“So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief.” Can you give information about the verse (al-Inshirah, 94/5)?

I have not seen anything concrete about it so far. Do you not think this verse raises doubt in people?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The verses mentioned in the question are as follows:

“So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief. Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.” (al-Inshirah, 94/5-6)

There is nothing to doubt about the verse. There are two kinds of relief (ease) regarding the issue: One in the world and the other in the hereafter. Ease in the Hereafter is Paradise provided that you are patient. When one shows patience and perseverance in the face of hardship in the world, the result is ease. In other words, there is a solution for every difficulty; it is not unsolvable. However, this ease is only for those who are patient and persevering to overcome difficulties. There is no such a thing for those who do not do so.

The interpretation of the relevant verses is as follows:

5. So, “with every difficulty, there is relief”. The word “Fa” serves to bring evidence, from the previous part to the next part and divides it into branches by examining it, or it is a promise for the future by showing the previous one as a cause as “fa”.  إنّ declares that the promise is true. What the promise is can be understood from the context. The article al (alif-lam) in العسر seems to be necessary for “vow” but it actually indicates the promise of expression with the transition from a part to the whole. In the case of reason (cause), it means a major premise and hence is absolute generalization. So, the meaning is as follows: Since opening that chest and splitting it, removing the load, and glorifying your name occurred, it means that there was a great ease along with the difficulty you underwent; and there is still ease. Or, with every hardship, there is ease. Therefore, We made it easy for you and We will make it easy for you.

As it is known, مع “together” in the verse means بعد “after”. Closeness is expressed as being together through analogy because that chest opening and removal of the load happened after the load weighed down his back. In short, it happened like that and will happen like that in the future too. “After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief.” (at-Talaq, 65/7) A task gets easier in the face of hardship.

6. مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا “Yes, with every difficulty, there is relief”. It emphasizes the previous verse but it is an emphasis in the form of a generalization from promise to promise with a new beginning. The article “al” must be for generalization but since the previous one was for generalization, this one indicates a vow and the meaning is as follows: Yes, there is ease with every hardship. In other words, if that difficulty is faced and overcome, that ease will be achieved. The existence of ease does not necessarily mean that everyone will attain it. Those who believe in that ease and disregard that difficulty by enduring it with patience will attain ease by Allah’s leave. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the chapter of al-Layl:فَأَمَا مَن أَعْطَى وَاتَقَى   وَصَدَقَ بِالْحُسْنَى فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى

“So he who gives (in charity) and fears (Allah), And (in all sincerity) testifies to the best,- We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss.” (al-Layl, 92/5-7)

So, if you encounter a difficulty in the future, know that an ease will follow it or that there is an ease with it; confirm this promise and do not be afraid of that difficulty. Welcome it, too. In the verse, مَعَ “together” بَعْدَ means “after” because since difficulty and ease are opposites, they do not exist together. They come one after the other and follow each other. However, they can also be considered together since they reach a place together. In other words, what seems difficult on one side is easy on the other. He who can do that thing by finding that easy aspect attains ease. Believing that every difficulty will be followed by an ease is an aspect of ease that comes together with, not only at the end of, that difficulty. In this respect, for believers who affirm the “best” and work accordingly, there are two kinds of ease in every difficulty: It will be appropriate to call one of them ease in the world and the other ease in the hereafter.

It is narrated that when the verse in question was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came out laughing in relief and joy. He said, لَنْ يَغْلِبَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا “One difficulty cannot beat two eases”, إِنِ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا   إِنّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا “So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief. Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.” he was saying. (Muwatta, Jihad, 6). This meaning is generally explained by the use of the word “usr”, which means difficulty, with the definite article the (al), and the word “yusr”, which means ease, without the definite article; this explanation is based on the thought that the letter “lam” in the second usr means vow. However, it is mostly understood from the “fa”s above and below these verses and the connection between what is before and after them. Vow, on the other hand, must be the vow of generality understood clearly or indirectly from the previous “usr”. As we have explained that ease can be found with every difficulty, it is possible to understand it indisputably. That is, the existence of ease does not does not necessarily mean that it will occur for everyone. For example, “What ease is there in death for an unbeliever and in Hell?” Such a question cannot be asked. If it is asked, the answer will be as follows: “There is heaven, but he did not believe”.

The following incident proves that the “lam” at the beginning of the word Usr expresses generality and that belief is a must: Imam Malik narrates the following from Zayd b. Aslam in Muwatta: Abu Ubayda wrote Umar b. Khattab (ra) and told him that there were many Byzantines and that he was afraid of them. Umar (ra) wrote to him: “It is certain that if any trouble enters into a believing heart, Allah Almighty gives it relief after that, and one difficulty cannot overcome two eases.” The phrase “a believing heart” indicates peace of mind and patience, which are the requirements of belief. Therefore, a believer’s loss of the thawab of the hereafter due to complaining does not form a contradiction with this general meaning. However, the generality of the decree in all of them depends on the will of Allah. Success comes from Him. Therefore, the following is stated in the course of both generalizing and branching this decree and promise, and basing it on the grace of Allah:

7. فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ Then, when you have finished, that is, when you complete a task with the emphasis that there is an ease for every difficulty, and a deed of worship, move from one difficulty to an ease, take a rest, for example, convey the revelation you have received, and fulfill your fard duties; فَانصَب get tired again; do not stay relaxed thinking that the task is finished; prefer hard work and get up for another deed of worship; work and get tired; If the fard is over, start a nafilah; if salah is over, start supplication so that the ease will increase and you will continue in gratitude. As it is known, “nasab” is tiredness. Ease should not lead you to laziness; it should encourage you to work so that a state of increase and progress would come after it (Elmalılı H. YAZIR, Hak Dini Kur’an Dili, the Interpretation of the Verses in Question.)

“In that case, it is a general promise for all believers and no one is excluded from it. That is to say, ­there is inevitably ease in the Hereafter along with the difficulties that believers face in the life of this world. Sometimes the ease in the world and the ease in the hereafter can coexist. The expression “one difficulty ­can never overcome two eases” mentioned above shows that a single challenge cannot defeat both, ­but that if one of them is victorious, one of them can defeat the other, which is understood to be the ease in this world. As for the ease in the hereafter, it will inevitably come true, and nothing can defeat it.”

Or it can be explained as follows: “Yes, indeed, with difficulty - this means that the Makkans expelled the Prophet (pbuh) from Makkah- there is ease.” It is his entering Makkah with ten thousand people with glory, honor, power and strength on the day of the conquest of Makkah. ­(Imam Qurtubi, al-Jamiu li-Ahkamil-Quran, Buruç Yayınları: 19/192-194)

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