Translation and Explanation of Surah Sharh [94] Verses 1-2
Assalamu Allykum,
Surah Al-Inshirah is the ninety-fourth surah of the Quran, which was revealed in Makkah. It consists of eight ayats. There are different names for this surah, including Sharh, the expansion, In-shirah, and alum nushra, which is from its first verse.
This surah seems to be a continuation of the same theme as the previous surah, Ad-Duha (93). They both mention the blessings Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had given to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Similarly it is beloved that some companions of the Prophet ﷺ would recite Ad-Duha and Al-Inshirah in the same rakat without any Basmala in between to signify the connection between the two surahs.
1- “Have We not opened your breast for you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him))?”
Sharh means to open, expand, stretch.
Here ‘We’ has been used as a plural of respect to show the greatness of Allah. There is no one more deserving of using ‘We’ but Allah. It also points to how whatever blessings have been given to the Prophet ﷺ are grand, and that Allah does not give them to everyone. This also points to the fact that the greatest blessing given to a human being is that he is guided to Islam.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says “Have We not opened your breast for you” the laka or ‘for you’ in this verse according to the scholars is showing how Allah specifically chose this blessing for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and how Allah has favored the Prophet ﷺ over the rest of the creation. Thus showing the status of the Messenger ﷺ as Al-Mustafa, the Chosen One, the one chosen to be the last prophet for mankind until the end of time, and there will be no prophet or messenger coming after the Prophet ﷺ.
The Mufassirun have said the breast or chest is mentioned instead of the heart because the chest is the area where Shaytaan tries to enter to whisper to the human being. We know this from An-Nas:
"From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering in one's heart after one remembers Allah). Who whispers in the breasts of mankind,” (114:4-5)
If the shaytaan finds a way through the chest he reaches the heart, unless the person’s chest has been expanded and opened to Islam, Iman and rememberence of Allah. If a person keeps his tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah, if he reads the Quran, establishes salah, and does good deeds, then the Shaytaan won’t be able to enter through the chest and whisper into the heart.
According to the scholars, the expanding or opening of the chest in this verse refers to everything which is good, and keeping the soul away from anything that will harm it. The good here meaning Islam, iman, and good deeds. We know this from:
“And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam...” (6:125)
Some scholars have said that the opening of the chest in this verse refers to the opening of the chest of the Prophet ﷺ, which occured twice in his lifetime. There have been disagreements regarding both interpretations, but Alhamdulillah Ala Kulli Haal, in any case there is no harm in both making sense, there are no contradictions between the two meanings.
First cutting open of the chest of the Prophet ﷺ was when he was four years old living among Banu Sa’d. It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was playing with the other boys. He took hold of him and threw him to the ground, then he opened his chest and took out his heart, from which he took a clot of blood and said: “This was the Shaytaan’s share of you.”
We as Muslims believe that when a baby is born, Shaytaan reminds the baby that he is his enemy, which causes the baby to cry. This is true for all children of Adam, except Maryam (AS) and Prophet Isa (AS), these two weren’t afflicted by the touch of Shaytaan. We can take from this that Shaytaan is in the blood of every single individual, and that he whispers to every human being to commit sins, but he does not have control over them. A person must therefore realize that evil thoughts and ideas that occur to us are from Shaytaan, whispering us to commit sins. When this happens we should seek refuge in Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala).
We can also take from this that we should not blame qadr or fate for our sins. We must realize that there are certain things within our control, like our actions, and there are certain things that we cannot control, for example the time we die or fall ill.
Then he washed it in a vessel of gold that was filled with Zamzam. Then he put it back together and returned it to its place. The boys went running to his mother – meaning his nurse – and said: Muhammad has been killed! They went to him and his colour had changed. Anas said: I used to see the mark of that stitching on his chest. Narrated by Muslim (162).
The second incident in regards to the opening of the chest is during the night journey. Abu Dharr used to narrate that the Messenger of Allaahﷺ said: “The roof of my house was opened when I was in Makkah, and Jibreel (AS) came down and split open my chest, then he washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden basin filled with wisdom and faith and emptied it into my chest. Then he sealed it…” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (349) and Muslim (163).
The fact that this incident took place before the night journey shows the importance of this journey, that the ghusl wasn’t enough before visiting the heavens. Moreover it was to prepare the Prophet ﷺ mentally as well that this journey is unlike any other.
2- “And removed from you your burden,”
The Wizr here means to sin, and it may also refer to a heavy load. Scholars have said that this verse refers to Allah removing the past and future sins of the Prophet ﷺ. Other scholars have said that it refers to the burden upon the Messenger ﷺ of prophethood, of its struggles, spreading the message of Islam, and the trials that come with being appointed a prophet. Similarly, some other scholars have also suggested that the burden mentioned here refers to the minor sins the Prophet ﷺ committed which were of the habits of the ignorant in Makkah before he ﷺ became a Prophet and Messenger. These were minor sins because he never committed major sins, and the minor sins themselves were habits that were common in society of that time.
Some scholars have also said that the burden refers to a literal burden, the revelation coming to the Prophet ﷺ. So Allah is saying that He will became the burden coming onto you (the Prophet ﷺ), easy for you. Mufasirun have said that when the Prophet ﷺ used to get revelation he would feel a physical and mental burden, hence Allah will make this burden easier for him.
“And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)?” (54:17)
This is why when the angel Jibrael first brought the revelation, he squeezed the Messenger ﷺ to stress the importance and seriousness of what was being revealed to him. Some scholars have said that the Prophet ﷺ was squeezed three times in this incident to make it clear to him that he was not hallucinating.
Other Scholars have also said that this verse in reference to the verse before suggests carrying the burden of the Ummah. Nothing happens to the son of Adam except that the Messenger ﷺ experienced it in one form or another; when it came to wealth and poverty, when it came to health, when it came to harm that was done to him, losing a family member. All of these were experienced by the Prophet ﷺ to the extreme. He ﷺ will also carry this burden on the day of Judgement, when he will see his people, he will say ‘Ummati Ummati,’ and he’ll concede on their behalf.
