سُورَتَا الضُّحَى وَالشَّرْحِ

The text: Surah Aḍ-Ḍuḥaa (93), verses 1 to 11 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَالضُّحَىٰ ﴿١﴾ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ ﴿٢﴾ مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ ﴿٤﴾ وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ ﴿٥﴾ أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ ﴿٦﴾ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ ﴿٧﴾ وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ ﴿٨﴾ فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ﴿٩﴾ وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ ﴿١٠﴾ وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ ﴿١١﴾

The text: Surah Ash-Sharḥ (94), verses 1 to 8 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ ﴿١﴾ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنْكَ وِزْرَكَ ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِي أَنْقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ ﴿٣﴾ وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ ﴿٤﴾ فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ﴿٥﴾ إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ﴿٦﴾ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ ﴿٧﴾ وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ ﴿٨﴾

Listen to the two recitations while following the text with your eyes, then read the meaning in the next block.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

The context These two Makkan surahs follow each other and answer each other. Jundub relates that the Revelation paused for a while; a woman of Quraysh then said to the Prophet ﷺ: "I see that your devil has left you." Allah revealed: "By the morning brightness, and by the night when it grows still! Your Lord has neither abandoned you nor hated you" (Bukhari 4950, Muslim 1797).

Aḍ-Ḍuḥaa (93), "the morning brightness", passage by passage • Verses 1 to 3: Allah swears by the light of the morning and by the calm of the night: your Lord has neither abandoned you nor hated you. Just as night comes after day without the sun disappearing for ever, the pause in the Revelation was not an abandonment. • Verses 4 and 5: "The last life is better for you than the first", and your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied. • Verses 6 to 8: three past blessings: did He not find you an orphan, and give you shelter? He found you without knowledge of the Revelation and the religion, and guided you; He found you poor, and made you rich. • Verses 9 to 11: three duties that answer them: the orphan, do not oppress him; the one who asks, do not drive him away; and the blessing of your Lord, proclaim it.

Ash-Sharḥ (94), "the opening", passage by passage • Verses 1 to 4: "Did We not open your breast for you?" Allah widened the Prophet's ﷺ heart for faith, wisdom and patience. He relieved him of the burden that weighed on his back, and raised his renown: his name is mentioned with Allah's in the call to prayer, the testimony of faith and the prayer. • Verses 5 and 6: "With hardship there is ease. Indeed, with hardship there is ease." The sentence is repeated to reassure. • Verses 7 and 8: "When you have finished, rise to worship, and to your Lord direct your longing."

A word to notice The commentators note that in Arabic "the hardship" (al-'usr) has the article in both sentences and so refers to the same hardship, while "an ease" (yusr) has no article and refers to two eases. Hence the saying reported from companions: "One hardship will not overcome two eases" [À VÉRIFIER : attribution et référence]. The Prophet ﷺ said: "I and the one who looks after an orphan will be in Paradise like this", and he showed his index and middle fingers slightly apart (Bukhari 5304).

Exercise: write down a hardship you are living through right now. Next to it, write two "eases" Allah has already given you in this situation, then recite Ash-Sharḥ thinking of them.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation These two surahs were revealed at a moment of sadness: the Prophet ﷺ was waiting for the Revelation, and his enemies were mocking. Allah does not answer only with a promise; He also recalls the past. Ibn Kathir explains the reasoning: He who protected you as an orphan, guided you and made you rich will not abandon you now. It is a method for every believer in trial: remembering Allah's past blessings nourishes trust for the future. The three duties at the end of Aḍ-Ḍuḥaa answer the three blessings: you were an orphan, do not mistreat the orphan; you were in need, do not drive away the one who asks; you have received, speak of Allah's blessing. As-Sa'di specifies that "the one who asks" includes the one who asks for money and the one who asks for knowledge. Speaking of Allah's blessings means thanking Him, without pride. Ash-Sharḥ shows that ease does not only come "after" hardship: it is "with" it. In the very heart of the trial, Allah already places help: patience, a person who supports, a door that opens. And the surah ends with a rule of life: when a task is finished, one turns to worship, and directs one's longing to Allah alone.

Lessons to draw from it • In trial, remember Allah's past blessings. • Take care of orphans and do not drive away the one who asks. • Speak of Allah's blessings to thank Him, without boasting. • Believe that ease accompanies hardship. • After every task, turn to Allah.

Key points to remember • Aḍ-Ḍuḥaa (93), 11 verses; context: the pause in the Revelation (Bukhari 4950, Muslim 1797). • 93:6-8: three blessings; 93:9-11: three duties. • Ash-Sharḥ (94), 8 verses: "with hardship, ease" (twice). • Bukhari 5304: the one who looks after an orphan.

The main message Allah does not abandon those who serve Him: remember His past blessings, be kind to the weak, and know that with every hardship comes ease.