وَإِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ لَشَهِيدٌ 7
Translations
And indeed, he is to that a witness.
Transliteration
wa-inna-hu 'alā dhālika la-shahīd
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that man himself is a witness to his own deeds and innermost intentions, meaning he knows full well what he does. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to the human soul's consciousness of its own actions—man cannot deny or be ignorant of his behavior, whether good or evil. The phrase serves as a powerful reminder that despite attempts at self-deception, each person bears witness to their own conduct before Allah on the Day of Judgment.
Revelation Context
This ayah concludes Surah Al-'Adiyat, which opens with an oath by the swift horses and describes how man is ungrateful to his Lord despite receiving countless blessings. The ayah contextualizes the entire surah's message: man's ingratitude and heedlessness cannot escape accountability because he is fully aware of his own state and actions.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Each soul knows what it has sent forward and kept back' (Quran 82:5), which parallels this concept. Also relevant is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet states that on the Day of Judgment, each person's limbs will testify against them regarding their deeds.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that we cannot escape accountability by claiming ignorance of our actions; our own souls bear witness to what we do. We should cultivate sincere self-reflection and awareness that Allah knows our deeds while we ourselves are also conscious witnesses to our behavior, motivating us toward greater mindfulness and righteousness.