Surah Ash-Sharh
الشرح
Surah Ash-Sharh is an 8-verse Meccan surah that reminds the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ of how Allah eased his heart and promises, twice, that with hardship comes ease.
- Meaning
- The Relief
- Surah
- 94 of 114
- Verses
- 8
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Ash-Sharh is about
Surah Ash-Sharh, "The Relief", is also widely known as Al-Inshirah or by its opening words, Alam Nashrah. It is a short companion to Surah Ad-Duha (93), which comes right before it, and continues its tone of reassurance to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during the hard years of his mission in Mecca.
The surah opens with three blessings framed as gentle questions. Verse 1 reminds him that Allah opened and soothed his heart. Verses 2 and 3 say Allah removed the burden that had weighed heavily on his back. Verse 4 says Allah raised his name and reputation, which commentators connect with the way his name is mentioned alongside Allah's in the call to prayer and the declaration of faith.
Verses 5 and 6 then state, twice in a row, that with hardship comes ease. The wording is identical, and the repetition is the most famous feature of the surah. Classical scholars noted a point of Arabic grammar here: "hardship" carries the definite article both times, suggesting one and the same hardship, while "ease" is indefinite both times, suggesting two different eases. This led to the saying, reported from early Muslims, that one hardship will not overcome two eases. Notice too that the verse says ease comes with hardship, not merely after it.
The last two verses give practical direction. When you have finished one task, turn to the next effort of worship (verse 7), and direct your hopes and longing to your Lord alone (verse 8).
Main themes
A heart opened and a burden lifted
Verses 1 to 3 recall that Allah expanded the Prophet's chest and took away a load that was breaking his back. The surah begins with relief that has already happened, before promising more.
Verses 1–3A name that is raised
Verse 4 tells the Prophet ﷺ, at a time when he was mocked and rejected in Mecca, that his name has been raised high. Commentators point to his mention in the call to prayer, repeated every day across the world.
Verse 4With hardship comes ease
Verses 5 and 6 repeat the same promise word for word. Ease is described as coming with hardship, not only after it, and the repetition is read as a strong emphasis that difficulty never stands alone.
Verses 5–6Keep going, and turn to Allah
The surah does not end on comfort alone. It tells the reader to move from one effort to the next, and to direct their hopes toward their Lord.
Verses 7–8
Verses to know
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ﴿٥﴾ إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرٗا ﴿٦﴾
5With hardship comes ease. 6With hardship comes ease.
Probably the most quoted lines of this surah, repeated word for word. Scholars drew from the grammar that one hardship is accompanied by more than one ease, and Muslims often recite these verses to one another in hard times.
أَلَمۡ نَشۡرَحۡ لَكَ صَدۡرَكَ ﴿١﴾
Did We not soothe your heart?
The question about the soothed heart gives the surah its names, Ash-Sharh and Al-Inshirah, both referring to an opened or expanded chest. Some commentators also connect it with the reports of the Prophet's chest being opened by angels, while others read it as inner relief and calm.
فَإِذَا فَرَغۡتَ فَٱنصَبۡ ﴿٧﴾ وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرۡغَب ﴿٨﴾
7When your work is done, turn to devotion. 8And to your Lord turn for everything.
A short, practical instruction: when one task is done, put your effort into the next act of devotion, and let your longing be for your Lord.
When Surah Ash-Sharh is recited
There is no specific narration assigning Ash-Sharh to a particular prayer or time, but it is one of the short surahs most often recited in daily prayers. Because of verses 5 and 6, many Muslims also read or remember it when they are going through stress, illness, debt or grief, and the phrase is commonly shared as encouragement.
Surah Ash-Sharh in Arabic and English
All 8 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
أَلَمۡ نَشۡرَحۡ لَكَ صَدۡرَكَ
Alam nashrah laka sadraka
Did We not soothe your heart?
- 2
وَوَضَعۡنَا عَنكَ وِزۡرَكَ
WawadaAAna AAanka wizraka
And lift from you your burden.
- 3
ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنقَضَ ظَهۡرَكَ
Allathee anqada thahraka
Which weighed down your back?
- 4
وَرَفَعۡنَا لَكَ ذِكۡرَكَ
WarafaAAna laka thikraka
And raised for you your reputation?
- 5
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا
Fainna maAAa alAAusri yusran
With hardship comes ease.
- 6
إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرٗا
Inna maAAa alAAusri yusran
With hardship comes ease.
- 7
فَإِذَا فَرَغۡتَ فَٱنصَبۡ
Faitha faraghta fainsab
When your work is done, turn to devotion.
- 8
وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرۡغَب
Waila rabbika fairghab
And to your Lord turn for everything.
Surah Ash-Sharh PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Ash-Sharh
Where in the Quran does it say "with hardship comes ease"?
It is in Surah Ash-Sharh (94), verses 5 and 6, where the same sentence is stated twice in a row. A related idea appears in 65:7, which says Allah will bring ease after hardship.
Why is "with hardship comes ease" repeated twice?
The repetition emphasizes the promise. Classical scholars also noted that in Arabic "the hardship" is definite both times and "ease" is indefinite, suggesting one hardship accompanied by two eases, which led to the well-known saying that one hardship cannot overcome two eases.
Is Surah Ash-Sharh the same as Surah Al-Inshirah and Alam Nashrah?
Yes. Ash-Sharh, Al-Inshirah and Alam Nashrah are all names for the 94th surah. They refer to the opening of the heart mentioned in verse 1.
How many verses are in Surah Ash-Sharh?
Surah Ash-Sharh has 8 verses. It is a Meccan surah and comes directly after Surah Ad-Duha.