Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

In truth, they fold over their breasts to hide from Him; is it not that when they cover themselves with their garments He knows what they keep secret and what they make known? He knows what is in the breasts.

اَلَٓا اِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ لِيَسْتَخْفُوا مِنْهُۜ اَلَا ح۪ينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْۙ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَۚ اِنَّهُ عَل۪يمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
Ala innahum yathnoona sudoorahumliyastakhfoo minhu ala heena yastaghshoona thiyabahumyaAAlamu ma yusirroona wama yuAAlinoona innahuAAaleemun bithati assudoor
#wordmeaningroot
1alāNo doubt
2innahumThey
3yathnūnafold upثني
4ṣudūrahumtheir breastsصدر
5liyastakhfūthat they may hideخفي
6min'hufrom Him
7alāSurely
8ḥīnawhenحين
9yastaghshūnathey cover (themselves)غشو
10thiyābahum(with) their garmentsثوب
11yaʿlamuHe knowsعلم
12what
13yusirrūnathey concealسرر
14wamāand what
15yuʿ'linūnathey revealعلن
16innahuIndeed, He
17ʿalīmun(is) All-Knowerعلم
18bidhātiof what
19l-ṣudūri(is in) the breastsصدر
  • Aisha Bewley

    See how they wrap themselves round trying to conceal their feelings from Him! No, indeed! When they wrap their garments round themselves, He knows what they keep secret and what they make public. He knows what their hearts contain.

  • Progressive Muslims

    Alas, they folded their chests to hide from it. Even when they hide themselves under their outer garments, He knows what they keep secret and what they declare. He is the knower of all that is in the chests.

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    Oh, verily, see how they enshroud their hearts hiding their innermost thoughts, as if to keep Him from knowing them! (Are they trying to live a dual personality? (71:7)) Ah! When they cover themselves with garments of vanity, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. For, He is Knower of the innermost thoughts of the hearts.

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    In truth, they fold over their breasts to hide from Him; is it not that when they cover themselves with their garments He knows what they keep secret and what they make known? He knows what is in the breasts.

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    Alas, they have folded their chests to hide from it. Even when they cover themselves under their garments, He knows what they keep secret and what they declare. He is Knower of all that is in the chests.

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    Alas, they folded their chests to hide from Him. Even when they hide themselves under their outer garments, He knows what they keep secret and what they declare. He is the knower of all that is in the chests.

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    Indeed, they hide their innermost thoughts, as if to keep Him from knowing them. In fact, as they cover themselves with their clothes, He knows all their secrets and declarations. He knows the innermost thoughts.

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    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.

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    Unquestionably, they the disbelievers turn away their breasts to hide themselves from Him. Unquestionably, when they cover themselves in their clothing, Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.

  • Muhammad Asad

    Oh, verily, they are enshrouding their hearts in order to hide from Him. Oh, verily, when they cover themselves with their garments , He knows all that they keep secret as well as all that they bring into the open - for, behold, He has full knowledge of what is in the hearts .

  • Marmaduke 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).

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    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.

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    They -the infidels- bend their chests to hide, as it were, their thoughts and feelings from Allah! Do they not realize that even when they clothe themselves taking to their beds and lurk themselves enshrouded in the Veil of night, that Allah does know all that their bosoms store of thoughts and feelings, and all that they suggest secretly to their minds, He is well acquainted with all that they utter loudly and with what they whisper below their breath! Indeed Allah is 'Alimun (Omniscient) of all private thoughts and feelings riposted in the breasts.

  • Bijan Moeinian

    Some avoid Mohammad in order not to hear the truth. They should know that they cannot hide themselves from God. Even when they cover themselves with cloths, God knows what is hidden inside them and reads their innermost thoughts. He knows what they keep as secrets and what they publicly reveal.

  • Al-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.

  • 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.

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Indeed, they 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.

  • 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.

  • Abdul Haleem

    See how they 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.

  • Arthur John 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.

  • E. Henry Palmer

    Do they not, verily, fold up their breasts, that they may hide from Him? But when they cover themselves with their garments, does He not know what they conceal and what they display? verily, He knows the nature of men's breasts!

  • Hamid S. Aziz

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

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    Verily, (Literally: Is it not "true that"?) they surely bend their breasts to try to conceal themselves from Him. Verily while they try to envelop themselves in their clothes, He knows what they keep secret and what they make public. Surely He is Ever-Knowing of the inmost thoughts within the breasts (Literally: what the breasts own).

  • George Sale

    Do they not double the folds of their breasts, that they may conceal their designs from him? When they cover themselves with their garments, doth not He know that which they conceal, and that which they discover? For He knoweth the innermost parts of the breasts of men.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    Without doubt! They (the disbelievers) close their hearts that they may stay hiding from Him! Surely! Even when they cover themselves with their clothes, He knows what they hide, and what they reveal: Verily, He knows well the (deepest secrets) of the hearts.

  • 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.

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Look! They fold up their breasts to hide 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.