sin is unjustified. Moreover, his pre-Prophetic life was so unblemished that the Qur’an cites it as a proof of his truthfulness, throwing out a challenge to his opponents to disprove it. He repeatedly told them: “I have spent a lifetime among you before this,” (Yunus 10: 16). Nor had he ever committed any sin in Private, away from the public gaze. Had he done so, Allah would certainly have been aware of it and declared it in the Qur’an. Wizr in this verse, thus, stands only for his burden of worry and grief, which he felt on noting the moral and spiritual degeneration of his people. The Arabs of the day were engrossed in Jahiliyah practices. Since his was a sensitive soul, the rampant idolatry disturbed him: very much. Polytheistic practices around him hurt him as much. Then there was all-round moral degeneration and indecency. Injustice and corruption were the order of the day. The mighty ones used to oppress the weak and the helpless. Baby daughters were buried alive. Raids and plundering were fairly common. At times, internecine feuds lasted for more than one hundred years. Life, honor and property were not inviolable. Only the strong and the powerful enjoyed peace and security. All this grieved him yet he could not think of a way out of this morass. Allah eventually relieved him of all these worries and showed him the right way. As soon as he assumed the office of Messenger ship, it dawned on him that belief in monotheism, the Hereafter and Messenger ship, was the key to all-round reform. Allah’s guidance blessed him with the peace of mind and conviction. He realized that with divine teachings, he could guide not only the Arabs but the entirety of mankind and cure their ailments.

3. This divine promise was made at a time when the Prophet (peace be upon him) enjoyed the support of only a few people. It was unimaginable how his message could reach even beyond Makkah, what to say of attaining world-wide fame and glory. Yet in such apparently unfavorable circumstances, Allah gave him this glad tiding, which did come true in a miraculous fashion. He even made the Prophet’s enemies exalt his name. For, during pilgrimage when people from all parts of Arabia assembled in Makkah, these Makkan unbelievers met these pilgrims, warning them against his new message. They described it as a spell to visitors, which caused discord among even husband and wife and close family members. The purpose behind their apparent negative propaganda was to caution these visitors to Makkah. However, it actually led to spreading his name and his mission across Arabia. Even those living in remote parts of Arabia came to know of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his mission. They naturally grew curious about him and his faith. The more the Makkan unbelievers sought to discredit him, the more inquisitive people became. They _ soon found out about his conduct, the Qur’an and his teachings. They also noted that what these unbelievers branded as a spell had actually transformed the moral and spiritual condition of his followers, who stood out above the unbelievers. Gradually, he earned their admiration and respect. Within a few years, some member or another of every tribe in Arabia had accepted Islam. He, thus, had supporters and followers across Arabia. This represents the first stage of the exaltation of the Prophet's fame.

The Prophet's migration to Madinah marks the next major stage of his career. On the one hand, the hypocrites, Jews and all the Arab polytheists were bent upon discrediting him and his call whereas on the other, the Islamic state of Madinah stood out as a model of God-consciousness, piety, excellent morals and manners, justice and equality, fraternity, generosity on the part of the rich, concern for the weak and the poor and fairness in transactions. This Islamic - model had been winning over hearts and minds by the day. His enemies waged wars in order to eliminate his mission. However, the band of believers trained by him displayed such velour, discipline, dedication to faith and observance of His moral code in the heat of war that all of their nefarious designs were thwarted. Within ten years, the Prophet’s name won wide acclaim notwithstanding all the impious acts of his enemies. The entire region resounded with the testimony that he was Allah’s Messenger.

The Rightly Guided Caliphate is the third major stage in which the Prophet's renown scaled new heights throughout the world. His acclaim has been growing since then and will go on unabated, God willing, until the Last Day. As it is, Muslims live in all parts of the world and, therefore, in every town his name as Allah’s Messenger is proclaimed five times a day as a part of the adhan (call to Prayer).

During Prayers and Friday sermons Muslims chant benedictions in his glory. Throughout the year and in every nook and corner of the world he is constantly praised. This proves beyond any shadow of doubt the veracity of the Qur’an which predicted the exaltation of the Prophet's fame on such a grand scale in the early days of his Prophetic career. At that time, no one could even anticipate the magnitude of his glory. Abu Sa‘id Khudri reports that the - Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Gabriel visited me and said: ‘My Lord and your Lord asks you how your fame be exalted.’ To this I replied: ‘Allah knows it best.’ He added: ‘Allah says that your name will also be proclaimed along with His,” (Ibn Jarir, Tafsir Surah al-Sharh, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Marduwayh, and Abu Nu‘aym.) Later history proves that this promise came true in full.

4. This assurance is repeated twice in order to comfort the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the present difficult phase will not last long. Rather, there will soon be a period of ease. This statement sounds paradoxical, for ease and hardship cannot co-exist. However, the two are mentioned together in order to emphasize that the period of ease is in the offing.

5. “When you are free” might refer to his engagements of preaching, instructing new Muslims or his domestic chores. The directive is that as soon as he is free, he should devote himself to worship and turn wholly to his Lord.