Quran Universe
47:30

وَلَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَأَرَيۡنَٰكَهُمۡ فَلَعَرَفۡتَهُم بِسِيمَٰهُمۡۚ وَلَتَعۡرِفَنَّهُمۡ فِي لَحۡنِ ٱلۡقَوۡلِۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ أَعۡمَٰلَكُمۡ

Walaw nashao laaraynakahum falaAAaraftahum biseemahum walataAArifannahum fee lahni alqawli waAllahu yaAAlamu aAAmalakum

And if We willed, We could show them to you, and you would know them by their mark; but you will surely know them by the tone of [their] speech. And Allah knows your deeds.

Word by word
  1. وَلَوۡAnd if
  2. نَشَآءُWe willed
  3. لَأَرَيۡنَٰكَهُمۡsurely,We could show them to you
  4. فَلَعَرَفۡتَهُمand you would know them
  5. بِسِيمَٰهُمۡۚby their marks
  6. وَلَتَعۡرِفَنَّهُمۡbut surely,you will know them
  7. فِيby
  8. لَحۡنِ(the) tone
  9. ٱلۡقَوۡلِۚ(of their) speech
  10. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  11. يَعۡلَمُknows
  12. أَعۡمَٰلَكُمۡyour deeds
Muhammad · 47:30Madinah

You will know them by the tone of their speech.

Allah conceals, but words reveal

How people are known
no list of namesAllah chose to conceal
but
tone of speechintentions show
How to treat people
hunt for hypocritesexpose everyone
go by what is seenleave secrets to Allah

Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ He could have shown him every hypocrite by name. Ibn Kathir says Allah did not, but conceals His creation, deals with them by what appears, and leaves inner secrets to Himself. Still, their words reveal them. And Allah knows all your deeds.

It is tempting to judge who at the mosque is sincere and who is not. The verse shows Allah's way: cover, go by what is visible, leave hearts to Him. Then check your own tone, because Allah knows your deeds too.

I can usually tell who is fake and should call them out.

Allah covers people, so I go by what I see and watch my own words.

Try this

Listen to your own tone in one conversation today. Does it match what you mean?

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 47:29)

Or do those in whose hearts is a disease, think that Allah will not expose their ill–wills (29)Had We so willed, We could have shown them clearly to you, so that you would know them by their marks; but you will know them by the tone of their speech! And Allah knows (all) your deeds (30)And We will surely, try you until We know those who strive among you and the patient, and We will put to a test all your affairs (31)

Exposing the Hidden Secret of the Hypocrites

Allah says,

أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ أَنْ لَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ أَضْغَانَهُمْ 

(Or do those in whose hearts is disease think that Allah would never expose their ill–wills?) meaning, do the hypocrites think that Allah will not expose their affair to His believing servant? Yes indeed, He will expose their affair and manifest it so that those with insight will be able to understand it. In that regard, Allah revealed Surah Bara'ah (or At-Tawbah), in which He clarified the hypocrites' scandals, and pinpointed their practices that are indicative of their hypocrisy. Because of that, this Surah (Surah Bara'ah) is also called "The Exposer". Adghan is the plural of Dighn, which means what the souls harbor of envy and hatred toward Islam and its people who support it.

Allah then says,

وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَأَرَيْنَاكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ ۚ

(Had We so willed, We could have shown them clearly to you, so that you would know them by their marks.)

Allah is telling His Messenger ﷺ, "Had We willed, O Muhammad, We would have shown you the specific individuals who are hypocrites, so that you would plainly know them." However, Allah did not do that in regard to all of the hypocrites. He conceals His creation, lets their affairs run according to apparent purity, and leaves the inner secrets to the One Who is well aware of them. Allah then adds,

وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِي لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ ۚ 

(But you will know them by the tone of their speech!) which means, 'you will know them by their speech that reveals their intentions.' A person declares his association through the context and meaning of his words – as the Commander of the faithful 'Uthman bin 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Never would one conceal a secret but Allah will expose it by the look on his face and the uncontrolled words of his tongue." Allah then says,

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ 

(And We will surely try you) meaning, 'We will surely test you with commands and prohibitions.'

حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْ

(until We know those who strive among you and the patient, and We will put to a test all your affairs.)

There is absolutely no doubt that Allah's knowledge precedes the occurrence of all events. In this Ayah, "until We know" means 'until We know of its occurrence.' This is why Ibn 'Abbas said in regard to this and similar texts, "Except so that We may know, means, so that We may see."