Surah 94. Ash-Sharh

1.

Have We not uplifted your heart for you 'O Prophet',

2.

relieved you of the burden

3.

which weighed so heavily on your back,

4.

and elevated your renown for you?¹

 The Prophet’s name is always mentioned in the call to prayer, along with Allah’s Name. Close to the end of each of the five daily prayers, worshippers invoke Allah’s blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ) and his family. When someone reverts to Islam, they testify that Allah is their Lord and Muḥammad is His Messenger. Muslims, even those who are not practicing, love the Prophet (ﷺ) and many name their children after him.

5.

So, surely with hardship comes ease.

6.

Surely with 'that' hardship comes 'more' ease.¹

 If a definite noun is repeated in Arabic, it means that we are referring to the same thing. For example, “I met the man and I gave the man some money.” But if an indefinite noun is repeated, it means we are referring to two different things. For example, “I met a man and I gave a man some money.” With this in mind, we realize that 94:5-6 refers to one hardship (a definite noun) and two different eases (an indefinite noun). Hence, the Arabic saying: “Two eases cannot be overcome by one hardship.”

7.

So once you have fulfilled 'your duty', strive 'in devotion',

8.

turning to your Lord 'alone' with hope.