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Surah Hud, Ayah 5 (11:5)

هُود

أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ يَثْنُونَ صُدُورَهُمْ لِيَسْتَخْفُوا۟ مِنْهُ ۚ أَلَا حِينَ يَسْتَغْشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمْ …

Quran 11:5 is ayah 5 of Surah Hud (“Hud”), a Meccan surah of 123 ayahs. It is in Juz 11, on page 221 of the Madani Mushaf.

11:5
أَلَآإِنَّهُمْيَثْنُونَصُدُورَهُمْلِيَسْتَخْفُوا۟مِنْهُ ۚأَلَاحِينَيَسْتَغْشُونَثِيَابَهُمْيَعْلَمُمَايُسِرُّونَوَمَايُعْلِنُونَ ۚإِنَّهُۥعَلِيمٌۢبِذَاتِٱلصُّدُورِ٥
alā innahum yathnūna ṣudūrahum liyastakhfū min'hu alā ḥīna yastaghshūna thiyābahum yaʿlamu mā yusirrūna wamā yuʿ'linūna innahu ʿalīmun bidhāti l-ṣudūri

Unquestionably, they [i.e., the disbelievers] turn away their breasts to hide themselves from him. Unquestionably, [even] when they cover themselves in their clothing, He [i.e., Allāh] knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.(5)

Word by word

  1. أَلَآalāNo doubt
  2. إِنَّهُمْinnahumThey
  3. يَثْنُونَyathnūnafold up
  4. صُدُورَهُمْṣudūrahumtheir breasts
  5. لِيَسْتَخْفُوا۟liyastakhfūthat they may hide
  6. مِنْهُ ۚmin'hufrom Him
  7. أَلَاalāSurely
  8. حِينَḥīnawhen
  9. يَسْتَغْشُونَyastaghshūnathey cover (themselves)
  10. ثِيَابَهُمْthiyābahum(with) their garments
  11. يَعْلَمُyaʿlamuHe knows
  12. مَاmāwhat
  13. يُسِرُّونَyusirrūnathey conceal
  14. وَمَاwamāand what
  15. يُعْلِنُونَ ۚyuʿ'linūnathey reveal
  16. إِنَّهُۥinnahuIndeed, He
  17. عَلِيمٌۢʿalīmun(is) All-Knower
  18. بِذَاتِbidhātiof what
  19. ٱلصُّدُورِl-ṣudūri(is in) the breasts

Tafsir (commentary) of 11:5

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

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.

Read the full Surah Hud