Glad Tidings for the Believers

This is an Enlightening Passage from the Speech of the Elite Scholar Muhammad bin Saalih Al-‘Uthaymeen –may Allah have mercy upon him- from his book Tafseer Juz 'Amma 

from his explanation of Soorah Ash-Sharh

This is a glad tiding from Allah The Most High to His Messenger -may the peace and salutations be upon him- as well as the rest of the Ummah (the nation of the Messenger -may the peace and salutations be upon him-). As there occurred to the Messenger -may the peace and salutations be upon him- hardship whilst he was in Makkah he was besieged, in Taif and (even) in Madeenah as well from the hypocrites. Therefore Allah said:

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٥) الشرح: ٥

So verily, with the hardship, there is relief

Meaning just as we opened your chest for you and removed from you your burden, and raised for you your mention, -and these are great bounties- (then) likewise this burden which has stricken you then it must have relief.

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٥) إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٦) الشرح: ٥ - ٦

So verily, with the hardship, there is relief. Indeed with the hardship there is relief.

Ibn Abbas –may Allah be pleased with them- mentioned in the (explanation) of this ayah “One difficulty shall not overcome two reliefs.”

And the interpretation of his speech  (is), even though difficulty was mentioned (in the aayaat) two times, the scholars of al-Balaagha (a science from the sciences of the Arabic Language) have stated that the interpretation of his speech is that difficulty was only mentioned once.

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٥) إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٦) الشرح: ٥ - ٦

So verily, with the hardship, there is relief. Indeed with the hardship there is relief.

The Explanation:

The first difficulty (in the fifth ayah):

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٥)

was repeated in the sixth ayah: 

إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٦) 

with (the letters) alif and laam. Therefore, the alif and laam here (i.e. in the sixth ayah) is for Al-‘Ahd Adh-Dhikri (being as though the word الْعُسْرِ    in the fifth and sixth ayah starts with the letters alif and laam it is the same الْعُسْرِ). As for the relief (mentioned in both aayaat) then surely it has not come (in the aayaat) as a definite particle (with alif and laam) but rather as an indefinite particle (i.e.    يُسْرًا without alif and laam). And (there is) the principle (that states) if a noun is repeated twice in a context (of speech) where it is definite, then the second noun is (in sense) the first noun for the most part (i.e. Al-‘Ahd Adh-Dhikri). (However,) if a noun is repeated twice in a context (of speech) where it is indefinite (i.e.   without alif and laam), then the second noun is not (necessarily) the first noun.

As a result, (there is mentioned) in the two noble aayaat

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٥) إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٦) الشرح: ٥ - ٦

So verily, with the hardship, there is relief. Indeed with the hardship there is relief.

Two reliefs and in them (only) one difficulty, being that the difficulty was repeated twice in the context where it was definite (i.e. with alif and laam).

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا (٥) الشرح: ٥

So verily, with the hardship, there is relief

This Speech is a Message from Allah, glory be to Him The Most High, and His Message is the most complete message in truth and His Promise is never broken. Therefore, whenever a matter becomes difficult to you then look forward to the relief.

Likewise in the Divine Execution of the Decree of Allah and the Pre-Determined Decree of Allah (القضاء و القدر) that is the Decree of Allah of calamities which afflict a person, as well as restriction in (ones) livelihood, and tightness of the chest as so on.  Do not give up hope! For surely with every difficulty there is relief.  And the relief can be an affair which is apparent and noticeable.  For example, a person is underprivileged and his affairs restricted so Allah makes things easy by enriching him. 

Another example, a person is ill, ailing he is burdened by the illness so Allah The Most High cures him; this is another relief which is noticeable. (While) there is a relief which is mental and it is the aid of Allah for a person in being patient, this is relief. So if Allah aids you in being patient (your) difficulty becomes relief.

And this difficult matter which if it was to descend onto the mountains it would have demolished them, it becomes by way of that which Allah has aided him with (i.e. the slave), from patience, a simple affair. Yet the meaning of relief it not only that a (difficult) matter is lifted in totality, relief (can be) that the distress is lifted and vanishes and this is a relief which is noticeable. While (it may also be) that Allah aids the person in being patient until the matter of great difficulty becomes a matter of relief.  And we say this because we are certain about the Promise of Allah.