ﱚ ﱛ ﱜ ﱝ ﱞ ﱟ ﱠ ﱡ ﱢ ﱣ ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ
They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allah, and He is with them [in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And ever is Allah, of what they do, encompassing.
Tafsir
Verse range: 4:108
Meaning: They hide from people out of shame and fear of their harm. The origin of this [word] is the seeking of concealment. The plural pronoun refers to those who deceive [themselves/others], which is the most apparent [interpretation]. The sentence is an isti'naf (inceptive/parenthetical) with no grammatical place in the inflection. It is also said that it holds the place of a hal (state) for [the pronoun in] "And they do not hide" (wa lā yastakhfūn), meaning they do not feel shame before Him, Glory be to Him, even though He is more worthy of being felt shame before and feared for His punishment.
The act of "hiding" (istikhfa’) from the Exalted is interpreted as "feeling shame" (istihya’) because concealment from Him, Exalted is His Majesty, is impossible; thus, there would be no benefit in negating it, nor would there be meaning in censuring the lack of it. Some researchers have mentioned that this expression is by way of mushakalah (correspondence in naming).
{وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ} (And He is with them) in a manner befitting His Essence, Glory be to Him. It is said that the intent is that He, Exalted be He, is Knowing of them and their conditions, so there is no path to hiding from Him, Exalted be He, except by abandoning that for which one is held accountable. This sentence is in the place of a hal for the pronoun in yastakhfūn.
{إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ} (When they plot at night), meaning when they devise plans. Since most plotting occurs at night, the term for "spending the night" (tabyīt) is used to express it. This adverbial phrase of time relates to that which the preceding one related to; it is also said that it relates to yastakhfūn.
{مَا لا يَرْضَى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ} (That which He does not approve of from speech), such as accusing the innocent and giving false testimony. Al-Naysaburi said: "Naming the act of plotting—which is a meaning within the soul—as 'speech' holds no ambiguity for those who uphold the doctrine of Kalam Nafsi (internal/psychological speech). As for others, it is a metaphor. Or perhaps they gathered at night and arranged the method of their deception, so Allah, Glory be to Him, named their speech as that 'nocturnal speech' which He does not approve." You have previously encountered in the introductions that which benefits you here, so remember it.
{وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطًا} (And Allah is ever encompassing of what they do), meaning of their work, or of that which they perform of deeds, both apparent and hidden. Meaning: He is a Guardian (hafīz), as Al-Hasan said, or Knowing, from Whom nothing escapes and nothing is missed, as others have said. According to both opinions, "encompassing" here is metaphorical, and some have categorized it under the mutashabih (allegorical) verses.
