Qur'an and Tafsir
Two surahs of comfort
The messages stopped. His opponents said his Lord had dropped him.
6 min, Intro, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Part 1 of 4
For a while no revelation came, and some in Makkah mocked that his Lord had abandoned him. Then ad-Duha arrived. It opens with the bright morning and the still night, and says: your Lord has not left you, and He does not hate you.
Qur'an 93:3
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ٣
3 Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muḥammad], nor has He detested [you].
The story behind it
One report, which al-Bukhari recorded, is small and human. He was ill and missed his night prayer for a night or two. A woman came and said: I think your devil has finally left you. Ad-Duha was the reply.
Lesson
Silence is not abandonment. The night is part of the same day.
Part 2 of 4
Then the surah gives its evidence: his own past. Did He not find you an orphan and shelter you? Find you lost and guide you? Find you poor and provide? So be gentle with the orphan and with the one who asks.
Qur'an 93:6
أَلَمۡ يَجِدۡكَ يَتِيمࣱا فَـَٔاوَىٰ ٦
6 Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge?
The story behind it
His father died before he was born. His mother died when he was six. His grandfather took him in, and died when he was eight. Then an uncle, Abu Talib, raised and protected him, and never accepted his message.
Lesson
The comfort comes with a job: treat others as he was treated.
Part 3 of 4
Ash-Sharh, the Opening, picks up in the same voice with three more questions. Did We not open your chest? Lift the load that weighed on your back? Raise your name? Ad-Duha looked at his childhood. This surah looks at what he carries now.
Qur'an 94:1
أَلَمۡ نَشۡرَحۡ لَكَ صَدۡرَكَ ١
1 Did We not expand for you, [O Muḥammad], your breast?
The connection
"We raised your name" was said to a man mocked in his own town. Commentators point to what followed: his name beside Allah's in the call to prayer, in the testimony of faith, and in the Friday sermon.
Lesson
Before the promise, a reminder of what has already been done for him.
Part 4 of 4
Then the line the two surahs are known for, said twice: with hardship comes ease. Commentators note "the hardship" is definite in Arabic and "ease" is not: one hardship, more than one ease. Then: when you are finished, turn to your Lord.
Qur'an 94:5-6
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ٥ إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرࣱا ٦
5 For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease [i.e., relief].
6 Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.
The word
In Arabic the hardship has "the" in front of it both times, so it is the same hardship. Ease has no "the", so the second ease is a new one. One hardship, two eases.
Lesson
One hardship, two eases: what commentators read in a line said twice.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
The messages stopped. His opponents said his Lord had dropped him.