Quran Universe
3:5

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَخۡفَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ شَيۡءٞ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ

Inna Allaha la yakhfa AAalayhi shayon fee alardi wala fee alssamai

Indeed, from Allah nothing is hidden in the earth nor in the heaven.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱللَّهَAllah
  3. لَاnot
  4. يَخۡفَىٰis hidden
  5. عَلَيۡهِfrom Him
  6. شَيۡءٞanything
  7. فِيin
  8. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  9. وَلَاand not
  10. فِيin
  11. ٱلسَّمَآءِthe heaven
Ali 'Imran · 3:5Madinah

Nothing on earth or in the sky is hidden from Him.

Perfect knowledge, everywhere at once

What He sees
the earthevery room, every street
the skyevery layer above
all known to
Allahnothing hidden
Being seen
no one sawso it does not count
He sawthe deed and the intention

Ibn Kathir says Allah has perfect knowledge in the heavens and earth, and nothing in them escapes His watch. The verse prepares for the next one about what happens in the womb.

The quiet kindness no one noticed. The tab you closed when someone walked in. Both are equally seen. The first is not wasted. The second is not secret.

What nobody sees does not really count.

Everything counts, because nothing is hidden from Allah.

Try this

Do one good thing today that no one will ever find out about.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heaven (5)He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He wills. None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Almighty, the All-Wise (6)

Allah states that He has perfect knowledge in the heavens and earth and that nothing in them is hidden from His watch.

هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ

(He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He wills.) meaning, He creates you in the wombs as He wills, whether male or female, handsome or otherwise, happy or miserable.

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

(La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Almighty, the All-Wise.) meaning, He is the Creator and thus is the only deity worthy of worship, without partners, and His is the perfect might, wisdom and decision. This Ayah refers to the fact that 'Isa, son of Mary, is a created servant, just as Allah created the rest of mankind. Allah created 'Isa in the womb (of his mother) and shaped him as He willed. Therefore, how could 'Isa be divine, as the Christians, may Allah's curses descend on them, claim? 'Isa was created in the womb and his creation changed from stage to stage, just as Allah said,

يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِّن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَاثٍ

(He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness.)[39:6].