Al-Qur'an Surah Hud Verse 5

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Beware, they bend their chests to hide from Him. Beware, when they cover up themselves with their clothes, He knows what they hide and what they expose. Surely, He is All Aware of what lies in the hearts.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Indeed, they[[ The hypocrites or the disbelievers. ]] enfold ˹what is in˺ their hearts, ˹trying˺ to hide it from Him! But even when they cover themselves with their clothes, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Surely He knows best what is ˹hidden˺ in the heart.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Indeed, they lean forward to conceal their feelings from Him, but even when they cover themselves with their clothes, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal, for He is All-Knowing of what is in the hearts.

A. J. Arberry

Behold, they fold their breasts, to hide them from Him; behold, when they wrap themselves in their garments He knows what they secrete and what they publish; surely He knows all the thoughts within the breasts.

Abdul Haleem

See how they [the disbelievers] wrap themselves up, to hide their feelings from Him. But even when they cover themselves with their clothes, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal: He knows well the innermost secrets of the heart.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Lo! they fold their breasts that they may hide from Him. Lo! when they cover themselves with their garments, He knoweth that which they conceal and that which they make known. Verily He is the Knower of the secrets of the breasts.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Behold! they fold up their hearts, that they may lie hid from Him! Ah even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knoweth what they conceal, and what they reveal; for He knoweth well the (inmost secrets) of the hearts.

Abul Ala Maududi

Lo! They fold up their breasts that they may conceal themselves from Him. Surely when they cover themselves up with their garments Allah knows well what they cover and what they reveal. Indeed He even knows the secrets hidden in the breasts.

Ahmed Ali

Look, how they double up their breasts in order to hide from Him. But when they cover themselves up with their garments, He knows what they hide and what they expose. Indeed, He knows the secrets of the hearts.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Pay heed! They fold up their breasts in order to conceal from Allah; pay heed! Even when they fully cover themselves up with their clothes, Allah knows all that what hide and all what they disclose; indeed He knows what is in the hearts.

Ali Quli Qarai

Look! They fold up their breasts to hide [their secret feelings] from Him. Look! When they draw their cloaks over their heads, He knows whatever they keep secret and whatever they disclose. Indeed, He knows best whatever is in the breasts.

Ali Ünal

Beware! surely they (who associate partners with God) lean over their breasts (as if in respect for you, but in reality they are) seeking to hide (from God the unbelief and hostility) in their hearts. Beware! at the very time that they cover themselves with their garments (or hide themselves in their houses behind shut doors and curtained windows) God knows well all that they keep concealed as well as all that they disclose. Surely God has full knowledge of what lies hidden in the bosoms.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Behold! they fold up their bosoms (refusing to accept the truth with open minds and in an effort) that they may hide (their enmity and hatred) from Him. Behold even (as they try to hide their true selves) when they wrap themselves in their garments (so that they might not see Divine signs, nor hear His Messages), He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. He is Well-Aware of what is in the (depths of their) hearts.

English Literal

Is it not that they truly fold/bend/double/twist (hide) their chests (innermosts) to hide from Him? Is it not that when they cover/darken themselves (with) their clothes/garments/dresses, He knows what they keep secret and what they declare/publicize/announce? That He is knowledgeable of the chests (innermosts).

Faridul Haque

Pay heed! They fold up their breasts in order to conceal from Allah; pay heed! Even when they fully cover themselves up with their clothes, Allah knows all that what hide and all what they disclose; indeed He knows what is in the hearts.

Hamid S. Aziz

"Unto Allah is your return, and He has power over all things."

Hilali & Khan

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.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

To Allah is your return, and He is Possessor of power over all things.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Now surely they fold up their breasts that they may conceal (their enmity) from Him; now surely, when they use their garments as a covering, He knows what they conceal and what they make public; surely He knows what is in the breasts.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Lo! now they fold up their breasts that they may hide (their thoughts) from Him. At the very moment when they cover themselves with their clothing, Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He is Aware of what is in the breasts (of men).

Muhammad Sarwar

(The unbelievers) cover their breasts to try to hide their disbelief from God. But He knows very well whatever they conceal or reveal even when they cover themselves with their garments. God certainly knows the inner-most (secrets) of the hearts.

Qaribullah & Darwish

See, they cover their chests to conceal from Him. But when they wrap themselves in their clothes He knows what they hide and what they reveal. Indeed, He knows every thought within the chest.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

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.

Wahiduddin Khan

See how they cover themselves up to hide [their thoughts] from Him. But when they cover themselves up with their garments, He knows what they hide and what they reveal. He knows their innermost thoughts.

Talal Itani

They wrap their chests to hide from Him. But even as they cover themselves with their clothes, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. He knows what lies within the hearts.

Tafsir jalalayn

As reported by al-Bukhr [by way of an isnd] from Ibn `Abbs, the following was revealed regarding those who were embarrassed to withdraw [to relieve nature] or to have sexual intercourse [without their clothes] and become exposed to the heaven. It is also said; [that it was revealed] regarding the hypocrites; Lo!, they fold up their breasts that they may hide from Him, that is, [from] God; lo! the moment they cover themselves with their garments, wrapping themselves up therewith, He, God, exalted be He, knows what they keep hidden and what they proclaim, and so their hiding is to no avail. Truly He knows what is in the breasts [of men], that is, what is in the hearts.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah is Aware of All Things

Allah says;

أَلا إِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ لِيَسْتَخْفُواْ مِنْهُ أَلا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ



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.

Ibn Abbas said,

"They used to dislike facing the sky with their private parts, particularly during sexual relations. Therefore, Allah revealed this verse."

Al-Bukhari recorded by way of Ibn Jurayj, who reported from Muhammad bin Abbad bin Jafar who said,

"Ibn Abbas recited,

أَلا إِنَّهُمْتَثْنَونِيصُدُورَهُمْ
"Behold their breasts did fold up."

So I said;`O Abu Al-Abbas! What does -their breasts did fold up- mean?'

He said,

`The man used to have sex with his woman, but he would be shy, or he used to have answering the call of nature (in an open space) but, he would be shy. Therefore, this verse,
أَلا إِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ
(No doubt! They did fold up their breasts), was revealed."'

In another wording of this narration, Ibn Abbas said,

"There were people who used to be shy to remove their clothes while answering the call of nature in an open space and thus be naked exposed to the sky. They were also ashamed of having sexual relations with their women due to fear of being exposed towards the sky. Thus, this was revealed concerning them."

Al-Bukhari reported that;

Ibn Abbas said that
يَسْتَغْشُونَ
(they cover themselves),

means that they cover their heads