In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil Ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Sharh.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Have We not caused thy bosom to dilate,” (94:1)
"And We removed from you your burden,"
"Which weighed upon your back,"
"And raised high for you your repute."
“But lo! with hardship goeth ease,” (94:5)
"So when you have finished, then stand up [for worship],"
"And to your Lord direct your longing."
Have We not expanded your chest, O Muhammad, for guidance,
And for faith in Allah and the knowledge of the truth?
We softened your heart and made it a vessel for wisdom.
We forgave you your past sins,
And we removed from you the burden of the days of ignorance in which you lived,
Which weighed upon your back and weakened it.
And We raised high for you your repute,
So that you are never mentioned except that I am mentioned with you.
For with the hardship you are experiencing, there is hope and relief,
In that He will grant you victory over them until they submit to the truth you brought them, whether willingly or unwillingly.
Then He commanded His Prophet to devote his leisure time away from all that had occupied him,
Whether of worldly or otherworldly affairs that had previously engaged him.
He commanded him to occupy himself with exertion in His worship,
And to busy himself with that which draws him closer to Him and to ask Him for his needs.
And to your Lord, O Muhammad, direct your longing,
Rather than to anyone else among His creation,
Since those polytheists among your people
Had directed their longing for their needs toward idols and false deities.