Quran Universe
11:5

أَلَآ إِنَّهُمۡ يَثۡنُونَ صُدُورَهُمۡ لِيَسۡتَخۡفُواْ مِنۡهُۚ أَلَا حِينَ يَسۡتَغۡشُونَ ثِيَابَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ

Ala innahum yathnoona sudoorahum liyastakhfoo minhu ala heena yastaghshoona thiyabahum yaAAlamu ma yusirroona wama yuAAlinoona innahu AAaleemun bithati alssudoori

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.

Word by word
  1. أَلَآNo doubt
  2. إِنَّهُمۡThey
  3. يَثۡنُونَfold up
  4. صُدُورَهُمۡtheir breasts
  5. لِيَسۡتَخۡفُواْthat they may hide
  6. مِنۡهُۚfrom Him
  7. أَلَاSurely
  8. حِينَwhen
  9. يَسۡتَغۡشُونَthey cover (themselves)
  10. ثِيَابَهُمۡ(with) their garments
  11. يَعۡلَمُHe knows
  12. مَاwhat
  13. يُسِرُّونَthey conceal
  14. وَمَاand what
  15. يُعۡلِنُونَۚthey reveal
  16. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,He
  17. عَلِيمُۢ(is) All-Knower
  18. بِذَاتِof what
  19. ٱلصُّدُورِ(is in) the breasts
Hud · 11:5Makkah

Folding in on yourself does not hide you from Him.

Covering up, and the One who knows the heart

Trying to hide
folding the chestturning inward
and
pulling clothes overcovering the head
yet
He knowsthe hidden and the shown
What is covered
if I cover it, it is hiddenout of sight
He knows the chestwhat is inside it

Ibn Abbas described people who were so shy of the open sky that they bent over and covered their heads even in private moments. The verse answers: even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knows. There is no angle of hiding from Him.

You lock the door, pull the blanket up, and scroll something you would not want anyone to see. Or you hide a resentment so well that even you forget it is there. He knows what is in the chest. That is also why He can heal it.

If nobody can see it, it does not really count.

Nothing I hide is hidden from Him, and the One who sees it is the One who can fix it.

Try this

Tell Allah one thing in private dua today that you have never said out loud.

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

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 (5)

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,

أَلَا 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.