إِن تُبْدُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًا 54
Translations
Whether you reveal a thing or conceal it, indeed Allāh is ever, of all things, Knowing.
Transliteration
In tubdu shay'an aw tukhfuhu fa-inna Allaha kana bi-kulli shay'in aliman
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah's knowledge encompasses all things, whether hidden or revealed, emphasizing His complete omniscience. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this verse assures believers that nothing escapes Allah's awareness—neither their public actions nor their secret thoughts and intentions. The ayah serves as a reminder of accountability before Allah and the futility of attempting to conceal anything from His divine knowledge.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the context of Surah Al-Ahzab, which addresses the etiquette and regulations concerning the Prophet Muhammad's households and interactions. The surah was revealed in Medina during the period of consolidating Islamic social norms. This particular verse emphasizes divine omniscience as a foundational principle governing all human conduct, public and private.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Piety is here (pointing to the chest) three times' (Sahih Muslim 2564), emphasizing that sincere intention and hidden virtue matter greatly since Allah knows what is concealed. Additionally, the hadith 'The best of you are those with the best character' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3662) relates thematically to the importance of internal sincerity that Allah witnesses.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should recognize that Allah's knowledge penetrates all veils of secrecy and concealment, making sincere intention and moral integrity in private matters as crucial as public conduct. This should motivate constant God-consciousness (taqwa) in all circumstances, knowing that true accountability extends to one's innermost thoughts and motivations.