58:7

أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجۡوَىٰ ثَلَٰثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمۡ وَلَا خَمۡسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمۡ وَلَآ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكۡثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمۡ أَيۡنَ مَا كَانُواْۖ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ

Alam tara anna Allaha yaAAlamu ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi ma yakoonu min najwa thalathatin illa huwa rabiAAuhum wala khamsatin illa huwa sadisuhum wala adna min thalika wala akthara illa huwa maAAahum ayna ma kanoo thumma yunabbiohum bima AAamiloo yawma alqiyamati inna Allaha bikulli shayin AAaleemun

Have you not considered that Allah knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth? There is in no private conversation three but that He is the fourth of them, nor are there five but that He is the sixth of them - and no less than that and no more except that He is with them [in knowledge] wherever they are. Then He will inform them of what they did, on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah is, of all things, Knowing.

Word by word
  1. أَلَمۡDo not
  2. تَرَyou see
  3. أَنَّthat
  4. ٱللَّهَAllah
  5. يَعۡلَمُknows
  6. مَاwhatever
  7. فِي(is) in
  8. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِthe heavens
  9. وَمَاand whatever
  10. فِي(is) in
  11. ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖthe earth
  12. مَاNot
  13. يَكُونُthere is
  14. مِنany
  15. نَّجۡوَىٰsecret counsel
  16. ثَلَٰثَةٍ(of) three
  17. إِلَّاbut
  18. هُوَHe (is)
  19. رَابِعُهُمۡ(the) fourth of them
  20. وَلَاand not
  21. خَمۡسَةٍfive
  22. إِلَّاbut
  23. هُوَHe (is)
  24. سَادِسُهُمۡ(the) sixth of them
  25. وَلَآand not
  26. أَدۡنَىٰless
  27. مِنthan
  28. ذَٰلِكَthat
  29. وَلَآand not
  30. أَكۡثَرَmore
  31. إِلَّاbut
  32. هُوَHe
  33. مَعَهُمۡ(is) with them
  34. أَيۡنَwherever
  35. مَاwherever
  36. كَانُواْۖthey are
  37. ثُمَّThen
  38. يُنَبِّئُهُمHe will inform them
  39. بِمَاof what
  40. عَمِلُواْthey did
  41. يَوۡمَ(on the) Day
  42. ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۚ(of) the Resurrection
  43. إِنَّIndeed
  44. ٱللَّهَAllah
  45. بِكُلِّof every
  46. شَيۡءٍthing
  47. عَلِيمٌ(is) All-Knower
Al-Mujadila · 58:7Madinah

Three people whispering? He is the fourth.

No private conversation is truly private


Every huddle
3He is the fourth
5He is the sixth
fewer or moreHe is with them
by
His knowledgehearing and seeing
The private chat
just between usno one will know
always one moreHe is there

Ibn Kathir explains that whether three or five people talk in secret, Allah is with them, hearing their speech, public or secret, and His angels record it. Scholars agree this "with" refers to His knowledge. Imam Ahmad noted the verse begins and ends with His knowledge.

The side chat with two coworkers about the new manager. The three of you on the balcony at the wedding, talking about the bride's family. Count again. There is always one more in the conversation.

What I say in a private chat stays between us.

Every private conversation has Allah in it, hearing every word.

Try this

In your next private chat, say only what you would say with Allah listening.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 58:5)

Verily, those who oppose Allah and His Messenger will be disgraced as those before them were disgraced. And We have sent down clear Ayat. And for the disbelievers is a disgraceful torment (5)On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together and inform them of what they did. Allah has kept account of it, while they have forgotten it. And Allah is Witness over all things (6)Have you not seen that Allah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no Najwa of three but He is their fourth nor of five but He is their sixth nor of less than that or more but He is with them wheresoever they may be. And afterwards on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything (7)

Explaining the Punishment of the Enemies of the Religion

Allah states that those who defy Him and His Messenger ﷺ and contradict His commandments,

كُبِتُوا كَمَا كُبِتَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ

(will be disgraced as those before them were disgraced) meaning, they will be humiliated, cursed and disgraced, just as what happened to their like were before them,

وَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ ۚ

(And We have sent down clear Ayat.) meaning, none contradicts or opposes them, except a disbeliever, rebellious, sinner,

وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ

(And for the disbelievers is a disgraceful torment) meaning, as just recompense for their arrogant refusal to follow, obey and submit to the religion of Allah. Allah the Exalted said,

يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهُ جَمِيعًا

(On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together) referring to the Day of Resurrection when He will gather the early and the latter generations in one area,

فَيُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا عَمِلُوا

(and inform them of what they did.) He will tell them all that they did in detail, whether good or evil,

 أَحْصَاهُ اللَّهُ وَنَسُوهُ ۚ

(Allah has kept account of it, while they have forgotten it.) meaning, Allah recorded and kept all these actions, even though they have forgotten what they did,

وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ 

(And Allah is Witness over all things.) meaning, nothing escapes His knowledge, and no matter is hidden from Him or escapes His complete observation.

Allah's Knowledge encompasses Creation

Then Allah the Exalted informs of His knowledge encompassing all creation, observing it, hearing their speech and seeing them, wherever they may be and in whatever condition they may be in,

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَىٰ ثَلَاثَةٍ 

(Have you not seen that Allah knows whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth There is no Najwa of three), i.e., secret consultation of three,

 إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَا أَدْنَىٰ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا ۖ 

(but He is their fourth – nor of five but He is their sixth – nor of less than that or more but He is with them wheresoever they may be.) meaning, He is watching them, perfectly hearing their speech, whether uttered in public or secret. His angels record all that they say, even though He has better knowledge of it and hears them perfectly, as Allah said;

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَاهُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

(Know they not that Allah knows their secret ideas, and their Najwa, and that Allah is the All-Knower of the unseen.)(9:78),

أَمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّا لَا نَسْمَعُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَاهُمْ ۚ بَلَىٰ وَرُسُلُنَا لَدَيْهِمْ يَكْتُبُونَ

(Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private Najwa? And Our messengers are by them to record.)(43:80)

For this reason, several mentioned that there is a consensus among the scholars that this "with" refers to Allah's knowledge. There is no doubt that this meaning is true, especially if we add to it the certainty that His hearing encompasses all things, as well as His sight. He, the Exalted and Most Honored, is never lacking in knowing all their affairs,

ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا عَمِلُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ 

(And afterwards on the Day of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything.)

Imam Ahmad commented, "Allah began the Ayah (58:7) by mentioning His knowledge and ended it by mentioning His knowledge."