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
وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَىٰٓ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُم مَّاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَىٰ قَبْرِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَمَاتُوا۟ وَهُمْ فَـٰسِقُونَ
And do not pray [the funeral prayer, O Muḥammad], over any of them who has died - ever - or stand at his grave. Indeed, they disbelieved in Allāh and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient.
أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allāh has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally. That is the great attainment.
۞ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَـٰهَدَ ٱللَّهَ لَئِنْ ءَاتَىٰنَا مِن فَضْلِهِۦ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
And among them are those who made a covenant with Allāh, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous."
لَوْ يَجِدُونَ مَلْجَـًٔا أَوْ مَغَـٰرَٰتٍ أَوْ مُدَّخَلًا لَّوَلَّوْا۟ إِلَيْهِ وَهُمْ يَجْمَحُونَ
If they could find a refuge or some caves or any place to enter [and hide], they would turn to it while they run heedlessly.