Surah Ash-Sharh (Al-Inshirah) Full Text — Alam Nashrah (Hafs)

About Surah Ash-Sharh

Surah Ash-Sharh is the 94th surah in the order of the mushaf, and one of the Meccan surahs — revealed to the Prophet ﷺ before the migration to Madinah. It contains 8 ayahs, and it is the seventeenth surah of Juz ‘Amma, the final part of the Quran that most Muslims begin their memorisation with.

The surah opens with a question that carries its own reassurance — «alam nashrah laka sadrak» (“Did We not expand for you your chest?”) — and goes on to recall how Allah lifted the burden that had weighed on the Prophet’s ﷺ back, and raised high his renown. At its centre stands one of the most quoted promises in the Quran, repeated twice: “indeed, with the hardship comes ease.” It closes with a simple instruction — when the task is finished, stand up for worship, and turn your longing to your Lord. As the seventeenth surah of Juz ‘Amma, it follows directly after Surah Ad-Duha and continues the very same consolation of the Prophet ﷺ.

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, the reading used in most of the Muslim world, in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.

Virtues and place of Surah Ash-Sharh

1. The twice-repeated promise of ease

“Indeed, with the hardship comes ease; indeed, with the hardship comes ease” is among the most quoted verses of hope in the Quran. The commentators relate the saying of the early Muslims that “one hardship will not overcome two eases”, since the hardship is one and the same across both verses while ease is mentioned twice.

2. Paired with Surah Ad-Duha

Surah Ash-Sharh sits beside Surah Ad-Duha as one continuous consolation of the Prophet ﷺ — recalling the ease Allah has already granted him and promising that ease accompanies every hardship.

3. A closing discipline

The surah ends by turning rest into worship and free time into devotion: when one task is finished, stand up for the next, and direct your longing to your Lord alone. It is a brief but complete pattern for a busy life lived with purpose.

Themes of the Surah

1. Did We Not Expand Your Chest? (ayahs 1–4)

Allah reminds the Prophet ﷺ of favours already granted: his chest expanded — filled, per the commentators, with faith, knowledge and tranquillity — his burden lifted from his back, and his renown raised high, his name mentioned alongside Allah’s in the shahadah and the adhan.

Read from ayah 1 →

2. With Hardship Comes Ease (ayahs 5–6)

The promise is given twice: “indeed, with the hardship comes ease; indeed, with the hardship comes ease.” The commentators relate the saying of the early Muslims that one hardship will not overcome two eases.

Read from ayah 5 →

3. Labour On, and Long for Your Lord (ayahs 7–8)

The surah closes with a call to action: when you have finished your task, stand up for worship, and direct your longing to your Lord alone.

Read from ayah 7 →

Tips for reading and memorising

With only 8 ayahs, it can be memorised in a single sitting or two.
Recite it together with Surah Ad-Duha, since the two are closely linked in meaning as one continuous consolation.
Listen to the recitation above by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi and repeat after him.
Reflect on the twice-repeated promise “with the hardship comes ease” whenever you face difficulty.
Use the “font size” buttons at the top of the page for a comfortable read.
You can print the surah from your browser (Ctrl+P) for a clean paper copy.

Frequently asked questions

How many ayahs are in Surah Ash-Sharh?

Surah Ash-Sharh has 8 ayahs. It is the 94th surah in the order of the mushaf, and it is a Meccan surah.

Why is it called Surah Ash-Sharh?

It is called Surah Ash-Sharh (“The Expansion”) after its opening words «alam nashrah laka sadrak» — “Did We not expand for you your chest?”

What are the other names of Surah Ash-Sharh?

It is also widely known as «Surah Al-Inshirah», from the same root meaning “expansion” or “opening up”.

What does the “expansion of the chest” mean?

Per the commentators, Allah expanded the Prophet’s ﷺ chest with faith, knowledge and tranquillity.

What does “We raised high your renown” refer to?

Per the commentators, this refers to the Prophet’s ﷺ name being mentioned alongside Allah’s in the shahadah and in the call to prayer (adhan).

What is the meaning of “with the hardship comes ease”, repeated twice?

The commentators relate the saying of the early Muslims that “one hardship will not overcome two eases”, because “the hardship” is one and the same in both verses, while “ease” is mentioned indefinitely twice — meaning the ease outweighs the hardship.

How is Surah Ash-Sharh connected to Surah Ad-Duha?

Surah Ash-Sharh is the seventeenth surah of Juz ‘Amma and comes directly after Surah Ad-Duha, continuing the same consolation of the Prophet ﷺ — reassurance in hardship followed by a call to gratitude and devotion.

How long does it take to read the full surah?

A complete recitation of Surah Ash-Sharh takes about a minute. With only 8 short ayahs, it is one of the easiest surahs to memorise in a single sitting.

Which recitation is the text on this page based on?

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim — the most widely used reading in the Muslim world — written in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation on this page is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.

Surah Ash-Sharh (The Expansion) — Full Text in Clear Arabic Script

Listen to the recitation