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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

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A Gentle Commentary on the Book *Bitaqat al-Ta'rif*

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*bi-Suwar al-Mushaf al-Sharif* (Profile Cards for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an),

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by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nasif,

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may Allah preserve him.

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Surah al-Sharh.

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In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,

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and may peace and blessings be upon the seal of the prophets and messengers,

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and upon all his family and companions.

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We are continuing with the gentle commentary

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on *Bitaqat al-Ta'rif*,

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and with Surah al-Sharh, concerning which I have three reflections.

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The first reflection

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pertains to the central theme of the surah,

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as it serves as an extension of Surah al-Duha, as noted in the book.

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Both of them speak about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

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highlighting his esteemed status and offering him divine guidance.

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We observe that whenever a matter is repeated in the Qur'an—

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whenever a theme is reiterated—

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or indeed even when a single verse recurs, it reveals a distinct beauty and an entirely new facet

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in the other surah.

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And this holds true here as well.

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For Surah al-Duha addresses the Messenger of Allah,

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demonstrating his high standing

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and guiding his conduct,

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as does Surah al-Sharh.

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Yet, upon contemplation, one finds no mere repetition;

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rather, careful reflection uncovers exceedingly subtle nuances.

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Notice,

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as just a single example,

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the difference between the words of the Exalted:

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"Did He not find you..."

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and His words: "Have We not expanded..."

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In "Did He not find you,"

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the Exalted refers to Himself in the singular and did not say: "Did We not find you?"

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Whereas concerning the expansion of the breast,

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He said: "Have We not expanded," and did not say: "Have I not expanded?"

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And in this

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lie several profound considerations.

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Among them is

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that the expansion of the breast,

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the removal of burdens,

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and the elevation of renown

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are matters

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of which human beings are entirely incapable.

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A detailed elaboration of this would take long

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regarding the elevation of renown,

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but it is manifestly self-evident regarding the removal of sins and burdens;

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and the expansion of the breast proceeds directly from Allah,

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Glorified and Exalted be He.

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One cannot even imagine

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otherwise.

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However, when it comes to finding an orphan and sheltering him,

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or finding one astray in any sense of confusion and guiding him,

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or finding one in poverty and enriching him—

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these are things that might be conceived as occurring through someone other than Allah.

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Indeed,

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Allah may guide a servant,

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enrich him,

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or provide him shelter,

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yet a person might mistakenly imagine that apparent, worldly means were what

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brought this outcome about for him.

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Thus, the singular pronoun was employed where shared agency might mistakenly be presumed,

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namely where partners might be imagined:

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"Did He not find you an orphan..."

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"and He found you lost..." and "He found you poor..."

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Whereas the plural of majesty was employed

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in matters

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where shared agency cannot possibly be imagined, serving to magnify His majesty:

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"Have We not expanded for you your breast? And We removed from you your burden,"

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and then He said: "And We raised high for you your renown."

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For these divine favors

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are matters wherein no shared agency can ever be presumed; hence the plural of majesty

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is fitting to convey grandeur.

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Conversely, where shared agency might mistakenly be presumed, the singular

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completely dispels

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that misconception.

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And Allah knows best.

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As for the second reflection,

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I had already alluded to it during our study of Surah al-Duha;

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namely, that

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this praise bestowed upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

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may

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prompt the question: what is our share,

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as the community of believers, from these verses that extol

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and praise the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?

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To this we say: your share of them

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is directly proportionate to your adherence

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to your Prophet, peace be upon him.

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This insight was pointed out by Ibn al-Qayyim

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in some of his writings:

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the expansion of the breast,

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the alleviation of burdens,

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and the elevation of renown—

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you have an allotted share of them

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in proportion to your following of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

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Consider

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the state

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of Muslims,

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particularly with regard to the elevation of renown

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and the expansion of the breast.

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As for the removal of burdens, that is an unseen matter known only to Allah.

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But the expansion of the breast manifests most visibly—

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indeed,

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its manifestation

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corresponds in exact measure

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with one's adherence to the Prophet, peace be upon him.

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This is clearly seen among scholars who act upon their knowledge

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and

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those who follow in their footsteps among sincere seekers of knowledge.

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The same holds true regarding the elevation of renown:

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read the books of history

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to see what they record concerning

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those who have passed on in our Ummah,

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whether they were righteous or wicked.

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See whose mention is elevated

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and whose memory is preserved with high praise—they are none other than the devoted followers

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of our Prophet, peace be upon him.

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The pause,

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the third and final reflection,

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concerns the name of the surah:

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*Al-Sharh* (The Expansion).

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According to one of its two meanings,

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"expansion" here encompasses the physical opening of the chest

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through the actual splitting of the chest,

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for his chest, peace be upon him, was indeed opened,

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as is well established,

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and then purified,

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as documented in the books of the Prophetic biography (Seerah) and the Sunnah.

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It also encompasses the expansion of the breast in the sense of

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psychological peace,

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inner solace, and spaciousness of the heart.

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“Is he whose bosom Allah hath expanded for Al-Islam, so that he followeth a light from his Lord, (as he who disbelieveth)? Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah. Such are in plain error.” (39:22)

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And this latter meaning

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is among the greatest things people strive to attain in this worldly life.

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Yet the only path to it

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is the very path I pointed out in

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the second reflection: their path is to follow the Prophet, peace be upon him.

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Whoever follows him most closely shall possess the most expanded breast, even if he endures the most constricted worldly livelihood.

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I ask Allah to expand our breasts.

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Allah is Most High and knows best.

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May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

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and upon his family and companions, and may He grant them abundant peace.