سُوْرَةُ فُصِّلَتۡ
Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 22
وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُونَ أَن يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَلَآ أَبْصَـٰرُكُمْ وَلَا جُلُودُكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن ظَنَنتُمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿22﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And you have not been hiding yourselves (in the world), lest your ears, and your eyes, and your skins should testify against you; but you thought that Allâh knew not much of what you were doing.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you were
تَسْتَتِرُونَ
tastatirūna
covering yourselves
أَن
an
lest
يَشْهَدَ
yashhada
testify
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
against you
سَمْعُكُمْ
samʿukum
your hearing
وَلَآ
walā
and not
أَبْصَـٰرُكُمْ
abṣārukum
your sight
وَلَا
walā
and not
جُلُودُكُمْ
julūdukum
your skins
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
ظَنَنتُمْ
ẓanantum
you assumed
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
لَا
lā
(does) not
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
know
كَثِيرًۭا
kathīran
much
مِّمَّا
mimmā
of what
تَعْمَلُونَ
taʿmalūna
you do
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 22) ➊ { وَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُوْنَ اَنْ يَّشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ … :} This is the answer to their reproach: that while committing sinful acts, you took great care to hide and conceal yourselves from people, but you had no fear that your ears, eyes, and skins themselves would testify against you regarding your evil deeds. If you had feared this, you could not have committed evil deeds, because it was with these very limbs that you were to disobey Allah.
➋ { وَ لٰكِنْ ظَنَنْتُمْ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ …:} That is, the matter was not just that you did not believe that the Resurrection could occur and that your limbs could testify against you, but the real issue was that you also denied the knowledge of Allah Almighty. You thought that Allah Almighty does not even know many of your deeds. Otherwise, if you had been certain that whatever you are doing, Allah Almighty is watching it, hearing your every word, and is aware of your every condition, then you would not have been so bold in sinning. Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) has mentioned this ignorance of the polytheists of Quraysh. He says: [ اِجْتَمَعَ عِنْدَ الْبَيْتِ قُرَشِيَّانِ وَثَقَفِيٌّ، أَوْ ثَقَفِيَّانِ وَ قُرَشِيٌّ، كَثِيْرَةٌ شَحْمُ بُطُوْنِهِمْ، قَلِيْلَةٌ فِقْهُ قُلُوْبِهِمْ، فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمْ أَتُرَوْنَ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَسْمَعُ مَا نَقُوْلُ؟ قَالَ الْآخَرُ يَسْمَعُ إِنْ جَهَرْنَا وَلاَ يَسْمَعُ إِنْ أَخْفَيْنَا، وَ قَالَ الْآخَرُ إِنْ كَانَ يَسْمَعُ إِذَا جَهَرْنَا فَإِنَّهُ يَسْمَعُ إِذَا أَخْفَيْنَا، فَأَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ : « وَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُوْنَ اَنْ يَّشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَ لَاۤ اَبْصَارُكُمْ وَ لَا جُلُوْدُكُمْ وَ لٰكِنْ ظَنَنْتُمْ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيْرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُوْنَ » ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، سورۃ حٰمٓ السجدۃ، باب : { وذٰلکم ظنکم الذی… } : ۴۸۱۷ ] “Two Qurayshis and one Thaqafi, or two Thaqafis and one Qurayshi, gathered near the House of Allah, whose bellies were full of fat, (but) whose hearts had little understanding. So one of them said: ‘Do you think that Allah Almighty hears what we are saying?’ The second said: ‘If we speak loudly, He hears, and if we speak softly, He does not hear.’ Another said: ‘If He hears when we speak loudly, then surely He also hears when we speak softly.’ So Allah Almighty revealed this verse: ‘And you did not conceal yourselves lest your ears would testify against you, nor your eyes, nor your skins, but you assumed that Allah does not know much of what you do.’”
Remember that the meaning of saying that this verse was revealed on such and such an occasion is that this incident also happened during those days, or the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) recited this verse on that occasion, or that the verse also applies to that incident, as has been clarified in the principles of exegesis. Otherwise, it is clear that the context of the verses is about the Day of Resurrection.
➋ { وَ لٰكِنْ ظَنَنْتُمْ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ …:} That is, the matter was not just that you did not believe that the Resurrection could occur and that your limbs could testify against you, but the real issue was that you also denied the knowledge of Allah Almighty. You thought that Allah Almighty does not even know many of your deeds. Otherwise, if you had been certain that whatever you are doing, Allah Almighty is watching it, hearing your every word, and is aware of your every condition, then you would not have been so bold in sinning. Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) has mentioned this ignorance of the polytheists of Quraysh. He says: [ اِجْتَمَعَ عِنْدَ الْبَيْتِ قُرَشِيَّانِ وَثَقَفِيٌّ، أَوْ ثَقَفِيَّانِ وَ قُرَشِيٌّ، كَثِيْرَةٌ شَحْمُ بُطُوْنِهِمْ، قَلِيْلَةٌ فِقْهُ قُلُوْبِهِمْ، فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمْ أَتُرَوْنَ أَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَسْمَعُ مَا نَقُوْلُ؟ قَالَ الْآخَرُ يَسْمَعُ إِنْ جَهَرْنَا وَلاَ يَسْمَعُ إِنْ أَخْفَيْنَا، وَ قَالَ الْآخَرُ إِنْ كَانَ يَسْمَعُ إِذَا جَهَرْنَا فَإِنَّهُ يَسْمَعُ إِذَا أَخْفَيْنَا، فَأَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ : « وَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَتِرُوْنَ اَنْ يَّشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمْ سَمْعُكُمْ وَ لَاۤ اَبْصَارُكُمْ وَ لَا جُلُوْدُكُمْ وَ لٰكِنْ ظَنَنْتُمْ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَعْلَمُ كَثِيْرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُوْنَ » ] [ بخاري، التفسیر، سورۃ حٰمٓ السجدۃ، باب : { وذٰلکم ظنکم الذی… } : ۴۸۱۷ ] “Two Qurayshis and one Thaqafi, or two Thaqafis and one Qurayshi, gathered near the House of Allah, whose bellies were full of fat, (but) whose hearts had little understanding. So one of them said: ‘Do you think that Allah Almighty hears what we are saying?’ The second said: ‘If we speak loudly, He hears, and if we speak softly, He does not hear.’ Another said: ‘If He hears when we speak loudly, then surely He also hears when we speak softly.’ So Allah Almighty revealed this verse: ‘And you did not conceal yourselves lest your ears would testify against you, nor your eyes, nor your skins, but you assumed that Allah does not know much of what you do.’”
Remember that the meaning of saying that this verse was revealed on such and such an occasion is that this incident also happened during those days, or the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) recited this verse on that occasion, or that the verse also applies to that incident, as has been clarified in the principles of exegesis. Otherwise, it is clear that the context of the verses is about the Day of Resurrection.
