Quran Universe
10:61

وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأۡنٖ وَمَا تَتۡلُواْ مِنۡهُ مِن قُرۡءَانٖ وَلَا تَعۡمَلُونَ مِنۡ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيۡكُمۡ شُهُودًا إِذۡ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِۚ وَمَا يَعۡزُبُ عَن رَّبِّكَ مِن مِّثۡقَالِ ذَرَّةٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَآ أَصۡغَرَ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَآ أَكۡبَرَ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٍ

Wama takoonu fee shanin wama tatloo minhu min quranin wala taAAmaloona min AAamalin illa kunna AAalaykum shuhoodan ith tufeedoona feehi wama yaAAzubu AAan rabbika min mithqali tharratin fee alardi wala fee alssamai wala asghara min thalika wala akbara illa fee kitabin mubeenun

And, [O Muhammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it. And not absent from your Lord is any [part] of an atom's weight within the earth or within the heaven or [anything] smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear register.

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd not
  2. تَكُونُyou are
  3. فِي[in]
  4. شَأۡنٖany situation
  5. وَمَاand not
  6. تَتۡلُواْyou recite
  7. مِنۡهُof it
  8. مِنfrom
  9. قُرۡءَانٖ(the) Quran
  10. وَلَاand not
  11. تَعۡمَلُونَyou do
  12. مِنۡany
  13. عَمَلٍdeed
  14. إِلَّاexcept
  15. كُنَّاWe are
  16. عَلَيۡكُمۡover you
  17. شُهُودًاwitnesses
  18. إِذۡwhen
  19. تُفِيضُونَyou are engaged
  20. فِيهِۚin it
  21. وَمَاAnd not
  22. يَعۡزُبُescapes
  23. عَنfrom
  24. رَّبِّكَyour Lord
  25. مِنof
  26. مِّثۡقَالِ(the) weight
  27. ذَرَّةٖ(of) an atom
  28. فِيin
  29. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  30. وَلَاand not
  31. فِيin
  32. ٱلسَّمَآءِthe heavens
  33. وَلَآand not
  34. أَصۡغَرَsmaller
  35. مِنthan
  36. ذَٰلِكَthat
  37. وَلَآand not
  38. أَكۡبَرَgreater
  39. إِلَّاbut
  40. فِي(is) in
  41. كِتَٰبٖa Record
  42. مُّبِينٍclear
Yunus · 10:61Makkah

Whatever you are doing right now, He is watching.

Nothing, not even a speck, is hidden from Allah

What He sees
your taskany affair
your recitationany verse
any deedwhile you do it
a speck of dustin a clear record
Being seen
no one is lookingit does not matter
as if you see HimHe sees you

Ibn Kathir says nothing escapes Allah's knowledge, not even the weight of a speck of dust. If He knows every leaf and grain, what of those commanded to worship Him? He cites the Prophet ﷺ on ihsan: worship Allah as if you see Him, and if not, know He sees you.

Alone in the office after everyone leaves. Late at night with the phone. Washing dishes no one will thank you for. Allah is there for all of it. That can be a warning, and also deep comfort.

What I do when no one is around is my own business.

Allah is witness to every moment, so every moment can be worship.

Try this

Do one ordinary task today slowly, remembering that Allah is watching you do it.

Related6:596:3826:217
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Neither you do any deed nor recite any portion of the Qur'an, nor you do any deed, but We are Witness thereof when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of a speck of dust on the earth or in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written) in a Clear Record (61)

Everything Small or Large is within the Knowledge of Allah

Allah informed His Prophet ﷺ that He knows and is well acquainted with all of the affairs and conditions of him and his Ummah and all of creation and its creatures at all times – during every hour and second. Nothing slips or escapes from His knowledge and observation, not even anything the weight of a speck of dust within the heavens or earth, or anything that is smaller or larger than that. Everything is in a manifest Book, as Allah said:

وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

(And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden and unseen), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record.)(6:59) He stated that He is Well-Aware of the movement of the trees and other inanimate objects. He is also Well-Aware of all grazing beasts. He said:

وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُم

(There is not a moving creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you.)(6:38) He also said:

وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا

(And no moving creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah.)(11:6) If this is His knowledge of the movement of these things, then what about His knowledge of the movement of the creatures that are commanded to worship Him? Allah said:

وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ - الَّذِي يَرَاكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ - وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ

(And put your trust in the Almighty, the Most Merciful, Who sees you when you stand up, and your movements among those who fall prostrate.)(26:217-219) That is why Allah said:

وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُو مِنْهُ مِن قُرْآنٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ

(Neither you do any deed nor recite any portion of the Qur'an, nor you do any deed, but We are Witness thereof when you are doing it.) meaning, 'We are watching and hearing you when you engage in that thing.' When Jibril asked the Prophet ﷺ about Ihsan, he said:

أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ

(It is that you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him. But since you do not see Him, be certain that He is watching you.)