NAME: الشرح, الانشراح, Ash-Sharh, El-Inshirah.
Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of the word ”Sharh”.
١ أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ
1 Did We not expand for you, [O Muhammad], your breast?
ENGLISH NAME: Expansion/The Soothing.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 94
SURAH INSHIRAH TOTAL VERSES: 8
SURAH INSHIRAH TOTAL WORDS: 27
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 23
TOTAL LETTERS: 102
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 610 – 615 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Prophet Muhammad.
SURAH INSHIRAH MAIN TOPICS:
God Has Lighten The Burden For Prophet Muhammad And Has Raised His Name & Fame.
SURAH INSHIRAH KEY VERSES:
٤ وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
4 And raised high for you your repute.
٥ فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
5 For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-3(God Has Made Things Easier For Prophet Muhammad And Lighten His Burden), 4(God Has Raised Muhammad’s Name, Fame And Zikr), 5-8(God Orders Muhammad To Direct Himself To God Alone)
SURAH INSHIRAH BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND
This Surah has 8 verses. It takes its name from verse 1: “أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ” (Did We not expand for you, [O Muhammad], your chest?) where the word “لانشراح” meaning “Expansion/The Soothing.” appears. This Surah was revealed in Mecca most probably during the early days of Muhammad’s proclamation of his Prophethood. Most likely just after Surah الضحى and was among the first ten Surahs to be revealed.
Surah Dhuha الضحى this Surah is a continuation of the reassurance and comfort given there to Prophet Muhammad. The Surah tells Prophet Muhammad and generally to all the believers that they should not give up under difficulties and hardship. There will be ease after difficulties
The opening of Surah with the words “Did We not expand your chest for you?” shows that every big task has a burden of it. This is same as in Surah Taha Moses prayed to God after receiving new responsibilities of Prophethood: رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي My Lord, expand for me my breast And ease for me my task. In addition to that, meaning traditions shows that there were incidents of the physical opening of Prophets breast, and a small piece of flesh was removed from the heart of the Prophet. It was said to him that this was the evil portion of human nature. This took place three times, first in his infancy, 2nd just before he was made a prophet and 3rd on the night of the Isra Ascension and Miraj.
