Surah Hud >> Currently viewing Surah Hud Ayat 5 (11:5)

Surah Hud Ayat 5 in Arabic Text

أَلَآ إِنَّهُمۡ يَثۡنُونَ صُدُورَهُمۡ لِيَسۡتَخۡفُواْ مِنۡهُۚ أَلَا حِينَ يَسۡتَغۡشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
Alaa innahum yasnoona sudoorahum liyastakhfoo minh; alaa heena yastaghshoona siyaabahum ya’lamu maa yusirroona wa maa yu’linoon; innahoo ‘aleemun bizaatis sudoor (End Juz 11)

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 5

Sahih International
Unquestionably, they the disbelievers turn away their breasts to hide themselves from Him. Unquestionably, [even] 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.

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.

Muhsin 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.

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).

Dr. 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).

Abdel 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.

Muhammad Junagarhi
یاد رکھو وه لوگ اپنے سینوں کو دہرا کیے دیتے ہیں تاکہ اپنی باتیں (اللہ) سے چھپا سکیں۔ یاد رکھو کہ وه لوگ جس وقت اپنے کپڑے لپیٹتے ہیں وه اس وقت بھی سب جانتا ہے جو کچھ چھپاتے ہیں اور جو کچھ وه ﻇاہر کرتے ہیں۔ بالیقین وه دلوں کے اندر کی باتیں جانتا ہے

Quran 11 Verse 5 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Hud ayat 5, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(11:5) Lo! They fold up their breasts that they may conceal themselves from Him.[5] 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.


5. They were those people of Makkah, who though not very active in their antagonism against the message of the Prophet (peace be upon him), nevertheless were very averse to it. Therefore they did not like to hear it nor come face to face with him, and did their very best to avoid him. If, by chance, they found him sitting somewhere and talking to the people, they would at once turn back on their heels. Or if they saw him coming towards them, they would slink away or hide their faces with cloth for fear that he might address them and convey his message to them. As they did not have the courage to face the truth, they would bury their heads ostrich-like and make believe that the reality from which they were hiding had disappeared, whereas it was all along there and watching their ridiculous attempts to hide from it.

Ibn-Kathir

5. 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.


Allah is Aware of All Things

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 Ja`far who said, “Ibn `Abbas recited, (أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ تَثْنَونِي صُدُورُهُمْ) “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.

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