Surah Ash-Sharh 94:8
سُورَةُ الشَّرۡحِ · Meccan · Verse 8 of 8
وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرْغَب
Translation
and turn to your Lord for everything.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This beautiful verse, "وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرْغَب" (And to your Lord, then turn your earnest attention), comes as a concluding instruction after Allah has comforted the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with reminders of His blessings and the promise of ease after hardship. It directly follows the command to strive in worship once freed from other tasks. Through its precise wording, Allah guides us on how to orient our deepest desires.
A Focused Direction
The verse begins with "وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ" (And to your Lord), placing this phrase *before* the command to "turn your earnest attention" (فَٱرْغَب). This particular word order is significant. As scholars like Ibn Ashur point out, placing the object of a verb before the verb itself in Arabic emphasizes exclusivity. It means: *to your Lord alone*, and to no other, should your heartfelt desires and hopes be directed. It’s an instruction to channel all earnest longing and aspiration solely towards Allah, reinforcing a core principle of monotheism.
A Profound Choice
The word "ٱرْغَب" (arghab) comes from "ar-raghbah," which signifies an intense desire, a longing, or an earnest turning of one's attention towards something beloved. What is particularly profound here, as Ibn Ashur explains, is the use of the preposition "إِلَىٰ" (ila, meaning "to" or "towards") with this verb. Usually, one might "desire *in*" something (رغب في) or "desire *away from*" something (رغب عن). But "رغب إلى" (raghiba ilā) implies a proactive movement, a *turning towards* Allah with intention, much like a traveler making their way to someone from whom they seek a need. This paints a vivid picture of consciously orienting your heart and aspirations towards Allah.
Desiring Everything
Notice that the verse does not specify *what* to desire from Allah. The object of "arghab" (what is being desired) is left unsaid. This omission, as Ibn Ashur highlights, is intentional and beautiful, making the command all-encompassing. It means to desire *everything* from Allah: spiritual perfection, the success of the Divine message, victory for Muslims, all good in this life, and all good in the Hereafter. It encourages us to make Allah the sole focus of all our hopes and requests, big or small, recognizing that He is the only true source of all good. So, after striving in devotion, we are to turn entirely to Him, with every fiber of our being, for every single aspiration.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Ash-Sharh 94:8 is discussed in 4 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Ash-Sharh 94:8 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.