وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُسِرُّونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ 19
Translations
And Allāh knows what you conceal and what you declare.
Transliteration
Wallahu ya'lamu ma tusirrun wa ma tu'lanun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that Allah's knowledge is absolute and encompasses both what humans conceal in their hearts and what they openly declare. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a reminder of divine omniscience, warning against deception or hidden thoughts, as nothing escapes Allah's awareness. The ayah serves as a powerful deterrent to hypocrisy and secret wrongdoing, reinforcing accountability before Allah alone.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nahl (Meccan surah) within a passage addressing the rejection of signs by disbelievers and their attempts to hide their disbelief. The broader context emphasizes Allah's attributes of knowledge and power in response to those who reject His guidance while concealing their doubts and hostility.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of jihad is a word of justice before a tyrant' (Tirmidhi), relating to the importance of sincerity in speech. Additionally, Sahih Muslim records: 'The best deeds are those done with sincere intention,' emphasizing that hidden intentions matter as much as outward actions since Allah knows both.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that true righteousness requires sincerity of intention and purity of heart, not merely outward conformity, since Allah perceives what is concealed. It invites reflection on aligning internal beliefs with external actions, knowing that all deeds—secret or public—will be judged by the All-Knowing.
Related Ayahs
نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذْ يَقُولُ أَمْثَلُهُمْ طَرِيقَةً إِن لَّبِثْتُمْ إِلَّا يَوْمًا
We are most knowing of what they say when the best of them in manner [i.e., wisdom or speech] will say, "You remained not but one day."
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِۦ عِلْمًا
He [i.e., Allāh] knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, but they do not encompass it [i.e., what He knows] in knowledge.
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ مَن يَضِلُّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ ۖ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who strays from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.
يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لَا يَرْضَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطًا
They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allāh, and He is with them [in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And ever is Allāh, of what they do, encompassing.