سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 5
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ لِيَسْتَخْفُوا۟ مِنْهُ ۚ أَلَا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ ﴿5﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
No doubt! They did fold up their breasts, that they may hide from Him. Surely, even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Verily, He is the All-Knower of the (innermost secrets) of the breasts.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَلَآ
alā
No doubt
إِنَّهُمْ
innahum
They
يَثْنُونَ
yathnūna
fold up
صُدُورَهُمْ
ṣudūrahum
their breasts
لِيَسْتَخْفُوا۟
liyastakhfū
that they may hide
مِنْهُ ۚ
min'hu
from Him
أَلَا
alā
Surely
حِينَ
ḥīna
when
يَسْتَغْشُونَ
yastaghshūna
they cover (themselves)
ثِيَابَهُمْ
thiyābahum
(with) their garments
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
He knows
مَا
mā
what
يُسِرُّونَ
yusirrūna
they conceal
وَمَا
wamā
and what
يُعْلِنُونَ ۚ
yuʿ'linūna
they reveal
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, He
عَلِيمٌۢ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Knower
بِذَاتِ
bidhāti
of what
ٱلصُّدُورِ
l-ṣudūri
(is in) the breasts
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
5. Behold! They fold up their chests to hide from Him. Even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Surely, He is the Knower of what is in the hearts [7].
[7] The purpose of this verse is to describe the vastness of Allah Almighty’s all-encompassing knowledge: not only open and hidden things, but He is even aware of the intentions within hearts. However, regarding the interpretation of the opening phrase of this verse, the commentators have differed greatly. Among them, we rely only on the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ as mentioned in Bukhari, which is as follows: Muhammad bin Ubaid bin Ja‘far says that he asked Ibn Abbas ؓ about the context in which this verse was revealed, and he replied: Some people, when relieving themselves or having relations with their wives, would feel shy before their Lord to uncover themselves towards the sky and would lower themselves out of modesty; at that time, this verse was revealed. [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
That is, if you feel shy before Allah when you need to uncover your body and thus lower yourselves, then when you take off or put on your clothes, is your outward and inward not before Allah? And when a person can never hide from Allah at any time, then it is not correct to go to such extremes regarding matters of human necessity.
[7] The purpose of this verse is to describe the vastness of Allah Almighty’s all-encompassing knowledge: not only open and hidden things, but He is even aware of the intentions within hearts. However, regarding the interpretation of the opening phrase of this verse, the commentators have differed greatly. Among them, we rely only on the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ as mentioned in Bukhari, which is as follows: Muhammad bin Ubaid bin Ja‘far says that he asked Ibn Abbas ؓ about the context in which this verse was revealed, and he replied: Some people, when relieving themselves or having relations with their wives, would feel shy before their Lord to uncover themselves towards the sky and would lower themselves out of modesty; at that time, this verse was revealed. [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
That is, if you feel shy before Allah when you need to uncover your body and thus lower yourselves, then when you take off or put on your clothes, is your outward and inward not before Allah? And when a person can never hide from Allah at any time, then it is not correct to go to such extremes regarding matters of human necessity.
