Tafsir of Al-Lail 92:10

"We shall facilitate for him the way to distress" means for the trait that leads to hardship and severity, such as entering the Fire and the precursors to it. It is described as "the way to distress" in the manner previously mentioned. The root of taysir (facilitation) comes from yusr, meaning ease; however, what is intended here is preparation and readiness for an affair—that is, that which leads to comfort and that which leads to severity.

Regarding the "seen" in sanuyassiruhu (We shall facilitate), it is said to be for emphasis, and it is also said to indicate that the promised requital is largely in the Hereafter, which is a awaited and distant matter. The priority given to giving, then wealth, then denial, its reasoning is understood from what has preceded. In Al-Irshad, it is suggested that perhaps the two sections are initiated with giving and withholding—despite both being of a lower rank compared to what follows them in terms of facilitating for the way to ease and the way to distress—to signal that both are fundamental to what follows them, namely attestation and piety, and denial and self-sufficiency.

It is said that taysir (facilitation) in the first instance means divine grace, and in the second, abandonment. Al-Yusra (the way to ease) and al-'Usra (the way to distress) refer to obedience, as it is the easiest thing for the righteous and the most difficult for others. The meaning is: As for him who gives, We shall grace him and grant him success such that obedience becomes the easiest and lightest of matters for him, as in the words of the Exalted, "Whoever God wills to guide, He expands his breast for Islam." As for him who withholds, We shall abandon him and withhold graces from him until obedience becomes the most difficult thing for him and the most severe, as in the words of the Exalted, "He makes his breast tight and constricted, as if he were climbing into the sky." The origin of this is: "We shall facilitate for him the way to obedience (which is the way to ease)," then what was mentioned was intended, provided that the description is the intended object of the facilitation—not the one described, i.e., obedience. Even so, the application of "facilitation" to "the way to distress" is a form of mushakala (stylistic correspondence).

It is also permitted that "the way to ease" refers to the path to Paradise, and "the way to distress" to the path to the Fire, with taysir in both places meaning guidance, appearing in the Hereafter as promise and threat, with the matter of mushakala remaining as it is. It is further permitted that taysir be intended as preparation and readiness, while al-yusra and al-'usra refer to obedience, disobedience, and their respective precursors of praiseworthy and blameworthy traits. This is a sound perspective not far removed from the first, and both are excellent in their tibaq (antithesis) according to what is established in the traditions.

Imam Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, and others recorded from Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah honor his face) who said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) at a funeral, and he said, 'There is not one of you but has his seat written in Paradise and his seat in the Fire.' They said, 'O Messenger of Allah, shall we not then rely [on this]?' He said, 'Act, for everyone is facilitated toward that for which he was created. As for those who are among the people of happiness, they are facilitated for the deeds of the people of happiness; and as for those who are among the people of misery, they are facilitated for the deeds of the people of misery.' Then he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) recited: 'As for him who gives and fears [Allah]...' (the two verses)."

The essence of what the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) intended by his saying, "Act," is: Attend to the duty of servitude and that for which you were created and commanded, and leave the affairs of Lordship, which are veiled, to their Owner; it is not your concern. However it may be, the intent by "he who gives..." and "he who withholds..." is whoever is characterized by the title of these acts generally. Even if there were a specific cause, the consideration is for the generality of the wording, not the specificity of the cause; though [the person associated with the cause] is certainly included.

It is said that "he who gives" is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and "he who withholds" is Umayyah bin Khalaf. Abd bin Humayd, Ibn Marduyah, and Ibn 'Asakir recorded from Ibn Abbas that the first is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and the second is Abu Sufyan bin Harb, and something similar is narrated from Abdullah bin Abi Awfa. This is subject to scrutiny, because Abu Sufyan converted and his Islam strengthened toward the end of his life according to the Sunnis. In one narration of Al-Thalabi from him, "As for him who withholds..." was revealed regarding Abu Jahl. Perhaps every instance of specification mentioned is of the category of highlighting some members of a general category because their inclusion is confirmed for those who have specified them.