إِن تُبْدُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا
Whether you reveal a thing or conceal it, indeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.
Introduction
This is āyah 54 of Sūrat Al-Ahzaab (The Combined Forces), the 90th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Medinan period and sits within Juzʾ 22. Medinan verses often address community life, law, and the building of society.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Medinan
- Order revealed
- 90 of 114
- Surah
- Al-Ahzaab (33)
If you show something or hide it, surely God is knower of everything. Since you know that the Real is aware of your deeds and states, that He knows and sees both what you hide and what you show, well then, always be at His threshold. Keep your activity rectified by following knowledge, eating permitted food, and constant devotions. Discipline your words by recitation of the Qur'an, constant apology, and giving good advice. Keep your character traits pure from everything that is dust on the religion's road and blockage of the well-trodden path of the Tariqah, such as niggardliness, eye-service, rancor, avarice, and covetousness. A great man was asked, “What is the precondition of servanthood?” He said, “Purity and truthfulness. Purity from every defilement, and truthfulness in every adornment.” The defilements are niggardliness, eye-service, and craving. The adornments are generosity, trust, and contentment. The sentence, “No god but God,” includes both statements. No god is the negation of defilement, but God is the affirmation of adornment. When the servant says “No god,” he uproots every defilement and every veil of the road. Then the beauty of the words “but God” shows its face and adorns the servant with the attributes of adornment. Then he is taken, adorned and trimmed, before MuṣṬafā so that he may receive him with “My community!” If the influence of No god does not appear to MuṣṬafā and if he does not see the beauty of the robe of but God, he will not receive him with “My community!” Rather, he will say, “Away with you, away!”
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
Community resources
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