UNEXPECTED REFLECTIONS OF SURAH AL-INSHIRAH

  1. أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ

Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is assured to be granted various verses and surah every time a challenging struggle occurs. The gradual revelation of those verses aims to ease Prophet’s heart and provide positive thoughts to his Rabb, so that the pain of the struggle is not felt, inshaallah.

In the previous surah, it was mentioned about the blessings of protection, guidance in knowledge, and sufficiency of wealth for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Meanwhile in this surah, it is revealed about a greater blessing compared to the three previous blessings, which is the blessing of tadabbur and understanding Allah’s verses.

This blessing enables a person who is tested without protection in his life, without guidance in knowledge, and without sufficiency of wealth, to still remain calm and content with the tests, due to the presence of Allah whose plans are always perfect.

  1. وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ

If the previous verses mentioning the Prophet’s chest being prepared to receive the revelation of the Quran gradually, this verse refers to its implications of that revelation, making what is heavy seem light, biiznillah.

  1. الَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

This verse should be connected to the previous one because it is only a detail about the burden of dakwah carried by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. But it is separated in a different verse to depict the gentle affection of Allah, who truly understands the condition of the Prophet. Allah who is All-Hearing empathizes deeply with the pain of the struggles faced by the Prophet. Don’t we like to express our feelings to those who are truly knowledgeable about our problems and show their concern by wanting to extend conversation with us ?

  1. وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ

Motivation is important for the Prophet to continue his preaching. But the Prophet is also a normal human being who needs good news about his future.

The success of the mission of dakwah, where the name of Muhammad will be continuously recited in the azan all over the world, becomes an important “fact” from the future that brings joy to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم because he was the most hated person in Makkah when this surah was revealed.

  1. فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
  2. إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا

Both of these verses do not mention “you” (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ) as the verses before and after. It is good news for all believers that the broadness of the chest and tranquility of the heart in times of adversity is not only for the Prophet, but can also be transferred to the hearts of believers. That is the wisdom of the Quran, preserved as a remedy and good news for the believing people.

For every difficulty that occurs, at the same time there is also pleasure and blessing. There is no disaster that befalls the believers from the sky, except that Allah also sends down a remedy and unseen goodness.

Repeating twice, “every difficulty has various forms of joy”, because someone facing emotional pressure needs motivational words not just once, or from only one person, but multiple times and from as many friends as possible.

  1. فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانصَبْ

Surah al-Inshirah can be divided into two parts. The first part (verses 1 to 6) is about the command to continue spreading the message to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم , with the assurance of victory in the message and the elevation of his name soon.

The second part (verses 7-8) of this surah – according to certain scholars of tafsir – is about the command to perform the qiamullail (night prayer) by the Prophet, with the assurance of the effectiveness of reciting the Quran in strengthening his soul.

The first part seems to describe the first oath in the previous surah, which is the time of Dhuha as the time for dakwah. The second part seems to describe the second oath in the previous surah, which is the dark night as the time for qiamullail.

  1. وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ

The Surah begins with the description of the gradual revelation of the Quran to motivate the Prophet and bring ease to his heart during the challenges of his mission. It concludes with the command for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to perform tahajjud and prolong his standing during the night prayer, so that the recitation of the Quran at the end of the night would have a positive impact on him.

Barakallah fikum

Syaari Ab Rahman
Tadabbur Centre

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