Salafi Mufti Sh. Bin Uthaymin Says Opening of the Chest of Prophet (A.S) was not Physical

In the Name of Allah; the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

With respect to the Ayat of the Holy Qur’an in which Allah Most Exalted addresses His Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihi wasallam):

اَلَمۡ نَشۡرَحۡ لَکَ صَدۡرَکَ۞

Have We not opened for you your chest (Surah 94:1)

There appears to be a difference of opinion regarding whether this is a literary expression signifying the fact that Allah Most High opened the heart of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihi wasallam) to His guidance and wisdom; or whether this was a literal cutting open of the chest of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihi wasallam) as is apparent from the following narration:

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ، " أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَهُوَ يَلْعَبُ مَعَ الْغِلْمَانِ ، فَأَخَذَهُ فَصَرَعَهُ ، فَشَقَّ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ ، فَاسْتَخْرَجَ الْقَلْبَ ، فَاسْتَخْرَجَ مِنْهُ عَلَقَةً ، فَقَالَ : هَذَا حَظُّ الشَّيْطَانِ مِنْكَ ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَهُ فِي طَسْتٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ بِمَاءِ زَمْزَمَ ، ثُمَّ لَأَمَهُ ، ثُمَّ أَعَادَهُ فِي مَكَانِهِ ، وَجَاءَ الْغِلْمَانُ يَسْعَوْنَ إِلَى أُمِّهِ يَعْنِي ظِئْرَهُ ، فَقَالُوا : إِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ قُتِلَ ، فَاسْتَقْبَلُوهُ وَهُوَ مُنْتَقِعُ اللَّوْنِ ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ : وَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَرَى أَثَرَ ذَلِكَ الْمِخْيَطِ فِي صَدْرِهِ "

It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that that Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was playing with the other boys. He took hold of him and threw him to the ground, then he opened his chest and took out his heart, from which he took a clot of blood and said: “This was the Shaytaan’s share of you.” Then he washed it in a vessel of gold that was filled with Zamzam. Then he put it back together and returned it to its place. The boys went running to his mother – meaning his nurse – and said: Muhammad has been killed! They went to him and his colour had changed. Anas said: I used to see the mark of that stitching on his chest.

Narrated by Muslim (162).

Classical Mufasireen such as Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (Rahimahullah) and Imam Qurtubi (Rahimahullah) have copied these narrations into their respective books of Tafasir in explanation of the above cited Verse of the Holy Qur’an (94:1).

However, the Salafi/Saudi scholar, Shaikh Bin Uthaymin, has explained in his own Tafsir that the above cited Verse does not refer to anything that can be understood as being physical:

وهذا الشرح شرح معنوي ليس شرحاً حسيًّا ، وشرح الصدر أن يكون متسعاً لحكم الله عز وجل بنوعيه ، حكم الله الشرعي وهو الدين ، وحكم الله القدري وهو المصائب التي تحدث على الإنسان

This opening is metaphorical, not physical. The opening of the heart may be done so that it is able to receive the decree of Allaah of both types, the shar’i decrees of Allaah, which means religion, and the decree of Allaah which has to do with the calamities that may befall man

Reference: Tafsir Qur'an al-Karim; Juz Amma p.645