What does « To explain / To expand » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To explain / To expand (شرح) in the Quran, with 5 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

شرح

To explain / To expand

Root: ش - ر - ح

Creed (aqida) 5 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of To explain / To expand

Originally, ash-sharh means spreading meat or similar.

One says: I spread the meat, I opened the chest.

The Almighty says: 'Did We not expand for you your breast' (Ash-Sharh 1). 'One whose breast Allah has expanded to Islam' (Az-Zumar 22): He made him receptive.

To explain / To expand in the Quran (5)

Meccan: 5 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-An'am 1

An-Nahl 1

Ta-Ha 1

Az-Zumar 1

Ash-Sharh 1

Surah Al-An'am : 125 Meccan

﴿فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَٰمِ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾

So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe.

Surah An-Nahl : 106 Meccan

﴿مَن كَفَرَ بِٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَٰنِهِۦٓ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُۥ مُطْمَئِنٌّۢ بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ وَلَٰكِن مَّن شَرَحَ بِٱلْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾

Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;

Surah Ta-Ha : 25 Meccan

﴿قَالَ رَبِّ ٱشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى﴾

[Moses] said, "My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance]

Surah Az-Zumar : 22 Meccan

﴿أَفَمَن شَرَحَ ٱللَّهُ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَٰمِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْقَٰسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مِّن ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾

So is one whose breast Allah has expanded to [accept] Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error.

Surah Ash-Sharh : 1 Meccan

﴿أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ﴾

Did We not expand for you, [O Muhammad], your breast?