Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Meaning of opening the Breast

Allah says,

أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ

(Have We not opened your breast for you) meaning, `have We not opened your chest for you.' This means, `We illuminated it, and We made it spacious, vast and wide.' This is as Allah says,

فَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلإِسْلَـمِ

(And whomsoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islam.) (6:125) And just as Allah expanded his chest, He also made His Law vast, wide, accommodating and easy, containing no difficulty, hardship or burden.

A Discussion of Allah's Favor upon His Messenger Concerning Allah's statement,

وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ

(And removed from you your burden.) This means

لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِن ذَنبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ

(That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future.) (48:2)

الَّذِى أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

(Which weighed down your back) Al-Inqad means the sound. And more than one of the Salaf has said concerning Allah's saying,

الَّذِى أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

(Which weighed down your back) meaning, `its burden weighed heavy upon you.'

The Meaning of raising the Fame of the Prophet (Peace be upon him)

وَرَفَعۡنَا لَكَ ذِكۡرَكَ

(And have We not raised high your fame?) Mujahid said, "I (Allah) am not remembered except that you are remembered with Me: I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah."

Qatadah said , "Allah raised his fame in this life and in the Hereafter. There is no one who gives a sermon, declares the Testimony of Faith (Shahadah), or prays a prayer (Salah) except that he proclaims it: I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah.

Ease after Difficulty

إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرً۬ا • فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا

(Verily along with every hardship is relief. Veriliy along with every hardship is relief)

Allah informs that with difficulty there is ease, and then He reaffirms this information (by repeating it)

The Command to remember Allah during Spare Time

فَإِذَا فَرَغۡتَ فَٱنصَبۡ • وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرۡغَب

( So when you have finished, devote yourself to Allah's worship. And to your Lord turn intentions and hopes. )

Meaning, 'when you have completed your worldly affairs and its tasks, and you have broken away from its routine, then get up to perform the worship, and stand for it with zeal, complete devotion and purify your intention and desire for your lord.' Similar to this is the Prophet's statement in a hadith that is agreed-upon to be authentic,

لَا صَلَاةَ بِحَضْرَةِ الطَّعَامِ, وَلَا هُوَ يُدَافِعُهُ الأَخْبَثَانِ

There is no prayer when the food is served, nor when the two foul things (excrement and urine) are pressing a person.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) also said,

إِذَا أُقِيمَتِ الصَّلَاةُ وَحَضَرَ الْعَشَاءُ فَبْدَأُوا بِااْلْعَشَاءِ

When the prayer has started and the dinner has been served, then begin with dinner.

Mujahid said concerning this Ayah, "When you are free from the worldly affairs, and you have stood to pray, then stand up for your Lord."

Dalam ayat ini, Allah mengungkapkan bahwa sesungguhnya di dalam setiap kesempitan, terdapat kelapangan, dan di dalam setiap kekurangan sarana untuk mencapai suatu keinginan, terdapat pula jalan keluar. Namun demikian, dalam usaha untuk meraih sesuatu itu harus tetap berpegang pada kesabaran dan tawakal kepada Allah. Ini adalah sifat Nabi saw, baik sebelum beliau diangkat menjadi rasul maupun sesudahnya, ketika beliau terdesak menghadapi tantangan kaumnya.

Walaupun demikian, beliau tidak pernah gelisah dan tidak pula mengubah tujuan, tetapi beliau bersabar menghadapi kejahatan kaumnya dan terus menjalankan dakwah sambil berserah diri dengan tawakal kepada Allah dan mengharap pahala daripada-Nya. Begitulah keadaan Nabi saw sejak permulaan dakwahnya. Pada akhirnya, Allah memberikan kepadanya pendukung-pendukung yang mencintai beliau sepenuh hati dan bertekad untuk menjaga diri pribadi beliau dan agama yang dibawanya. Mereka yakin bahwa hidup mereka tidak akan sempurna kecuali dengan menghancurleburkan segala sendi kemusyrikan dan kekufuran. Lalu mereka bersedia menebus pahala dan nikmat yang disediakan di sisi Allah bagi orang-orang yang berjihad pada jalan-Nya dengan jiwa, harta, dan semua yang mereka miliki. Dengan demikian, mereka sanggup menghancurkan kubu-kubu pertahanan raja-raja Persi dan Romawi.

Ayat tersebut seakan-akan menyatakan bahwa bila keadaan telah terlalu gawat, maka dengan sendirinya kita ingin keluar dengan selamat dari kesusahan tersebut dengan melalui segala jalan yang dapat ditempuh, sambil bertawakal kepada Allah. Dengan demikian, kemenangan bisa tercapai walau bagaimanapun hebatnya rintangan dan cobaan yang dihadapi.

Dengan ini pula, Allah memberitahukan kepada Nabi Muhammad bahwa keadaannya akan berubah dari miskin menjadi kaya, dari tidak mempunyai teman sampai mempunyai saudara yang banyak dan dari kebencian kaumnya kepada kecintaan yang tidak ada taranya.