Tafseer of Surah Inshiraah

بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

اَلَمۡ نَشۡرَحۡ لَکَ صَدۡرَکَ ۙ﴿۱﴾  وَوَضَعۡنَا عَنۡکَ وِزۡرَکَ ۙ﴿۲﴾ الَّذِیۡۤ اَنۡقَضَ ظَہۡرَکَ ۙ﴿۳﴾ وَ رَفَعۡنَا لَکَ ذِکۡرَکَ ؕ﴿۴﴾ فَاِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ یُسۡرًا ۙ﴿۵﴾ اِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ یُسۡرًا ؕ﴿۶﴾ فَاِذَا فَرَغۡتَ فَانۡصَبۡ ۙ﴿۷﴾ وَ اِلٰی رَبِّکَ فَارۡغَبۡ ٪﴿۸﴾

Have We not expanded for you your chest, and We removed from you your burden which could have broken your back. And We exalted for you your esteem (your esteemed name and position). So surely with every difficulty is ease. Surely with every difficulty is ease.  So when you are free (from services which you render to the people), then toil hard (in worship), and towards your Rabb turn with eagerness.

When the wahi would descend upon Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), the wahi was so weighty and overwhelming, that if Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was seated on a camel, the camel would sit down as it could not manage the burden and weight of the wahi.

Describing the greatness and magnitude of the wahi, Allah Ta‘ala explains, “If We had to send down this Quraan (i.e. wahi) upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and burst apart out of awe for Allah Ta‘ala.” However, Allah Ta’ala had expanded the mubaarak chest of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) so that he was able to endure and manage the weight of the wahi.

In this verse, Allah Ta‘ala explains that He has removed the burden and weight from Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) which weighed so heavy on his back that it could have broken his back. This burden and weight refer to the burden and weight experienced by Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) at the time the wahi was being revealed to him. Similarly, it could also refer to the weight of the responsibility that was placed upon him in conveying the message of the Quraan and the entire deen to the ummah until the Day of Qiyaamah. If it were not for the intervention and assistance of Allah Ta’ala in expanding the Mubaarak chest of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and making it possible for him to endure this weight and responsibility, it would have certainly not been possible for him to endure it.

وَرَفَعۡنَا لَکَ ذِکۡرَکَ

And We exalted for you your (esteemed) name (and position).

In this verse, we see the great love that Allah Ta’ala has for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the exalted position that Allah Ta‘ala has honoured him with. Whenever the name of Allah Ta’ala is taken, then the name of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is also taken with His name.

When reciting the kalimah and entering into the fold of Islam, the name of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is taken with the name of Allah Ta‘ala. In the azaan, iqaamah and khutbah, the mubaarak name of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is taken together with the name of Allah Ta‘ala. In the salaah, at the time of tashahhud, the name of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is taken with the name of Allah Ta‘ala, and if his mubaarak name is not taken and durood is not recited upon him, then the salaah remains incomplete. In the Quraan Majeed, Allah Ta’ala repeatedly speaks about Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) with honour and love. In this manner, Allah Ta’ala has exalted his esteem, honour and praise.

فَاِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ یُسۡرًا ۙ﴿۵﴾ اِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ یُسۡرًا ؕ﴿۶﴾

So surely with every difficulty is ease. Surely with every difficulty is ease.

Allah Ta’ala has created this world as an abode of trials and tribulations. Hence, man will be faced with various challenges and tests in different phases of his life.

At times, a person will be tested with his health, and at times he will be tested with his wealth. At times, he will be tested with his children, and at times he will be tested with his property and belongings, etc. No matter what position a person holds, he will definitely experience some form of difficulty – whether physical, mental or emotional – during his life . However, in this verse, Allah Ta‘ala informs us that with every difficulty comes ease.

Hence, if a mu’min firmly holds onto the deen of Allah Ta‘ala and has full conviction in the promises of Allah Ta’ala and the Mubaarak words of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he will certainly find ease after every difficulty.

فَاِذَا فَرَغۡتَ فَانۡصَبۡ ۙ﴿۷﴾ وَ اِلٰی رَبِّکَ فَارۡغَبۡ ٪﴿۸﴾

So when you are free (from services which you render to the people), then toil hard (in worship), and towards your Rabb turn with eagerness.

In this verse, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is being addressed by Allah Ta‘ala and told that when he has completed the task of preaching and guiding the ummah in various departments of deen, then he should turn his attention towards his Rabb and exert himself in ibaadat.

The Ulama explain that all those who are engaged in Deeni works, then just as it is important for them to teach and preach deen, encourage people towards the good and guide them correctly, similarly, it is equally important for them to exert themselves in their personal ibaadat, self-rectification, improving their relationship with Allah Ta’ala, and increasing the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala.

This is a comprehensive plan – that one should be concerned about his own progress, and at the same time, he should also be concerned about the progress of the Ummah. A person’s effort should not be one-sided, where he is only concerned about his own progress and remains dis-concerned about the progress of the Ummah, or he is only concerned about the progress of the Ummah and remains dis-concerned about his personal progress. Hence, this verse teaches us that both are important.