Surah Ash-Sharh (The Relief) - 1

Eight Meccan verses.

It is narrated from Tawus and 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz that they used to consider this Surah and Surah Ad-Duha as a single Surah. They would recite both in a single rak'ah (unit of prayer) and would not separate between them.

The reason they held this view was perhaps due to the idea that the statement of the Almighty: {Did We not expand for you your breast?} is a continuation (like a conjunction) of the preceding statement: {Did He not find you an orphan?}

However, this is not the case, because the first revelation (Surah Ad-Duha) occurred when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was distressed by the harm inflicted by the disbelievers, making it a state of trial and constriction of the chest. The second revelation (Surah Ash-Sharh) implies that the state at the time of its revelation was one of an expanded chest and a joyful heart. How can these two states be combined?

Verse 7: {Did We not expand for you your breast?}

Explanation: (1) Have We not expanded for you your breast...

This is an inquiry in the form of a rhetorical question, implying the expansion (of the breast) did indeed occur, thus affirming and necessitating it. It is as if He said: We expanded your breast.

There are two main interpretations regarding the expansion of the breast:

The First View: This relates to the narration that the Angel Jibrīl (Gabriel) came to him, split open his breast, removed his heart, washed it, and purified it from sins, then filled it with knowledge and faith and placed it back in his chest.

The Qadi (Judge) criticized this narration on several grounds:

1. The narration states this incident occurred during his childhood. Since it is a miracle, it should not precede his prophethood.
2. The effect of washing is on physical bodies, but sins are not physical bodies, so washing would have no effect on them.
3. It is not sound to say the heart is filled with knowledge; rather, Allah Almighty creates the knowledge within it.

The Response:

1. Regarding the first point: We permit the occurrence of miracles (Muʿjizāt) even before the time of Prophethood; this is known as Irḥāṣ (precursor miracle), and there are many such instances concerning the Messenger (peace be upon him).
2. Regarding the second and third points: It is not unlikely that the black blood they washed from the Messenger's heart was a sign of a heart inclined toward sins and hesitant about obedience. Removing it was a sign that its owner would be steadfast in obedience and abstain from misdeeds. Thus, it served as a sign for the angels that its owner was infallible (maʿṣūm). Furthermore, Allah does what He wills and decrees what He intends.

The Second View: The intended meaning of the expansion of the breast relates to knowledge (maʿrifa) and obedience. Several aspects were mentioned under this view:

1. When he was sent to the Jinn and humankind, his breast felt constrained by the need to dispute with them and to disavow all that was worshipped besides Allah. So, Allah gave him signs that allowed his breast to expand to encompass everything he carried, making everything he endured seem small. This was achieved by removing all worries from his heart, leaving only this one concern (the mission). He did not worry about providing for his family, nor did he care about the harm directed at him, to the extent that they seemed less than a fly in his eyes. He was not deterred by their threats, nor was he inclined toward their wealth. In summary, the expansion of the breast is an expression of his knowledge of the insignificance of the world and the greatness of the Hereafter. This is analogous to His saying: "And whom Allah wills to guide, He expands his breast to [receive] Islam; and whom He wills to send astray, He makes his breast tight and constricted, as if he were climbing into the sky." It is narrated that they asked, "O Messenger of Allah, can the breast be expanded?" He replied, "Yes." They asked, "What is the sign of that?" He said: "Detachment from delusion, turning toward the eternal abode, and preparation for death before it arrives." The reality of this is that sincere faith in Allah, His promise, and His threat necessitates asceticism in the world, desire for the Hereafter, and preparation for death.
2. His breast was opened so that it could accommodate all important matters without anxiety, agitation, or change. He remained expanded in both hardship and joy, occupied with fulfilling his obligations. Sharḥ (expansion) means making something wide; it means relief from worries. The Arabs call grief and worry ḍīq ṣadr (constriction of the breast), as in His saying: "And We certainly know that your breast becomes tight [with distress]."

Here arise several questions:

First Question: Why was the breast mentioned and not the heart? Answer: Because the location of whispering (waswasa) is the breast, as stated: "who whispers into the breasts of people." Therefore, the removal of that whispering and its replacement with calls to good is the expansion (sharḥ). Thus, this expansion was specifically attributed to the breast, not the heart. Muhammad ibn ʿAlī al-Tirmidhī said: The heart is the locus of intellect and knowledge, and it is what Satan targets. Satan comes to the breast, which is the fortress of the heart. If he finds a way in, he invades it, stations his troops there, and spreads worries, grief, and greed, causing the heart to become constricted. At that point, one finds no pleasure in obedience nor sweetness in Islam. If the enemy is repelled at the beginning, security is achieved, the constriction vanishes, the breast expands, and fulfilling servitude becomes easy.

Second Question: Why did He say, "Have We not expanded for you (lak) your breast?" and not "Have We not expanded your breast?" Answer: This has two aspects:

1. It is as if Allah is saying to the Prophet (PBUH): Just as you perform all acts of obedience for My sake (as in: "And I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me" and "And establish prayer for My remembrance"), so too, everything I do is for your sake.
2. It serves as a notification that the benefits of the Prophethood return to him (PBUH). It is as if Allah said: We expanded your breast for your own sake, not for Mine.

Third Question: Why did He say, "Have We not expanded (našraḥ)" and not "Have I not expanded (ašraḥ)?" Answer:

1. If we interpret the nūn (the letter 'n' in našraḥ) as the Nūn al-Taʿẓīm (the Nun of Magnification), it means the greatness of the Benefactor indicates the greatness of the favor. This shows that this expansion is a blessing whose majesty the intellects cannot fully grasp.
2. If we interpret it as the Nūn al-Jamʿ (the Nun of Plurality), it means Allah is saying: I did not expand it alone; rather, I employed My angels in it. Thus, you saw the angels surrounding you and before you, strengthening your heart so that you could deliver the message with a strong heart. Awe fell upon them, so they offered you no reply. If your heart had been constricted, they would have laughed at you. Glory be to Him Who made the strength of your heart a cause for their timidity, and the expansion of your breast a constriction for them.

! 7 < { And We removed from you your burden * The one which weighed down your back } . > 7 !

Then the Almighty said: { And We removed from you your burden * The one which weighed down your back } <