1. Did We not expand your chest [O Muhammad]?

2. And ease your burden

3. That was breaking your back,

4. And elevate in dignity (and spread wide) the Message (Dhikr)?

5. So indeed, hardship is co-joined with ease.

6. Indeed, hardship is co-joined with ease.

7. So when you have completed (one task), strive again (toward another),

8. And turn eagerly to your Lord (and make Him your exclusive object of desire).

The chapter begins with three questions – actually reminders – directed at the Prophet:
Did We not expand your chest [O Muhammad]? “Chest” here has an allegorical meaning.
And ease your burden that was breaking your back? Did We not remove the almost unbearable load from you and put it down on the ground?
And elevate in dignity (and spread wide) the Message (Dhikr)? We dignified and raised Our Message to a high position.
These verses were revealed during the second year of the Prophet’s mission and point to God’s favors toward him during the previous year. God has approved of what he has achieved so far and thus has “expanded his chest” (i.e., his ability to bear the Message), removed the almost unbearable load from his back, and will raise the Message’s dignity and spread it far and wide. Imagine a mountain climber. In order to reach the summit, he has to have two things simultaneously: sufficient lung capacity and the ability to lift his equipment off his back. You must have experienced a certain shortness of breath when walking up a steep hill, for your lungs are trying to increase their capacity to take in the needed air. So the larger your lung capacity, the more air you can take in and the faster you can climb uphill. In other words, one who wants to walk uphill for any distance must be able to breathe well.

In addition, carrying a heavy backpack will cause the climber to ascend slowly. This is just as important as having an expansive lung capacity. So, first comes the chest’s expansion and then the ability to remove one’s load and set it down. Wazīr (minister; وزير) comes from the same root as wizr (heavy weight; وزر), namely, someone who can reduce the ruler’s workload and give him some relief.
The outcome of these two abilities is captured in verse 4: “The Prophet’s Message will be uplifted to a higher status and spread far and wide” (wa rafa‘na la-ka Dhikr-ak). These verses must be read metaphorically, for the cultural and intellectual context of the Prophet’s time demanded the use of allegories, which are understandable to everyone regardless of time and place.
In 20:34, Moses employs dhikr (ذكر) with the same connotation to denote that God’s name, with his efforts, will reign supreme in Pharaoh’s society, one that knew only his name: “So that we may glorify You and remember (dhikr) You often.” As such, dhikr must be interpreted as a technical term that is specific to the Qur’an.

Likewise, the Qur’anic phrases in 6:125, “enlarging the chest” and “tightening the chest”: “Whomever God desires to guide, He expands his chest to Islam. And whomever He desires to lead astray, He makes his chest narrow and straitened, as if he were ascending to the sky.” Such a person will easily and voluntarily “submit” to the truth and breathe in such an environment. In contrast, one who has been led astray (from whom God’s guidance has been removed) due to one’s own actions and persistence in sin will find it extremely difficult to find any guidance. Thus following the truth will seem as demanding as ascending to the sky. God will debase and disgrace them: “Thus does God heap [spiritual] defilement on those who do not have faith.”

Moses petitions God to “expand his chest” (20:25)after he is commanded to go to the rebellious Pharaoh, because he had inadvertently killed one of Pharaoh’smen ten years earlier and fled Egypt to save himself. Now if he were to return, Pharaoh would certainly kill him by invoking lex talionis (identical retribution; qisās). Just thinking about this was enough to constrict his chest and make it hard for him to breathe. Moses, clearly feeling that this would be an enormously dangerous mission, therefore asks God to enlarge his chest capacity so he can bear the stress and to make his affairs easy (20:26) by appointing his brother Aaron as wazīr to ease some of his burden (20:30–31).

Interestingly, 6:125 employs the phrase “expanding the chest [for the absorption] of Islam” when talking about a person being guided toward Islam. This allows one to breathe easily and inhale the fragrance of truth in its totality. In contrast, some people may not want to breathe in the air of righteousness because their chests are unwilling to surrender to God. Therefore, submitting to the truth is as hard for them as ascending to the sky. The Qur’an underlines that those who allow disbelief and ingratitude (kufr) to enter their chest will never be able to ascend, for the weight of their sins prevents them from reaching the higher stages of spiritual growth.

“Expanding the chest” is a very interesting Qur’anic phrase, for it means that one has either an expansive or a closed heart. People show their affection for others by embracing them, greeting them with open arms, and opening their hearts to them. Arabic uses “an expansive chest” to connote that a person breathes comfortably and feels happy upon seeing his or her beloved.
In addition, the Qur’an employs mountain climbing terms to discuss the various stages of “expanding the chest.”
With this introduction in mind, we now begin the exegesis of the chapter.

[94:1] Did We not expand your chest [O Muhammad]?
At the beginning of the mission, the Prophet was overwhelmed by its complexity and seriousness. Raised without parents, this destitute orphan wanted to rise up against a degenerate society, one deeply steeped in polytheism and idolatry. He therefore undertook the daunting task of confronting the polytheists by telling them that their belief system was fallacious. This is why the Qur’an reminds the Prophet: Did We not strengthen you for this task?

[94:2] And ease your burden

[94:3] That was breaking your back,
Verses 2 and 3 are an explanation of and a commentary on the first verse.

[94:4] And elevate in dignity (and spread wide) the Message (Dhikr)?
Most exegetes have translated this verse as: “Did We not elevate you (Muhammad) to great fame and renown (dhikr)?” Had they pondered upon this, they would have realized that if the Prophet were seeking either of these, God would have informed him that “I am going to make your name known all over.” How are such things of any use to him and to us in this world or in the Hereafter?
What does it mean to say “your Dhikr” to the Prophet? The exegetes have been careless and overlooked the fact that Dhikr is one of the Qur’an’s names (81:27). Qur’an 16:44 says: “We have sent down the Reminder (adh-Dhikr) to you so that you make clear to humanity what has been revealed to them and that perchance they may reflect.” Thus itmeans an awakening Message, one that brings people out of their sleep of ignorance and heedlessness. The entire Qur’an is a message of awakening. The Prophet never longed to be famous or achieve a high social standing, for he was no more than a messenger and wished only that his Dhikr, the Message of the Book, be elevated, dignified, and spread far afield.
This verse informs the Prophet that within the first year his Message has become known far beyond his hometown. It may be hard for us to appreciate the significance of this, given the almost instant transmission of news around the world today. You may recall that in 2008, Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders and anti-Muslim polemicists made an anti-Islamic movie (Fitnah) that, through the efforts of the Muslim community, was banned by the European Parliament. Shortly after that decision, the movie was posted on the Internet and distributed globally. This is the best testament to the power of social media and the Internet: No one can prevent ideas and news from being disseminated, for these global platforms allow countless ideas and news to be expressed and exchanged. But during the Prophet’s time, and especially in such a desolate place, this was impossible.
The Qur’an relates that Moses threw his staff down and it became a serpent, and that a shining light emanated from his hand when he removed it from his cloak and dazzled the audience’s eyes. In response, Pharaohordered his men to go outside and announce that the land’s expert magicians were to assemble in order to compete with Moses: “and send messengers to all the cities” (7:111).This was the only way to spread the news at that time. When the Greeks defeated the Persians, a soldier had to run from the battlefield to the city to deliver the news. It took two to three weeks for the people to learn of Mu‘āwiya’s death with instructions to pledge allegiance to his son and successor Yazīd. Thus the only way the Prophet could deliver his Message was to introduce its “products” to the market and make his people aware of their quality.
The conclusion, presented in the next three verses, is that the Prophet must undertake three tasks. This begins with the particles fa (then) and, for emphasis, inna (truly).
The first task is:

[94:5] Indeed, hardship is co-joined with ease.
This verse is often translated as “ease follows hardship.” However, upon inspection, the verse clearly says, “Ease accompanies hardship,” for it is the hardship of studying that gives rise to certain benefits and comfort. Working hard to attain knowledge increases a person’s potential to earn a higher income and thereby improve the quality of one’s life. Also, lifting weights is difficult in the beginning, but practice and repetition soon strengthen one’s muscles. This is what is meant by “ease amidst difficulty,” for they work in tandem. So the message is: Do not worry about the difficulties and hardships facing you today, because they also bring about comfort and ease. These two states are not mutually exclusive, for they occur together instead of following one another.
With regards to ease, this verse does not mean that one will become rich enough to live a comfortable life. Rather, the message is that benefit and hardship are closely related. This is why the Qur’an repeats this important principle.

[94:6] Indeed, hardship is co-joined with ease.
So every difficulty is accompanied with ease. Adversity, pain, and suffering should not make you disappointed or hopeless, since they will somehow benefit you. Moreover, this gain is not reserved for the Day of Judgment but will be apparent even in this world, for difficulties give birth to positive effects in your being and bring about ease and comfort.
The second responsibility or reality is:

[94:7] So when you have completed (one task), strive again (toward another),
After resting from your mission and responsibilities, get ready to meet new challenges. The verse employs faraghta, a verb derived from the root F-R-GH, “to complete” or “bring to an end.” Human life comprises cycles of undertaking and completing responsibilities or tasks only to start the next one – a process that continues until we die. Every time we are relieved of our burden, we should expect that another one is on its way to us.
It is human nature to want to take a break between challenges. But herein lies the danger of becoming overconfident, puffed up with pride, and hungry for power. And so the verse reminds us not to assume that the task is over. This is akin to taking a break after passing a major academic milestone, such as graduating from high school and then moving on to university and then graduate degrees.
We should not look at “life” through the narrow prism of this temporal life, because the afterlife is eternal. Before us lies the infinite and eternal future.Ali says, “Alas! The provision is little, the way is long, the journey is far and the goal is hard to reach and challenging, and the task is immense.” Little preparation is needed for your short “road trip” on this planet, for within a few hours you will reach the destination and the trip will be over. Can you imagine what provisions one needs for a journey that will be eternal?
One should remember that unlike this temporal life, where time is limited, the afterlife is eternal. Thus, just like with any other trip, one has to prepare and pack the necessary provisions. That is why the Qur’an warns against complacency in terms of one’s good deeds: “and who give what they give while their hearts tremble with fear that they are returning to their Lord” (23:60). They feel this way because they are returning to and will be hosted by their majestic Lord. Such people will never be satisfied with their meager deeds and accomplishments. On the contrary, those who are pleased with themselves will ask, “What does God expect of us? If it is performing prayers, we are doing it. If fasting, we are doing that too. So, what else does He expect?” This attitude is quite common among those who slowly become complacent and soon come to a standstill because they have no motivation to continue the struggle.
Ali says, “A believer should always be suspicious of his own ‘lower self.’” In other words, believers must never be satisfied or congratulate themselves for whatever they have accomplished. Instead, they must constantly hold themselves accountable to a higher standard. “He should always blame it (his ‘lower self’) and ask it to add to (its good acts).” In his famous “Sermon of the Pious” (Muttaqīn),he states,
They are not satisfied with their meager good acts and do not regard their major acts as great. They always blame themselves and are afraid of their deeds. When anyone of them is spoken of highly, he says: “I know myself better than others, and my Lord knows better than I know. O God, do not deal with me according to what they say. Make me better than what they think of me and forgive me (those shortcomings) of which they do not know.”
Many places in the Nahj-ul-Balāghah say that the pious and God-conscious are co-joined with wajal (distress, anxiety, and fear; وجل), but not annoyed, uneasy, or discontented – as these terms are commonly understood. It means that they are always dissatisfied with their good deeds and do not consider them either sufficient or remarkable. Thus they are like those whose thirst for knowledge is limitless.
This is the verse’s message: Do not become complacent once you have finished a particular task; rather, prepare yourself for the next one.
The third responsibility is:

[94:8] And turn eagerly to your Lord (and make Him your exclusive object of desire).
In this case, “eagerly” (arghab) from the root R-GH-B, means “to be enamored with.” True seekers of knowledge never tire of pursuing it because they are enamored with it. Some scientists spend as much time as possible confined in a small laboratory, working long hours to solve seemingly small projects. They relish this; their life revolves around it. Reaching a milestone does not satisfy them, for they continue researching and learning. Such is the case with those believers who are eagerly seeking God. But they will never “reach” Him, because the path is infinite. However, the direction is “toward your Lord” (ilā Rabbi-ka). We are all travelers on this path, as attested to in 2:156: “Indeed we belong to God, and surely unto Him is our return.”
The three questions discussed here remind the Prophet of what he achieved during the first year of his mission. Now, it is time to start anew and ascend the ladder of success, one step at a time.
We can reminisce about our past and remind ourselves of the many times that God has helped us. Therefore, whenever we experience any difficulty or hardship, instead of losing hope we should strive to help ourselves and others. In addition, this chapter reminds us of our social responsibility: If we are involved in any social, cultural, or religious undertaking, we should perform our duties as best we can and avoid becoming hopeless, tired, or stop what we are doing because “I have done enough to help others” or “There is nothing more I can do.” We must carry on because working in God’s way has no limit. The more we persevere along this path the wider it becomes, because we are eagerly moving toward our Beloved with ever greater strength and motivation.

Translator: Amir Douraghy
Editor: Hamid Mavani