Surah Al-Inshirah 94:1

أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ

94:1Sharhaشْرَحْstands for “opening and expansion” and means that Allâh had protected the heart of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) from all harmful influences; Allâh is his Preceptor and Teacher and besides temporal knowledge, He has expanded his heart to comprehend the Divine mysteries. “Have We not already expanded (and illuminated) for you your bosom?” indicates that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) never suffered from a straitened heart and was endowed with patience and fortitude. Abû Hayyân, the great commentator of the Holy Qur’ân says, The “expanding of the breast” signifies its illumination with wisdom and its vastness for the reception of what was to be revealed to him. Râghib gives a similar explanation. It is reported that Gabriel “opened the breast” of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) while he was yet a boy and “washed his heart”. The expanding of the Holy Prophets breast was an event and a vision (Kashaf) of excellent clarity. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) experienced this at the age of ten. This event is reported to have been observed by his foster brother, the son of Halîma - his foster mother (see Sîrat-i-Halâbîyah). Moreover, many of the traditions relate that there was a scar on his chest. Many times the effect of a vision was so strong and evidently clear that people around could also see it, so much so that parts of the vision (Kashaf) assume the form of reality. It is reported that once, at the time of the descending of the Revelation, the camel that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was riding, was bent low under its pressure. Once it so happened that when the Revelation started descending on him, the leg of his Companion was underneath the knee of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). The Companion felt the heavy pressure of the Prophets knee on his knee to such an extent that he thought that his leg would be fractured due to the weight. It is also reported that sometimes, even in extreme cold weather, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) perspired so profusely while receiving the Revelation that drops of sweat appeared on his forehead. The same is the condition for some of the visions of other religious and spiritual personalities. The famous mystic ‘Abdullah bin Jalla says, Once I saw in my vision that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) visited me and presented me a loaf of nân (bread) to eat. I had hardly eaten half of it when I woke up from sleep and the other half of the nân was in my hand (Tazkarat-ul-Auliyâ by Farîdud-Dîn Attâr).

This very incident of expanding of the breast of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) also took place at the time of the Mi‘râj - his spiritual ascent to the heaven (Raudh-ul-Unf). As the author of Bahr al-Muhît writes, the spiritual effect of this vision was that the heart of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was illuminated with wisdom and its vastness was increased for the reception of what was to be revealed to him.

In order to emphasize the point, a negative assertion was employed which tells us that this incident was already known to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as well as others and that they will see the proof that his heart is endowed with a vast capacity for the reception of the Divine Revelation. He also possesses the calmness and tranquillity of mind and is pleased to follow the commandments of Allâh with an “expanded heart” that can contain, due to its vastness, the treasures of Divine knowledge.