أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَىٰهُمْ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَّـٰمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ 78
Translations
Did they not know that Allāh knows their secrets and their private conversations and that Allāh is the Knower of the unseen?
Transliteration
Alam ya'lamū anna Allāha ya'lamu sirrrahum wa najwāhum wa anna Allāha 'allāmu al-ghuyūb
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes the hypocrites (munāfiqūn) who engaged in secret conversations and hidden plots against the Prophet and Muslims, reminding them that Allah is fully aware of all their secrets and private discussions. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this serves as a stern warning that no secret deed or whispered conversation escapes Allah's knowledge, as He is 'Allām al-Ghuyūb (the Knower of all unseen things). The ayah underscores the Islamic principle that Allah's knowledge encompasses both the manifest and the hidden, deterring believers from engaging in deception or hypocrisy.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah At-Tawbah (revealed in Medina), which addresses the hypocrites of Medina who outwardly professed Islam while harboring doubt and engaging in conspiracies. The broader context involves the aftermath of the Battle of Tabuk, where the hypocrites' true nature and secret machinations were exposed, necessitating this divine reminder of Allah's all-encompassing knowledge.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one; whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise,' and among these names is 'Al-'Alīm' (The All-Knowing), emphasizing Allah's complete knowledge (Sahih Bukhari 2736). Additionally, the hadith about the three whom Allah will shade on the Day of Judgment includes those who hide their charity, reflecting the theme of hidden deeds being known to Allah (Sahih Bukhari 629).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that no thought, word, or secret deed escapes Allah's awareness, encouraging sincere and transparent conduct in both public and private life. It serves as a profound deterrent against hypocrisy and deception, reminding us that true piety requires consistency between inner faith and outward actions.
Related Ayahs
لَا يَسْتَـْٔذِنُكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ أَن يُجَـٰهِدُوا۟ بِأَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
Those who believe in Allāh and the Last Day would not ask permission of you to be excused from striving [i.e., fighting] with their wealth and their lives. And Allāh is Knowing of those who fear Him.
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًۢا بَيْنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allāh and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, "We intended only the best." And Allāh testifies that indeed they are liars.
فَسِيحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِى ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُخْزِى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
So travel freely, [O disbelievers], throughout the land [during] four months but know that you cannot cause failure to Allāh and that Allāh will disgrace the disbelievers.
۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلْأَحْبَارِ وَٱلرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَٰلَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ ٱلذَّهَبَ وَٱلْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
O you who have believed, indeed many of the scholars and the monks devour the wealth of people unjustly and avert [them] from the way of Allāh. And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allāh - give them tidings of a painful punishment.