Surah Al-Inshirah
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Have We not uplifted your heart for you ˹O Prophet˺,
relieved you of the burden
which weighed so heavily on your back,
and elevated your renown for you?
So, surely with hardship comes ease
Surely with ˹that˺ hardship comes ˹more˺ ease.[1]If a definite noun is repeated in Arabic, it means that we are referring to the same thing. For example, “I met the man and I gave the man some money.” But if an indefinite noun is repeated, it … Continue reading
So once you have fulfilled ˹your duty˺, strive ˹in devotion˺,
turning to your Lord ˹alone˺ with hope.
Surah Al-Inshirah
It is named in most commentaries (tafaseers) and in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Jami’ At-Tirmidhi as “Surah Alam Nashrah”. It is also named in some interpretations as “Surah Ash-Sharh” and similar to it in some Eastern manuscripts is named after the verb from which the phrase ” أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ Did We not expand your breast?” is derived from the verse, as mentioned in the Qur’an. In some interpretations, it is named “Surah Al-Inshirah”.
It is a Meccan surah by consensus. It is counted as the twelfth in the order of revelation, revealed after Surah Ad-Dhuha by consensus and before Surah Al-Asr. Tawus and Umar ibn Abdul Aziz used to say, “We recite Surah Alam Nashrah in the same unit of prayer without separating them,” meaning in the obligatory prayer, and this is a deviation from what the Ummah agreed upon in organizing the Qur’an. It consists of eight verses.
It contains the mention of Allah’s care for His Messenger, صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, with His gentle treatment of him, removing his grief and distress, explaining what was difficult for him, and honouring his status so that he may be relieved of his burden. Its content is similar to that of the argument in Surah Ad-Duha, confirming his status by reminding him of Allah’s previous care for him, illuminating the path of truth, and raising his rank so that he knows that the one who began with His blessings will never withhold His favour from him. This was done in a manner of narration of past events that the Prophet, صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, knew. This was followed by Allah’s promise that whenever he faces difficulty, he will find ease in his affairs, as is the practice of Allah تَعَالَى in His dealings. Therefore, let him bear the hardships of his mission and seek Allah’s help.
أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنْكَ وِزْرَكَ الَّذِي أَنْقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
Did We not expand your chest for you and relieve you of the burden that weighed so heavily on your back? And did We not raise your name in honour?
This is a rhetorical question [اسْتِفْهَامٌ تَقْرِيرِيٌّ][2][[اسْتِفْهَامٌ تَقْرِيرِيٌّ]” is an Arabic grammatical term that refers to an interrogative sentence used to seek information or to request confirmation about a fact. … Continue reading used to affirm the positive, and the intended meaning is to remind the listener of these blessings so that they may be mindful of them when faced with difficulties and hardships from those who seek their harm but whose ultimate goal is their salvation and rescue from the fire, and to elevate their status among nations, so that they may continue to call to their great mission actively and without sorrow or fatigue.
The literal meaning of “sharh” (شرح) is to separate parts of meat from each other, including slicing the meat into pieces. In medicine, it refers to dissecting a body part. The term is also used to describe the feeling of relief and satisfaction one experiences when they are content with their current situation, despite any difficulties or hardships they may be facing. The literal meaning of the term seems to indicate that it is only used in the context of separating meat, but its figurative use to describe the feeling of relief and satisfaction seems to have been derived from a metaphorical extension of the term. This may be due to the term’s frequent usage, as it is often used to describe the sensation of relief one feels when a burden is lifted, similar to the sensation of slicing through meat. This usage is consistent with the following verse from the Quran: “وَضَائِقٌ بِهِ صَدْرُكَ أَنْ يَقُولُوا لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنْزٌ or is your breast constrained by it because they say, “Why has there not been sent down to him a treasure ” (11:12). The idea of removing the sense of sadness from the soul is similar to the idea of separating parts of meat from each other, and the latter seems to be the more appropriate usage in this context, as the verse states: ” فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا Indeed, with difficulty comes ease”.
The statement “قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي” in Surah Taha, means “My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance].”
Here, “صَدْرِي” refers to the inner feeling that combines the meaning of intellect and perception. “Expanding the breast” is a metaphor for granting the purified soul everything it aspires to in terms of perfection, informing him of Allah’s satisfaction, and giving him glad tidings of the victory of the religion that he brought.
This is an explanation of the verse that is consistent with its meaning and independent of external narrations. Ibn Abbas explained that Allah had opened his heart to Islam, and Al-Hasan said that expanding his chest meant filling him with knowledge and wisdom. Sahl ibn Abdullah Al-Tustari said, “His chest was expanded by the light of the message.” This interpretation is adopted by many interpreters, and Ibn Atiyyah attributed it to the majority.
It is permissible to interpret the verse in a physical manner, and it was narrated from Ibn Abbas that he interpreted it this way, and this interpretation is evident in the Sunan of Al-Tirmidhi when he narrated the hadith of the splitting of the Prophet’s chest in the explanation of this Surah. The verse refers to the miraculous incidents that occurred in the Prophet’s life, particularly his splitting of the chest – peace be upon him – in a sacred manner. This incident is narrated in some authentic Hadiths in the Sahihs, and it is also narrated in a lengthy manner in the biographical and Musnad works. Some narrations in the Sahihs mention that it happened in the Prophet’s dreams and in the dreams of the prophets, while others say that he was awake. The apparent meaning in Al-Bukhari’s narration is that it was in his waking state, and in Sahih Muslim, it is narrated that it was in his waking state and in the sight of some of his companions. In a hadith narrated by Muslim from Anas ibn Malik, he said: “I saw the mark of the split on the Prophet’s chest.” In some narrations, it is stated that the Prophet – peace be upon him – was between sleeping and waking, and the narrations differ in terms of time and place, although there is agreement that it occurred in Mecca. The variation in narrations has led some scholars to say that the splitting of the Prophet’s noble chest occurred two to four times, including when he was with Halima. In the narration of Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal, it is mentioned that the splitting occurred when the Prophet was ten years old.
And as for what is authentic from the narration of Abu Dharr, it is that he was with the Prophet during the ascension to heaven, and some of it may have been a vision and some of it a sensory experience. And there is nothing in any of these reports that indicates a difference in their levels, which suggests that the interpretation in the verse is not necessarily referring to this particular incident. Since this splitting of the chest was an extraordinary miracle, it is possible that it was what was meant, as Abu Bakr al-Arabi explained in his book al-Ahkam. According to this interpretation, the chest was used to refer to its true essence, which is the inner container of the heart. Some scholars have interpreted the chest to mean the heart itself, and this is what ‘Iyad narrated in his book al-Shifa’, referring to what was mentioned in the report about the splitting of the chest, which involved the removal of the seat of whispering from it. Both of these meanings of the explanation indicate that an immense significance was being conveyed about the Prophet’s own being, either directly or in terms of its implications, as is not hidden.
Regarding the letter “lam” in the phrase “لَكَ“, it is the particle of reason and means “for you”. It is a sign of honouring the Prophet Muhammad – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – by indicating that Allah did it for his sake. This means that the blessings that were bestowed upon him are a result of Allah’s honour and respect for him. This demonstrates the honour and status of Prophet Muhammad – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – in the eyes of Allah.
Mentioning the prepositional phrase [لَكَ] before mentioning the object being described, an ambiguous style is used to attract attention. When the verb “نَشْرَحْ” (We expanded) was mentioned, the listener knew that a description was coming, and when the word “لَكَ” followed, the ambiguousness became stronger, increasing the interest because “لَكَ” means “something for you.” Then, when the statement “صَدْرَكَ” (your chest) was mentioned, the anticipated description became more vivid and clear in the mind, and this is what was pointed out in “Al-Kashaf” and was discussed by the author of “Al-Miftah” in the section on “الْإِطْنَابِ Verbosity.[3]Al-Itnab”: adding extra words to convey a meaning for the purpose of clarification, or expressing a meaning using additional phrases beyond what is customary among rhetoricians to reinforce and … Continue reading
“الْوِزْرُ” (burden) means difficulty, and ” وَضْعُهُ ” means removing it from the person carrying it. The statement is a metaphor for the state of removing difficulties and sorrows from the one who carries a burden, just as someone who lifts a heavy object off someone else to relieve them of the burden.
The meaning is that Allah removed from the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – all the customs of the ignorant people that did not befit his innate nature of purity and nobility, and he found no need to follow their practices. Allah removed this burden from him when He revealed the message to him. Also, Allah made it easy for him by reducing the weight of the revelation he received during the early days of his mission.
The meaning is that Allah removed from him all that he used to feel embarrassed about from the customs of the people of ignorance that did not suit what Allah had created him with of purity and nobility. He did not find it necessary to associate with them, so Allah removed that from him when He revealed the message to him. Similarly, he found it difficult at the beginning of his mission to bear the weight of revelation, so Allah made it easy for him by saying, ” سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنْسَى. We shall make you recite (the Qur’an), so you shall not forget” until His saying, ” وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَى And We shall ease your way to the easy.
And (أَنْقَضَ) means: to make something its opposite (النَّقِيضُ an-naqid). The opposite (النَّقِيضُ) is the sound of the creaking of the loaded and the beast of burden, the sound of the joints, the cracking of the fingers, and its use intransitively from the verb paradigm نَصَرَ, and it is transitive with letter hamza.
Attributing (أَنْقَضَ) to the back is a figurative expression [مَجَازٌ عَقْلِيٌّ ][4][In Arabic rhetoric, “مَجَازٌ عَقْلِيٌّ” (majāz ʿaqlī) refers to a figure of speech in which words are used figuratively to convey a meaning beyond their literal or … Continue reading, and it being transitive to the back is a consequence of comparing hardship with a burden. The composition is a representation of the severe hardship of the heavy load, which is heavily weighed down until the cracking and creaking of its backbones are heard, and this is a remarkable representation because it is a composite comparison [تَشْبِيهٌ مُرَكَّبٌ][5][تَشْبِيهٌ مُرَكَّبٌ (Tashbih Murrakkab) is a rhetorical term in Arabic that refers to a compound simile. It is a type of simile that consists of more than one comparison, where two … Continue reading that can be broken down into its parts
Describing the (الْوِزْر) back with this description is a complement to the comparison, that it is a great burden.
Know that in His saying, “أَنْقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ weighed upon your back” there is a connection between the letters “ض” and “ظ,” and they are both pronounced in a similar way, which can sometimes make it difficult for the tongue to pronounce them, but it does not contradict fluency, as it does not reach the level of what is called “discordance of words,” but is forgiven in the speech of the eloquent. The Arabs are eloquent speakers, so when the structure of the speech requires the appearance of such two closely related letters, the eloquent person does not care about the heaviness that occurs when they meet. Such as in His saying, ” وَسَبِّحْهُ and glorify Him,” in which “haa” and “haa” meet and assimilation [الْإِدْغَام] is not allowed.
The scholars of recitation have recommended pronouncing the “ض” along with the “ظ” when they meet, as in this verse and His saying, ” وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ الظَّالِمُ And the day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands.” And there are similar examples in the Qur’an.
This verse is the famous one, and the scholars in the mosques continue to be cautious of substituting one of these two letters for the other, due to the disagreement among scholars regarding the invalidity of the prayer of the one who does not properly recite, unrestrictedly. Or if he recites them intentionally as wrong, then he is a sinner, and also the prayer of the person behind him is invalid if the Imam is also one who recites incorrectly.
رَفْعُ الذِّكْرِ the raising of remembrance: making his remembrance among the people with the qualities of perfection, and that is through what was revealed in the Quran as praise and honour, and by inspiring people to speak of what Allah has bestowed upon him of commendations since his upbringing.
And the conjunction of “وَوَضَعْنَا We removed ” and “وَرَفَعْنَا” in the past tense with the present tense verb ” نَشْرَحْ We have expanded,” because “لَمْ” (meaning “did not”) turned the time of the sentence from present tense to past tense, so the two verbs were linked to it in the past tense because they are within the scope of the report. When the word “لَمْ” was not attached to them, it became what is meant by it from the past tense.
The verse refers to situations where the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – was in a difficulty or it was concerning something that could have caused him difficulty, and that Allah removed from him the hardship or prepared him not to face it.
The Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – knew it as he felt it in general in the questioning required by the knowledge of what was decided upon him. Perhaps its details are mentioned in what was previously mentioned in Surat Ad-Dhuha, so perhaps it was one of the situations that he disliked what the people of ignorance had of rejecting the Oneness of Allah and of equalizing deeds.
He – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- was in a state of distress from being between them and unable to turn them away from what they were in. He – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- was not looking for a way to guide them or to reach the knowledge of the true being that his people should be upon. He – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- was only interested in finding a spark of light to illuminate the path of truth for himself, from what prompted him to contemplate and seclude himself and turn to Allah. So he was contemplating in the cave of Hira, and when Allah rescued him from that confusion with what He honoured him with from revelation, that was a relief from what was distressing his chest that day. The light opened up to him and he was commanded to save his people, whom he thought were seekers of truth and pure souls. But when they met his guidance with rejection and indifference, another distress arose in his chest, which was indicated by the verse, “ لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ Perhaps you would kill yourself with grief because they are not believers”. This continued to affect him, and his passion was connected to it, as in His saying, “ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ You are not responsible for their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills.”
Every time he received revelation, it brought him relief and expanded his chest, and it was a means of protection for him from Abu Talib, who defended and shielded him from the Quraish’s harm. Whenever someone embraced Islam, some of the tightness in their chest was removed, while the severity of the Quraish’s persecution caused distress to the believers, and whenever some of them were freed from the harm of the Quraish, such as the case of freeing Bilal and others, it brought them relief. And the glad tidings that Allah gave him (Prophet Muhammad) about the ultimate victory, for him and the believers, is mentioned here both explicitly and implicitly, similar to what was stated in the preceding chapter: ” وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى And verily, your Lord will give you (all) so that you shall be well-pleased”. This is the explanation intended here. The consensus is that the manifestations of this explanation are numerous and that it is a secret between Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, who was addressed with this verse.
As for relieving oneself from the burden of sin, it can be achieved through two things: first, guiding oneself to the truth which removes confusion and doubt by contemplating the state of one’s people. This is what is referred to in the verse: ” وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى And He found you lost and guided you”. Second, sufficing oneself with the means of living that distract from indulging in the pleasure of contemplation for the sake of one’s own righteousness. This is what is referred to in the verse: ” وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى And He found you poor and made you self-sufficient”.
Elevating remembrance [رَفْعُ الذِّكْرِ] is metaphorical, in the sense of inspiring people to mention good things. This is done by creating the circumstances that lead to that reputation so that people talk about it. The word ” الرَّفْعُ elevation” is used because it raises something to a high level that not everyone can reach or trample on. Allah has instilled in His Messenger (صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) a set of noble qualities that elevate his status, and no one has achieved his level of virtue. He was called “the trustworthy one” by his people, and it has been said that the verse ” إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ ذِي قُوَّةٍ عِنْدَ ذِي الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ مُطَاعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ Verily, it is the speech of an honoured Messenger, Possessing power and with the Lord of the Throne secure, obeyed there and trustworthy” (81:19-21) refers to the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -.
And one of the great honours of his mention is that his name is associated with the name of Allah in the word of Islam, which is the testimony of faith. This interpretation was narrated from the Prophet – peace be upon him – in the hadith of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, recorded by Ibn Hibban and Abu Ya’la. Al-Suyuti said: Its chain of transmission is hasan, and it was also narrated by ‘Iyad without a chain.
The mention of the word ” لَكَ for you” with ” وَرَفَعْنَا and we raised” is like the mention of its equivalent with his saying: ” أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ. Did We not expand?” And indeed, it was not mentioned with ‘and we placed upon your back’ (وَوَضَعْنَا عَنْكَ وِزْرَكَ) in order to dispense with the use of ‘you’ (لَكَ) by saying ‘from you’ (عَنْكَ). And indeed, it has the same meaning as the word ‘you’ (لَكَ) in terms of emphasis on it. This is because the action of placing something on the back indicates that it is removed from it, so the addition of ‘from you’ (عَنْكَ) is an emphasis that it was removed from you, similar to the use of ‘you’ (لَكَ) in the preceding phrase. Therefore, mentioning ‘from you’ (عَنْكَ), resulted in the fulfilment of transitivity of the action of placing (وَضَعْنَا) along with the completion of ambiguity (الإبهام) and then the clarification.
فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
“Verily, with hardship comes ease. Verily, with hardship comes ease.”
The particle “fa” here is فَصِيحَةٌ [6]The definition of (Al-Fa’ Al-Fasiha) is that it is the letter “fa” which is used to indicate an omitted cause, while still conveying its meaning. It is called “fasiha” … Continue reading to explain estimated speech as a result of the rhetorical question [لِاسْتِفْهَامُ التَّقْرِيرِيُّ], that is, if you know and understand this, you will realize that ease always accompanies hardship. Since ease is the opposite of hardship, its presence alongside it is necessary to counteract its effect and render it ineffective. This is a symbolic representation of divine care previously mentioned and a promise of its continued presence in all circumstances.
The context of this speech is a promise to the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – that Allah will make difficulties easy for him whenever they arise. Ease does not lag behind in keeping up with those difficulties, as indicated by the word “مَعَ” which means “together with”.
The word “مَعَ” here is not used in its literal sense, since hardship and ease are opposite concepts and cannot be compared together. Therefore, it is understood that the use of “مَعَ” is metaphorical, indicating the proximity of ease after the arrival of hardship or the emergence of its signs, hinting at the impossibility of the literal meaning of “مَعَ”. This resolves the conflict between this verse and the statement of Allah in Surah Al-Talaq: “سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.”
This verse refers to a specific difficulty faced by the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -, while the verse in Surat al-Talaq is general. In terms of the distance between hardship and ease, there are different levels of it.
The definite article of “al-‘usr” (difficulty) here is that of the الْعَهْد (that it is known), meaning the difficulty that you are aware and knew of. This is similar to what the grammarians of Kufa call “al” is a substitute for possessor noun in genetive construct الْمُضَافِ إِلَيْهِ , such as in the verse: ” فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَى Verily, Paradise is the abode.” This means that with every difficulty comes ease. Therefore, the entire surah is focused on clarifying the nobility of the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -in the sight of his Lord, تَعَالَى.
Allah, تَعَالَى, promised His Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – that He would make difficult matters easy for him, as He had previously promised him in the verse: “And We will make it easy for you to follow the easy way.” The use of the word “إِنَّمَا” (only) in the sentence is to emphasize the news that follows.
The letter “fa” (then) was not necessary, as Sheikh Abd al-Qahir said, “إِنَّمَا” suffices in expressing causation. The letter “fa” here is intended to clarify the meaning of the sentence.
And verily, it [the letter ‘faa’] cannot do without it [‘inna’], as Shaykh Abdul-Qahir says: ‘Inna’ is enriched by the ‘faa’ of causation because here the ‘faa’ is intended for alfasiha along with causation. If we were to limit it to the letter ‘inna’ alone, it would lose the alfasiha.”
And the nunation (يُسْرًا) is to emphasize the greatness of ease, meaning: with temporary hardship, there is immense ease that overcomes the hardship. It is permissible that this is a promise to the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – and his nation because whatever hardship he faces is only in matters related to his call to the religion and the benefit of the Muslims.
Ibn Jarir reported from Yunus and Ma’mar from Al-Hasan that when this verse was revealed: ” فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا So, indeed, with hardship comes ease,” the Messenger of Allah – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – said: ” أَبْشِرُوا أَتَاكُمُ الْيُسْرُ لَنْ يَغْلِبَ عُسْرٌ يُسْرَيْنِ Rejoice, ease has come to you. One difficulty will never overcome two ease.” This implies that the verse is not specific to the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – , but rather it applies to his nation as well. In Al-Muwatta’, it is narrated that Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah wrote to Umar ibn al-Khattab mentioning groups of Romans and what he feared from them. Umar wrote back to him: ” أَمَّا بَعْدُ : فَإِنَّهُ مَهْمَا يَنْزِلْ بِعَبْدٍ مُؤْمِنٍ مِنْ مَنْزِلِ شِدَّةٍ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَهُ فَرَجًا ، وَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يَغْلِبَ عُسْرٌ يُسْرَيْنِ ” . After that, So, indeed, no matter what difficulty befalls a believing servant, Allah will make a way out for him. And indeed, no hardship will ever overcome two easements.”
Ibn Abi Hatim and Al-Bazzar reported in their Musnad from A’idh ibn Shurayh who said: “I heard Anas ibn Malik say: ‘The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ was sitting and there was a rock beside him. He said: “If hardship comes, this rock will be able to move until ease comes and it will be lifted.” Then Allah revealed the verses ( فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا So verily, with hardship, there is ease. Verily, with hardship, there is ease). Al-Bazzar said: “We only know this narration from A’idh ibn Shurayh.” Ibn Kathir said: “Abu Hatim Al-Razi said that there is weakness in the hadith of A’idh ibn Shurayh.”
Ibn Jarir also reported the same narration from Ibn Mas’ud but it was reported as Mawquf (stopped at the level of a companion). It is also possible that the phrase ” فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا So verily, with hardship, there is ease.” is a parenthetical sentence between the phrase ” وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ And We have elevated your remembrance” and the phrase ” فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].” This is to show that Allah is gentle with His servants and has decreed that hardship will never be without ease. If it were not for this, people would be destroyed. Allah says: ” وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ And if Allah were to punish people for their wrongdoing, He would not leave upon the earth any creature” And it was narrated from Ibn Abbas that Allah, may He be exalted, said: ” خَلَقْتُ عُسْرًا وَاحِدًا وَخَلَقْتُ يُسْرَيْنِ ، وَلَنْ يَغْلِبَ عُسْرٌ يُسْرَيْنِ I created one hardship and two easements, and an easement will always prevail over two hardship.”
“الْعُسْرُ‘ (difficulty) refers to the hardship and struggle in achieving the desired goals and objectives, while ‘الْيُسْرُ‘ (ease) is it’s opposite and refers to the ease of achieving the desired goals without any exhaustion.
The phrase ” إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease” emphasizes and confirms the promise of this verse and its generality, as it is an amazing statement.
Some interpreters have understood the first phrase as ease in worldly affairs and the second phrase as ease in the hereafter, but the structure of the Arabic language does not support this interpretation because the second phrase serves as an emphasis.
This is a statement of the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: ” – Difficulty will not overcome two easements لَنْ يَغْلِبَ عُسْرٌ يُسْرَيْنِ.” This statement is closely related to this verse. Some of its narrations state that he recited this verse at that time. Commentators have differed on how to extract this meaning from the verse, and it was necessary to clarify this. It has become widespread among scholars that this is derived from making the word definite “الْعُسْرِ” and repeating it as a definite term, and from nunation the word “يُسْرًا” and repeating it as an indefinite term. They said: If the indefinite term is repeated, then the second instance is different from the first, and if the defined term is repeated, then the second instance is the same as the first, as in His saying: ” كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا فَعَصَى فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ As We sent to Pharaoh a messenger, but Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger.”
The statement that appears in the explanation of the meaning of ” لَنْ يَغْلِبَ عُسْرٌ يُسْرَيْنِ Difficulty will not overcome two easements” is that the phrase ” إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًاVerily, with hardship comes ease” is an affirmation of the phrase ” فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا So indeed, with hardship comes ease.” It is agreed upon that the purpose of emphasizing the phrase in its context is to confirm the ruling contained in the news. There is no doubt that the ruling derived from this phrase is the confirmation of the arrival of ease after hardship, and thus the emphasis was useful in giving preference to the effect of ease over the effect of hardship. This preference was expressed by the use of the dual form in the statement “ease comes.” The dual form here is a symbolic representation of overcoming and superiority. The dual form can also be used to indicate repetition, as in the verse ” ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنْقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ Then return your gaze [to the sky] twice. [Your] gaze will return to you humbled while it is fatigued.” That is, return your gaze many times, because the gaze does not become fatigued from just two returns. This is similar to the Arabic expressions “Labbayka,” “Sa’dayka,” and “Dawalayka,” which all use repetition to emphasize the strength of the repeated item. When multiple repetitions are necessary, symbolism is used. And this is not derived from defining ‘difficulty’ with a definite article nor from in indefiniteness of ‘ease’ and then repeating it as indefinite.
فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ
When you finish, then stand up.
This is a reminder of Allah’s kindness, care, and promise to facilitate what is difficult for you in His obedience, which is the greatest of them being the delivery of the message without boredom or fatigue.
الْفَرَاغُ (the act of emptying) means the interior of a container or vessel being empty because its function is to contain something within it.
The verb “فَرَغَ ” (to finish) indicates that its doer was filled with something, and the human’s “فَرَاغُ” (completion) is figuratively used to complete whatever they need to do.
What is related to the word ‘فَرَغْتَ’ (you have completed) is not mentioned here, but the context of the speech implies that the Prophet, صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, was engaged in certain actions that he was performing. The context of the surah is about facilitating the difficulties of the call and what is needed for it. The meaning is that when you complete a task from the duties of work, then move on to another task so that you can fill all your time with great deeds. From this perspective, the Prophet, صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , said upon his return from one of his battles, ‘We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad.’ The intended meaning of this statement is to focus on the greater work. As for the statement ‘when you have completed,’ it is a prelude and an indication to direct the work to another task in order to establish the religion and benefit the community. This is one of the ways of indicating the sequence of actions. Another example of this is when someone says, ‘Whenever I receive news from so-and-so, another follows it.'”
The statements of the early interpreters differed in identifying the specific act referred to here, but it is only a difference in examples. The omission of the specific action here is for the sake of generality, and it is a well-known generality for a type of action that the context indicates, to encompass all related actions that are important, as you know. This is also the most knowledgeable approach to prioritize some actions over others if it is not possible to perform many of them as Allah acknowledged in combining prayer with jihad by saying, “وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ And when you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand [in prayer] with you” until “كِتَابًا مَوْقُوتًا a specified term” in Surat An-Nisa.
This ruling applies to every possible action related to it, such as standing in prayer at night, jihad when Muslims are strengthened, and managing the affairs of the nation.
The forwarding (Taqdeem)[7]Taqdeem (تقديم) is an Arabic rhetorical device that involves placing a word or phrase at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis or to give it special attention. It is often used to introduce a … Continue reading ” فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ so when you have finished” over ” فَانْصَبْ then stand” is to emphasize the importance of linking the action to the time of leisure without any other activities, so that the actions can follow one another. And this verse is one of the comprehensive verses of the Quran for what it contains of multiple meanings.
وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ
“And to your Lord, turn in longing”
This phrase is linked to expressing gratitude for the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon us, and seeking to continue receiving them. As Allah says in the Quran, ” لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]” (14:7).
The term “الرَّغْبَةُ ” refers to the desire to obtain what is beloved, and it is rooted in the idea of seeking the desired thing itself, and is followed by the preposition “فِي” (in). It can also be said that one “رَغِبَ عَنْ كَذَا turned his longing away from something,” meaning that he redirected his desire towards something else. This is reflected in the verse ” وَتَرْغَبُونَ أَنْ تَنْكِحُوهُنَّ And you long for them to be wives” (4:20), where the particle “عَنْ” (from) is omitted before the word “أَنْ” (that). This interpretation was given by Aisha, the mother of the believers, as previously mentioned in Surah An-Nisa.
As for the usage of the verb (فَارْغَبْ), it is preceded by the preposition (إِلَى) to include the meaning of eagerness and direction, similar to the way a person walks towards someone who he needs something from, as Allah تَعَالَى said about Ibrahim, ” وَقَالَ إِنِّي ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى رَبِّي And he said, ‘Indeed, I will go to [where I am ordered by] my Lord'” (Quran 37:99).
The reason for placing (إِلَى رَبِّكَ to your Lord) before “فَارْغَبْ” is to emphasize the exclusivity of the desire towards Allah تَعَالَى alone and not towards anyone else, as the attribute of prophethood is one of the greatest qualities of creation and it is not appropriate for its possessor to desire other than Allah تَعَالَى.
The object of the verb “فَارْغَبْ” is omitted in order to encompass everything that the Prophet – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – desires, which includes his personal perfection, the spread of the religion, and the victory of the Muslims.
Know that the conjunction “fa” in his statement “فَانْصَبْ” and his statement “فَارْغَبْ” is a link to the verb, Because the preceding of the object of the action includes the meaning of condition and restriction. Therefore, the foregrounding (taqdeem)of the object of the action conveys a meaning of specification, it gives rise to the meaning of a condition, which is common in speech. Allah, تَعَالَى, said: ” بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ Rather, worship Allah” and “وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ. And exalt your clothing and purify yourself and avoid uncleanness.” In bringing forward the preposition phrase, Allah,تَعَالَى, said: “وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ And in that let the competitors compete.” And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to whoever asked him to go out for jihad: “أَلَكَ أَبَوَانِ ؟ قَالَ : نَعَمْ . قَالَ : فَفِيهِمَا فَجَاهِدْ Do you have parents?” He said: “Yes.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Then strive in their service.” Indeed, sometimes it may be treated as a conditional sentence in terms of grammar, as it was narrated in the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): ” كَمَا تَكُونُوا يُوَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ You will be treated as you behave.” with both verbs in the jussive mood. This was mentioned previously in His saying, Exalted is He: ” فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا So by that let them rejoice” in Surat Yunus.”
And Al-Tayyibi mentioned from the Amali of al-Sayyid (referring to Ibn al-Shajari) that the conjunction of “faa” and “waw” here is among the most amazing of their speech, because “faa” usually connects or enters into the answer, and what resembles the answer is the noun of deficiency or in a relative verbal clause, and here it is used in a way that is outside of what is normally expected. There should be no more confusion or surprise about this topic, now that it has been explained.
This is a draft translation from Tahrir Wa Tanweer
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