two eases.” (1)

Ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Even if hardship were enclosed within a stone, ease would seek it out until it entered it. No hardship will overcome two eases.” (2)

The Qur’an commentators said: The meaning of the statement, “No hardship will overcome two eases,” is that Allah, exalted is He, repeated “hardship” in the definite form and “ease” in the indefinite form. It is customary in Arabic that, when a definite noun is mentioned and then repeated, the second refers to the first; whereas, if an indefinite noun is mentioned and then repeated in the same indefinite form, they become two distinct things. But if it is repeated in the definite form, the second refers to the first. Thus, if you say, “If I earn a dirham, I spend a dirham,” the second is other than the first. But if you say, “If I earn a dirham, I spend the dirham,” the second is the first. Hence, “hardship” in the verse is repeated in the definite form, so it is one hardship, while “ease” is repeated in the indefinite form, (3) so they are two eases. It is as though He said: “Indeed, with hardship comes ease; indeed, with that hardship comes another ease.”

Abu ‘Ali [al-Hasan] (4) ibn Yahya ibn Nasr al-Jurjani, the author of al-Naẓm (5), said: People have discussed the statement, “No hardship will overcome two eases,” but they have arrived at nothing beyond their assertion that “hardship” is definite and “ease” is indefinite; therefore, there must be one hardship and two eases. Yet this is an unsound claim. If a man says, “With the horseman is a sword [Indeed, with the horseman is a sword],” (6) this does not require that there be one horseman and two swords.

Rather, the sense of the statement, “No hardship will overcome two eases,” is that Allah sent His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was of limited means and in straitened circumstances. Quraysh would taunt him for this, until they said: “If it is wealth that you seek, we shall gather money for you until you become the wealthiest of the people of Mecca.” This grieved the Prophet, and he thought that his people denied him only because of his poverty. So Allah enumerated His favors upon him in this surah and promised him wealth, thereby consoling him for the sorrow that had overcome him. He said: “Indeed, with hardship comes ease.” Its meaning is: Do not let what they say grieve you, for with hardship comes imminent ease in this world. Then Allah fulfilled what He had promised him: He opened for him the Arab towns and expanded his means, until he would give away hundreds of camels and bestow magnificent gifts.

Then He began to mention another favor concerning the Hereafter, saying: “Indeed, with hardship comes ease.” Evidence that this is a new beginning is that it is not preceded by the particle fa or the conjunction wa. This is a promise for all the believers, and its meaning is: “Indeed, with hardship