THE NINETY-FOURTH SŪRAH Ash-Sharḥ (The Opening-up Of The Heart) Mecca Period
THIS sūrah, revealed almost immediately after the preceding one, appears to be a direct continuation of the latter. Indeed, some renowned scholars of the first century after the hijrah – e.g., Ṭā’ūs ibn Kaysān, or the Caliph `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Azīz (known as “the Second `Umar”) – regarded Aḍ-Ḍuḥā and Ash-Sharḥ as one sūrah, and used to recite them in prayer accordingly, that is, without separating the one from the other by a second invocation “In the name of God” (Rāzī). Whether this view is accepted or not, there is no doubt that the present sūrah, like the preceding one, is addressed in the first instance to the Prophet and, through him, to every true follower of the Qur’ān.
2. I.e., "the burden of thy past sins, which are now forgiven" (Tabari, on the authority of Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Zayd). In the case of Muhammad, this relates apparently to mistakes committed before his call to prophethood (ibid.), and is obviously an echo of 93:7 - 'Has He not found thee lost on thy way, and guided thee?"
3. Or: "raised high thy renown". The primary meaning of the term dhikr is "reminder" or "remembrance"; and, secondarily, "that by which something [or "someone"] is remembered", i.e., with praise: hence, it signifies "fame" or "renown", and, tropically - as in the present context- "eminence" or "dignity".