Quran Universe
16:23

لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُسۡتَكۡبِرِينَ

La jarama anna Allaha yaAAlamu ma yusirroona wama yuAAlinoona innahu la yuhibbu almustakbireena

Assuredly, Allah knows what they conceal and what they declare. Indeed, He does not like the arrogant.

Word by word
  1. لَاNo doubt
  2. جَرَمَNo doubt
  3. أَنَّthat
  4. ٱللَّهَAllah
  5. يَعۡلَمُknows
  6. مَاwhat
  7. يُسِرُّونَthey conceal
  8. وَمَاand what
  9. يُعۡلِنُونَۚthey reveal
  10. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,He
  11. لَا(does) not
  12. يُحِبُّlove
  13. ٱلۡمُسۡتَكۡبِرِينَthe arrogant ones
An-Nahl · 16:23Makkah

He sees the hidden pride, and He does not love it.

Arrogance is known even when it is quiet

What Allah sees
the concealedprivate contempt
the declaredopen refusal
and the verdict
not lovedthe arrogant
Pride's cover
nobody noticesI keep it quiet
He knows it fullyand will requite it

This follows the verse about proud hearts. Ibn Kathir says Allah knows what they conceal and reveal and will requite them for it in full. The verse ends with one line about the proud: He does not like them.

You never say it out loud, but you look down on the cleaner, the new hire, the cousin who did not go to university. Quiet pride is still pride. Humility is something Allah loves, even in small hidden ways.

As long as I do not show it, my pride does no harm.

Allah sees the pride I hide, and He does not love it.

Try this

Greet one person today you usually overlook, with full attention and a real smile.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 16:22)

Your god is one God. But for those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts are in denial, and they are proud (22)Certainly, Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal. Truly, He does not like the proud (23)

None is to be worshipped except Allah

Allah tells us that there is none to be worshipped besides Him, the One, the Unique, the Lone, the Self-Sufficient. He tells us that the hearts of the disbelievers deny that and are astonished by that:

أَجَعَلَ الْآلِهَةَ إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ

("Has he made the gods (all) into One God?! Verily, this is a curious thing!")(38:5).

وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ اشْمَأَزَّتْ قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَإِذَا ذُكِرَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ

(And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are filled with disgust, and when those besides Him are mentioned, behold, they rejoice!)(39:45).

وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ

(and they are proud) meaning they are too proud to worship Allah, and their hearts reject the idea of singling Him out, as Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

(Verily! Those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!)[40:60] So here, Allah says;

لَا جَرَمَ

(Certainly), meaning truly,

أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ

(Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal.) meaning He will requite them for that in full.

إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ

(Truly, He does not like the proud.)