Tafsir of Az-Zumar 39:22

(Is he whose breast Allah has expanded for Islam...) This is an initiation serving as a rationale for what preceded it regarding the restriction of the reminder to those of understanding. "Expansion" (sharh) fundamentally means spreading out and extending for flesh and the like. It is used metaphorically for spaciousness, and it is used here as a metaphor for creating the rational soul with a complete readiness to accept, by virtue of the lack of resistance to acceptance and the ease of acquisition. This comes after metaphorical usage of the "breast" (sadr) to mean the rational soul, as it is the place of the heart; within its cavity is a subtle vapor consisting of the essence of nutrients, to which the soul first attaches, and through which it attaches to the rest of the body for the purposes of governance and management. That soul is what is characterized by Islam and faith. Some prominent scholars have considered "Allah expanded his breast" to be a representative metaphor.

The interrogative particle is for negation, entering upon an omitted element according to one of the two previously mentioned opinions, and the conjunction (fa) attaches to that omitted element. The predicate of "who" (man) is omitted, as what follows points to it. The implied meaning is: "Are all people equal? Is he whose breast Allah has expanded and whom He created ready for Islam—remaining upon the original primordial nature (fitra) without it being altered by acquired factors that impair it—he who is, by virtue of that, established upon a 'great light' from his Lord—which is the divine grace shining upon him from the towers of mercy when witnessing the formative and revelatory signs, and being granted the success to be guided by them to the truth—[equal to] one whose heart has hardened and whose breast has become constricted by altering the primordial nature of Allah through his own evil choice, and over whom the darkness of error and misguidance has prevailed, such that he turns away from those signs entirely, neither remembering through them nor profiting from them?"

"Upon a light" ('ala nur)—or "he has a light"—is used in the glorious text to indicate the persistence and stability of that state in the light. It is a metaphor for grace and the success granted for guidance. It is sometimes said that it is a divine matter distinct from grace and success, through which the truth is perceived.

A report was narrated by al-Tha'labi in his Tafsir, al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman, and Ibn Marduyah from Ibn Mas'ud that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited this verse, "Is he whose breast Allah has expanded..." and we said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the expansion of the breast?" He replied: "When light enters the heart, it expands and opens." We said: "What is the sign of that, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Turning toward the abode of eternity, distancing oneself from the abode of deception, and preparing for death before it descends."

This is complicated by the apparent meaning of the verse, which suggests the entry of light is a consequence of the expansion, as expansion is the readiness to receive it, whereas the noble Hadith suggests the opposite. The apparent view is that the question is about what is in the verse and the answer is an explanation of its manner. It has been answered that guidance has levels, some of which are preliminary and some subsequent. The expansion of the breast according to nature and creation is distinct from that which occurs after the effusion of graces upon it, and there is a correlation between them. The intended meaning of the expansion of the breast in the Hadith is that which occurs after it has become firmly established, while in the verse it is what precedes it. Apply the same reasoning to the "light." The answer is of the style of "wise speech," so contemplate it.

(So woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah) meaning, because of His remembrance—Exalted is He—which ought to make hearts soft. That is, when Allah is mentioned in their presence, or His mighty signs, they recoil, and their hearts increase in hardness. It is also read as "away from the remembrance of Allah" ('an dhikr Allah). The frequently recited reading (min) is more eloquent, because he who is hardened because of a thing is more resistant to accepting it than one who is hardened away from it due to another cause.

To emphasize the description of those [the believers] as accepting and these [the disbelievers] as resisting, the expansion of the breast was mentioned; for its widening and making it a place for Islam—rather than just the heart—indicates its intensity and excessive abundance, which overflowed until it filled the breast, let alone the heart. Attributing it to Allah—Exalted is He—is apparent in that it is in the most perfect manner, for it is the act of an All-Powerful and Wise One. He contrasted it with "hardness," even though the requirement of the contrast would be to express it with "constriction" (dayq). For hardness, as in a solid rock, implies the lack of acceptance of anything, unlike constriction, which suggests the acceptance of a small amount. The shift away from expressing it in a way that implies the hardness was "created" by Allah—Exalted is He—is to point to the extreme necessity of it for them, as if it were not created [by Him], it would have been realized in them by the requirements of their own essences. As for attributing it [hardness] to the hearts rather than the breasts, it is to specify the corruption of this organ, which, if it corrupts, the whole body corrupts. He considered the plural for these disbelievers and the singular for those believers, where He said: "Is he whose breast Allah has expanded..." rather than "whose breasts Allah has expanded," to indicate that the believers, even if they are many, are as one man, which is not the case for the disbelievers.

(Those) the distant ones, characterized by what was mentioned of the hardness of hearts (are in clear error) manifest is its being error.

The verse was revealed concerning 'Ali and Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them) and Abu Lahab and his son. 'Ali (may Allah honor his face) and Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) are among those whose breasts Allah expanded for Islam, while Abu Lahab and his son are among those whose hearts are hardened.