Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) volume 10
The Tafsir of Surah Alam Nashrah (Surat Ash-Sharh)
(Chapter - 94)
Which was revealed in Makkah
[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
[أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ - وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ - الَّذِى أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ - وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ - فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً - إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً - فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانصَبْ - وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ ]
(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 Allah's worship.) (8. And to your Lord turn intentions and hopes.)
The Meaning of opening the Breast
Allah says,
[أَلَمْ 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 Allah says,
[فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلإِسْلَـمِ]
(And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam.) (6:125)
And just as Allah expanded his chest, He also made His Law vast, wide, accommodating and easy, containing no difficulty, hardship or burden.
A Discussion of Allah's Favor upon His Messenger
Concerning Allah's statement,
[وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ ]
(And removed from you your burden.) This means
[لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ]
(That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future.) (48:2)
[الَّذِى أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ ]
(Which weighed down your back) Al-Inqad means the sound. And more than one of the Salaf has said concerning Allah's saying,
[الَّذِى أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ ]
(Which weighed down your back) meaning, `its burden weighed heavy upon you.'
The Meaning of raising the Fame of the prophet?
Allah then said,
- وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ -
(And have we not raised high your fame?)
Mujahid said, “I (Allah) am not remembered except that you are remembered with Me: I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”[1]
Qatadah said, “Allah raised his fame in this life and in the Hereafter. There is no one who gives a sermon, declares the Testimony of Faith (Shahadah), or prays a prayer (Salah) except that he proclaims it: I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”[2]
Ease after Difficulty?
Concerning Allah’s saying,
فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً - إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْراً ْ
(Verily, along with every hardship is relief, Verily, along with every hardship is relief.)
Allah informs that with difficulty there is ease, and then he reaffirms this information (by repeating it).
The Command to remember Allah during Spare Time?
Allah says,
فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانصَبْ - وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَب
(So when you have finished, devote yourself to Allah'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 Hadith that is agreed-upon to be authentic,
لا صلاة بحضرة الطعام ولا هو يدافع الأخبثان
(There is no prayer when the food is served, nor when the two foul things (excrement and urine) are pressing a person.)[3]
The Prophet also said,
إذا أقيمت الصلاة وحضر العشاء فابدأوا بالعشاء
(When the prayer has started and the dinner has been served, then begin with dinner)[4]
Mujahid said concerning this Ayah, “When you are free from the worldy affairs, and you have stood to pray, then stand up for your Lord.”[5]
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Alam Nashrah and all praise and blessings are due to Allah.
[1] At-Tabari 24:494.
[2] At-Tabari 24:494.
[3] Muslim 1:393.
[4] Fath Al-Bari 9:498.
[5] At-Tabari 24:497.