Tafsir of Al-Mulk 67:13

"And conceal your speech or publicize it..."

The apparent meaning is a command to do one of two things: to conceal or to publicize. However, its intended meaning is: "Let your concealment and your publicizing be equal in your estimation regarding God’s knowledge of both."

Then, He provides the reason for this: "Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts," meaning: He knows the inner thoughts before the tongue translates them into speech, so how could He not know what is spoken aloud?

Then, He denies that He would not encompass with His knowledge that which is hidden, concealed, or publicized, "Does He not know..."—referring to the Creator of all things—while His state is that He is the Subtle, the Acquainted, whose knowledge reaches what is manifest of His creation and what is hidden.

It is also permissible that "Does He not know" be interpreted as: "Does the Creator not know [His creation] while this is His state?"

It is narrated that the polytheists used to speak among themselves about certain things, and God would reveal their content to His Messenger. They would then say, "Conceal your speech so that the God of Muhammad does not hear it." Thus, God alerted them to their ignorance.

If you ask: "You estimated an object for 'Does He not know,' meaning: Does He not know that which was mentioned—what was hidden in the heart and what was manifested by the tongue—by the Creator? Why did you not make it like their saying: 'He gives and He withholds'? And why could the meaning not be: 'Does the One who is the Creator not know?'—because creation is not valid without knowledge?"

I reply: The state (the hal), which is His saying: "And He is the Subtle, the Acquainted," rejects that. For if you said, "Does the One who is the Creator not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted," it would not be a sound meaning. This is because "Does He not know" relies upon the state. A thing is not defined by itself; one does not say, "Does He not know, while He is Knowing?" Rather, one says, "Does He not know such-and-such, while He is Knowing of everything."