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Chapter 94

Openingal-Sharḥ ( الشرح )

8 verses • revealed at Meccan

»The surah that opens with a reassurance to the Prophet Muḥammad that his divine appointment to receive God’s revelation has been nothing less than the Opening of the breast to sacred wisdom and guidance, and that thereby he has been honoured for all time, made well-able to bear the mantle of prophethood, and that ultimately and inevitably he shall be eased unto success. It is named “opening” after the phrase “did We not open” (a lam nashraḥ) in verse 1. The surah is a continuation of the reassurance and encouragement given in the previous surah.«

The surah is also known as Broadened Breast, Comfort, Consolation, Relief, The Expanding, The Expansion, The Opening Up, The Opening of The Heart, The Opening-Up of the Heart

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Mir Ahmed Ali: In the name of God,, the Beneficent,, the Merciful

1
أَلَم نَشرَح لَكَ صَدرَكَ

Mir Ahmed Ali

According to the Ahlul-Bait this Sura, though separated from the previous Sura, by ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim’, yet from the point of view of its contents, is the supplementary of the preceding one. Hence, if the former is recited in the compulsory daily ‘Fareeza’ it should be combined with the latter, because according to the Ahlul-Bait, the first and the second ‘Rak’ats’ (units) it is necessary that a complete Sura is recited after the Sura Fateha (Opening Chapter). The same treatment has been given by the Ahlul-Bait to Suras 105 and 106. These subtle and minute considerations about this and Suras 105 and 106, is the best proof that according to the Ahlul-Bait, no disarrangement or misarrangement had been effected in the order of the Suras of Qur’an. Refer to note on ‘Tahreef’ in introduction. (A.P.)
(O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!)1 What! Have We not expanded for thee thy breast?I
  • In spite of the simple and clear words, this Sura, as a whole, has been most erroneously misinterpreted by some commentators. The misinterpretations mislead the common people who blindly follow their pet religious leaders without any scrutiny or verification, readily accepting whatever is told to them. ‘Sharhe-sadr’ means expansion of the breast, i.e., heart. It is an acknowledged term, to mean the broadening or the extending of the faculty of conscience, reasoning and understanding for the accommodation of wider, greater or higher knowledge. The verse means an assertion from God that He has given the heart of the Holy Prophet, the greatest expanse for knowledge. When Moses was commanded by God to proceed to Pharaoh, to preach to him the truth and to admonish him against his wicked and evil ways of thought and action and to warn him against his rebellious, attitude toward the true Lord of the Universe, he prayed for the extension or the expansion of his breast or heart, meaning to increase him in knowledge see 20:25. The same words occur in 6:126, wherein it is mentioned that whomsoever God pleases, He extends or expands the individual’s breast, i.e., heart, for Islam—and in contrast to this it is said that whomsoever God wills, He straitens and narrows the individual’s breast. Inspite of what the expression ‘Expansion of a breast’ clearly means, some commentators have coined a very insulting and very offending story about the native purity of the divine personality of the Holy Prophet saying that the Messenger Angel Gabriel took hold of hint and performed an operation of his breast by cutting it open, washed the heart and then placed it in its place and closed the breast and interpreted this verse illustrating their explanation referring to their own fabricated story which is not only fantastic hut grossly degrading the holiest of God’s creation. The expansion meant here is the illumination of the heart or the soul with the vastness of the great extent of the knowledge effected, not in this world but in the very creation of the soul and in the very make of the body. Referring to this inherent or native purity of the soul and the body of the Holy Prophet and of those of his family who had to play his role in his place after him, as the guides to mankind, viz. his Ahlul-Bait (i.e., the Lady Fatema and the Twelve Holy Imams), God has declared in 33:33. The advent of the Holy Prophet, was the fulfilment of the divine promise to give mankind a Perfect guide, a fully accomplished prophet referred to in the Old Testament (Deut. 18:18), who would be the Spirit of Truth, who would give the All-Truth, the Holy Ghost, prophecied by Jesus—(John 16:7-8; 14:16; 16:15-25). He actually acted as the Best and the Greatest:— (1) Apostle of God, i.e., a Religious Teacher and Leader. (2) Spiritual Guide. (3) Judge. (4) Legislator. (5) King. (6) Administrator. (7) Military Commander. (8) A Citizen. (9) Kind Husband. (10) Affectionate Father. (11) Guardian of orphans and the poor. (12) Protector of woman’s rights. (13) A friend and companion. and (14) A philosopher and Saye and the various other positions in life. He was the one who was destined by God to convey to mankind the All-Truth, i.e., the truth as a whole about the All-Divine One and the ways of approaching Him (i.e., earning the Salvation) which even Jesus the immediate forerunner of the Holy Prophet could not do for humanity then could not bear it. (John 16:12). Jesus had only to prophesy about the advent of the Holy Prophet, the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) the Holy Ghost (John 14:26) and the Comforter (John 16:7).
    Note that the same expansion of the breast or the heart was prayed for by Moses 20:25, whereas in the case of the Holy Prophet it is granted unasked for.
    The verse clearly refers to the Holy Prophet being given the helper in his cousin Ali-ibne-AbiTaleb. The appointment of Ali as the Vazier, i.e., the Bearer of the Burden, was announced at the very outset of the Holy Prophet’s ministry, in the historic assembly of the leaders of the Qoreish, which meeting is known in history as the ‘Da’wate-Asheera’, i.e., the Feast of the Kith and Kin—(Gibbon by W. Smith, Tabari—Ibne Athir, Abul Fida and EHI).
    Note Moses also prayed to God to strengthen his back with the help of his brother Aaron—and here the back was strengthened without asking. There is a great identity between Moses and the Holy Prophet and this has also been prophesied by God in the Old Testament—Deut. 18:15 and 18.