الحمد لله وكفى وسلام على عباده الذين اصطفى  الحمد لله منشىء الخلق من عدم ثم الصلوةعلى المختار فى القدم يا رب صل وسلم دائما ابدا على بشير نذير محمدا مولاي صل ؤسلم دائما ابدا على طه سيد المرسلين بلغ سلامى روضة فيها النبى المحترم يا خير من دفنت بالقاع اعظمه فطاب من طيبهن القاع والاكم روحي الفداء  لقبر انت ساكنه فيه العفاف وفيه الجود والكرم هو الحبيب الذي ترجى شفاعته لكل هول من الاهوال مقتحم يا رب بلغ بالمصطفى مقاصدنا واغفر لنا ما مضى يا واسع الكرم اما بعد فقد قال الله تبارك وتعالى اعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ الَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا

فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانصَبْ وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ

The contents of this Surah

This is a short Surah but encompasses various aspects of Deen. It relates to every individual and all conditions. In this Surah we also understand what is Suluk and Tasawwuf. It indicates towards the starting point of Tasawwuf as well as the ending point. When a person that was involved in sin abandons sins totally then he will enjoy going towards Allah Ta’ala. This is indicated in the last verse of the Surah wherein Allah Ta’ala states,

وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ

…and turn to your Rabb (asking your needs only from Him).

The beginning verses of the Surah

Allah Ta’ala speaks of a great bounty that was bestowed to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in the first verse of the Surah.

أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ

(O Rasulullaah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) Did We not expand your chest for you (by increasing your knowledge and granting you the ability to tolerate the harassment of the Kuffaar) ?

There are times when a person experiences business problems, health problems, social problems, etc. and one does not know how to go about handling the problem. When Allah Ta’ala grants direction to a person by guiding him towards the correct path then he feels extremely comfortable. This is termed as Inshiraah-e-Sadr.

Once Hadrat Thanwi R.A was travelling to Saharanpur by train which is situated in the north. Whilst travelling he began speaking to another passenger and enquired regarding his destination. The passenger said that he was travelling towards MuzaffarNagar which is in the South. Maulana explained to him that he is travelling in the incorrect direction as the train is heading towards the north. Maulana told him to get off at the next station and board a train travelling towards the South. Thereafter Maulana continued his discussion with him but this person responded by saying, “I am in difficulty at this stage therefore I cannot even hear what you are saying.” The person will only be at ease when he is on the correct train heading in the correct direction. A point to consider at this stage is that we are on our way to Aakhirat yet we are also on the wrong train of Dunya.

A person undertakes a journey towards Delhi by train. Whenever the train stops at a station the passenger asks where have we reached and he is told of a station that is further away from his destination in the direction of Bombay. He thinks that this is an age of technology and science so perhaps the bottom part of the train is heading towards Bombay and the top part towards Delhi so I will reach my destination. This is our situation.

Many of us are involved in Deeni activities, attached to the Masajid yet we have doubts in various things. We feel that if we involve our children in Deen then we will be depriving them of western education.

Nevertheless, in this verse Allah Ta’ala speaks of the great bounty of Sharhe-Sadr (expanding the chest) which he had bestowed Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam with. If a person is bestowed with this quality in business then one will be able to make a correct decision in business as well. This is actually the starting point of Suluk and Tasawwuf.   

ANOTHER GREAT BOUNTY

وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ

And did We not relieve you of your burden…

When an obstacle is removed from the way of a person then that itself is Jannat in this world. This is another great bounty that Allah Ta’ala bestowed Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam with.

الَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

that was breaking your back

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam came at a time when idol worship was at its peak. When he invited the Kuffar of Makkah to the oneness of Allah Ta’ala they would say,

أَجَعَلَ الْآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا إِنَّ هَذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ

(They say further,) “Has he made all the (many) gods (that we worship) into one god? This is indeed something strange!”

Many a times it is difficult for a government to make a decision as they fear the reaction of the subjects of the country. Inspite of all these obstacles Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam made the correct decisions as he was blessed with Sharhe-Sadr from Allah Ta’ala. An   important point to consider is that the names of those people that made the Islaah of people remained in the world, whereas those that did not make Islaah of others were forgotten

A collegue of Hadrat Thanwi R.A told him that we had studied the same Kitaabs in the same institute. How is it that our names didn’t shine? The reason given was that we stayed with the men of Allah Ta’ala so our names were elevated. In the next verse Allah Ta’ala says that the name of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was also elevated. 

وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ

And We have elevated your mention

AFTER DIFFICULTY IS EASE

Further Allah Ta’ala mentions,

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا

The above verse can be understood from the English saying “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” In the path of Suluk one will experience difficulty and hardship. At times one will experience Qabdh (i.e. where the heart will not incline towards any Ibaadah) etc. At such a stage one should not loose courage but be certain that every problem has a solution. Generally we look at the problems and not at the solutions. We pick at the faults of others but we do not show any solution to people. We have a problem by not being able to control ours gazes, thoughts, etc. There is a solution to every problem but look for it in the correct place.

A person that was residing in a shack had lost his gold coin. He was busy looking for it out on the pavement when a friend passed by him. He asked him, “what is the problem?” He replied, “I am looking for my gold coin.” He helped his friend to look for the coin but when they were unable to find the coin the friend asked, “Where did you lose the coin?” He replied, “In my shack.” He then asked, “if you lost the coin in the shack then why are you looking for it outside?” He replied, “As I do not have lights in my shack.”

Similarly, the Muslim Ummah have lost their dignity and honour yet they are searching for it in Dunya. This is actually adding fuel to the problem. It is mentioned in the Hadith,

من اصلح ما بينه وبين ربه اصلح الله ما بيىه وبين خلقه

Whoever corrects the relationship between him and his Rabb, Allah Ta’ala will correct the relationship between him and the creation.

DON’T FORGET ALLAH TA’ALA

When a person has got the solution to his problem then he shouldn’t forget Allah Ta’ala. If a person experiences pain on the finger then he applies ointment or medication. When he is cured then he forgets Allah Ta’ala who cured him and even forgets that he was undergoing pain at one stage. Allah Ta’ala says,

فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانصَبْ

So when you have completed (with the task of propagating Islaam during the day), then exert yourself (in other forms of Ibaadah during the night)…

وَإِلَى رَبِّكَ فَارْغَبْ

and turn to your Rabb (asking your needs only from Him).

A certain Muallimah had written that she used to get a bit lazy to perform Tahajjud Salaah. She used to explain to her students that the following verse pushes her forward to perform Tahajjud.

 وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَى

I have hastened to You, O my Rabb, so that You may be pleased

One day her husband was returning home from work and called her to inform her that he is returning so she should keep the food ready. She began preparing the food and the Asr Azaan was called out. She hastened to perform the Asr Salaah first. When he entered the house he found that food was not prepared and became upset. When he entered the room he found that his wife had passed away in Sajdah. Such verses assist a person in worshipping Allah Ta’ala.

After the demise of Zubaida the wife of Haroun-Ar-Rasheed, someone had seen her in a dream enjoying the elevated ranks of Jannah. She was asked, “Were you blessed with these bounties on account of the social welfare work that you were involved in?” It is famously known that she was responsible for getting a canal built from Baghdaad to Makkah Mukarramah which provided fresh water for the Hajees in Makkah Sharif. She replied in the negative. She then explained, “On one occasion I requested a servant to bring me some water. As I was about to drink the water the Azaan was called out. I replied to the Azaan first and then only did I drink the water.” On account of this action Allah Ta’ala had forgiven her.     

When a person turns to Allah Ta’ala and enjoys his Ibaadat then this is Sulook. Once Mufti Ahmad Khanpuri Saheb D.B. was asked, “Don’t you get tired conducting so many discourses of Deen and making Zikrullah excessively?” He said, “Does anyone get tired of their hobby?” The work of Deen is so enjoyable that it was likened to a hobby.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us the true understanding of Deen and the ability to practise. Ameen!