Tafsir of Ibraheem 14:38

"Our Lord, indeed You know what we conceal and what we declare." The repetition of the invocation is evidence of supplication and seeking refuge in Allah Almighty. You know the secret just as You know the manifest, with a knowledge in which there is no disparity, for no unseen thing is hidden from You.

The meaning is: You are more aware of our conditions, what benefits us, and what corrupts us than we are ourselves. You are more merciful to us and more well-wishing toward us than we are to ourselves. Therefore, there is no need for supplication and request [to inform You], but we call upon You to manifest our servitude to You, to show humility before Your greatness, to demonstrate submissiveness to Your might, to express our need for what You possess, to hasten the attainment of Your favors, and out of yearning for Your mercy. It is like a servant who fawns before his master, desiring to obtain his kindness, while the master is fully capable of bestowing it.

It is narrated that someone presented his need to a generous person, but the success was delayed. He wanted to remind him, so he said: "Someone like you does not need reminding," not out of a belief that the person was forgetful of the needs of those who ask, but because the one in need cannot help but speak of his need.

It is said: "What we conceal" refers to the anguish of the separation that occurred between us, and "what we declare" refers to the weeping and supplication.

It is also said: "What we conceal" refers to the sorrow of parting, and "what we declare" refers to what transpired between him and Hagar when she said to him at the farewell: "To whom are you entrusting us?" He said: "To Allah, I entrust you." She asked: "Did Allah command you to do this?" He said: "Yes." She replied: "Then He will not let us go to waste; you have left us to the Sufficient One."

"And nothing is hidden from Allah" This is either a statement from Allah Almighty confirming Ibrahim (peace be upon him), similar to His saying: "And thus they do" (An-Naml: 34), or it is a statement from Ibrahim, meaning: Nothing is hidden from Allah, who is the Knower of the Unseen, in any place. The "min" (in min shay'in) is for generalization, as if to say: "Nothing at all is hidden from Him."

"In old age" The "ala" (on/in) here means "with," as in the verse: Indeed, despite the old age you see in me, I know from where the shoulder is eaten. It is in the position of a state (hal), meaning: "Grant me [children] while I am old and in a state of old age." It is narrated that Ishmael was born to him when he was ninety-nine, and Isaac when he was one hundred and twelve. It is also narrated that Ishmael was born when he was sixty-four, and Isaac when he was ninety. Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: Ibrahim did not have children until after one hundred and seventeen years.

He mentioned the state of old age because the favor of the gift of a child is greater in that state, as it is a time when despair of childbirth has set in. Attaining a need after despair is among the most precious and sweetest of blessings to the one who attains it. Furthermore, childbirth at that advanced age was a sign for Ibrahim.

"Indeed, my Lord is the Hearer of supplication." He had called upon his Lord and asked Him for offspring, saying: "My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous," so he thanked Allah for the honor of His response.

If you ask: "Allah Almighty hears every supplication, whether He answers it or not," I say: It is like your saying, "The King heard the speech of so-and-so," meaning he paid attention to it and accepted it. From this is the saying, "Allah hears the one who praises Him," and the Hadith: "Allah does not listen to anything as He listens to a Prophet who chants the Quran."

If you ask: "What is this genitive construction, adding the 'Hearer' to the 'supplication'?" I say: It is the addition of an adjective to its object. Its origin is Sami' li-l-du'a (Hearer of the supplication). Sibawayh mentioned fa'il (the intensive form) among the structures of exaggeration that function like a verb, such as saying: "This is a frequent striker of Zayd," "a frequent hitter of his brother," "a frequent slaughterer of his camels," "cautious of matters," and "merciful to his father." It is also possible that it is the addition of the adjective to its subject, making the "supplication" the hearer metaphorically, with the intended meaning being the hearing of Allah.

"My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established."