On Contraction and Expansion of the Heart
باب فی القبض والبسط
بَابٌ فِی الْقَبْضِ وَ الْبَسْطِ
On constriction of the heart (qabḍ) and expansion (basṭ).
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالٰى : وَالضُّحٰى وَالَّيْلِ اِذَا سَجٰى مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلٰى وَلَلْاٰخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ الْاُوْلٰى ـ
(al-Ḍuḥā 93:1–4.)
Vocabulary: wa — [the particle of] oath; al-ḍuḥā — the risen day, forenoon, the time when the sun is somewhat high; wa-l-layl — and the night, the wāw of oath; idhā — when; sajā — it covers [falls dark]; sajā, yusajjī, tasjiya — to cover a dead body with a sheet; musajjā — a corpse over which a sheet has been drawn. Day and night both bear witness to this: that time never remains in one state. Sometimes there is light, sometimes darkness; sometimes joy, sometimes grief. Sometimes there is waḥy [revelation], sometimes a pause in revelation (fatrat al-waḥy); sometimes revelation comes, sometimes it is held back. Sometimes a verse comes down upon a verse, and sometimes there is some delay as well.
Sometimes there is basṭ [expansion], sometimes qabḍ [constriction]. Mā — not; waddaʿa — left; widāʿ — sending off, separation, the bride being sent to the groom's house; waddaʿaka — He has left you; rabbuka — your Lord; wa-mā qalā — and He has not been displeased; wa — and; la — surely, certainly, without doubt; al-ākhira — the later state, the time of the Resurrection, the world after death; khayr — better; laka — for you; min — than; al-ūlā — the first state, this world.
Translation: Allah Most High says: By the bright day and by the night when it covers (in darkness)! (O Noble Prophet! Why are you troubled by revelation not coming? If your enemies rejoice over revelation not coming for a few days, what of it?) God has neither forsaken you, nor is He displeased or angry with you. And every later state of yours is better than the earlier one.
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رضى الله عنه فِیْ قَوْلِهٖ تَعَالٰى لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَنْ طَبَقٍ ـ قَالَ حَالٌ بَعْدَ حَالٍ قَالَ هٰذَا نَبِيُّكُمْ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ـ
(Narrated by al-Bukhārī.)
Vocabulary: la-tarkabunna — you will surely take on [a state]; ṭabaqan ʿan ṭabaq — from one state to another, from one condition to another.
Translation: It is narrated from Ḥaḍrat Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him), concerning this verse, "you shall surely go on changing from one state to another": [he said:] this is what your Prophet ﷺ said — from one state to another.