أَم يَحسَبونَ أَنّا لا نَسمَعُ سِرَّهُم وَنَجواهُم ۚ بَلىٰ وَرُسُلُنا لَدَيهِم يَكتُبونَ

Or do they suppose that We do not hear their secret thoughts and their secret talks? Yes indeed! And with them are Our messengers, writing down.

EXEGESIS

The question posed in this verse is a rhetorical denouncing question, i.e. they are blamed for supposing that God does not hear their secret thoughts and secret talks.^{‎[1]Hadi, 3/268.}

Sirrahum (their secret) is composed of two morphological segments: the noun sirr and the possessive pronoun hum. According to Rāghib, sirr is a thought or idea that one conceals within themselves, something that has not yet been expressed to others.^{‎[2]Raghib, p. 404.} Other exegetes critique this condition and state that it means anything that is relatively hidden and thus a secret shared between a few individuals is also called sirr.^{‎[3]Amili, p. 386; Lisan, 4/356.}

Najwāhum (their secret talks) is composed of two morphological segments: the noun najwā and the possessive pronoun hum. Najwā, according to Rāghib, means separation from something. As such, najwā in this verse means a secret speech or conversation that is meant to be away from outsiders.^{‎[4]Qamus, 7/26.} In this light, in the current verse the difference between sirr and najwā is that sirr refers to what they concealed within their hearts whilst najwā is what they whispered to one another such that outsiders were not privy to it.^{‎[5]Mizan, 18/125; Hadi, 3/268; Tabrisi, 9/87.}

Ladayhim (with them) is composed of the locative adverb laday (with) and the possessive pronoun hum (them). This emphasises that not only do the angels record man’s deeds but are actually present with man at every moment.^{‎[6]Mudarrisi, 12/528-529; Ibn Ajibah, 7/35.}

The verb yaktubūn (they write) indicates, on the one hand, that God does not punish the enemies of the truth immediately upon their commission of a crime. On the other hand, it conveys that the delay in their punishment does not lead to negligence, for the angels are recording it, and it will be used in the final judgement.^{‎[7]Rahnama, 17/108.}

EXPOSITION

This verse strongly suggests that what was intended in the previous verse was the polytheists’ secret plotting and not their rejection of the Prophet, for the latter was something that they openly proclaimed whilst this verse indicates towards that which is hidden.^{‎[8]Alusi, 13/103.} Indeed, Allah not only hears their whispers and murmurs among themselves, but also knows what they harbour within their hearts; for with Him, the secret and the open are alike.

The angels entrusted with recording the deeds, words, and thoughts of humans constantly inscribe these words in the scrolls of their deeds – even though the realities are already evident without that – so that they may witness the recompense of their deeds, their words, and their schemes in this world and the hereafter.^{‎[9]Amthal, 16/101.}

These angels have been described as, Indeed, there are over you watchers, noble writers who know whatever you do (82:10-12), and, When the twin recorders record [his deeds], seated on the right hand and on the left: he says no word but that there is a ready observer beside him (50:17-18).

If what is meant by sirr is what is concealed within the heart, then the verse is clear in indicating that both inner thoughts and spoken words are recorded by the angels. However, those who understand sirr to be what a person confides to another in a private manner, limit the angels’ recording to non-heartfelt matters.^{‎[10] Alusi, 13/103.} Some exegetes add that the angels writing down is limited to their secret talks and does not include their secret thoughts because of the following verse from the famous Supplication of Kumayl which suggests that some things are hidden from these angels: ‘And for every evil act which You commanded the noble scribes to record – those whom You appointed to watch over my outward deeds, and whom You made, along with my own body, witnesses against me. And You Yourself were the watcher behind them, and the witness to all that was hidden from them. Yet in Your mercy, You concealed it, and by Your grace, You veiled it.’^{‎[11] Ahsan al-Hadith, 10/56.}

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. According to some narrations, the occasion of revelation of this verse was as follows: ‘Three men were between the Kaaba and its curtains – two from Quraysh and one from Thaqīf, or two from Thaqīf and one from Quraysh. One of them said: “Do you think Allah hears our speech?” Another replied: “If you speak aloud, He hears; if you whisper, He does not.” At this point this verse was revealed.’^{‎[12] Suyuti, 6/23.}

[1] Hadi, 3/268.
[2] Raghib, p. 404.
[3] Amili, p. 386; Lisan, 4/356.
[4] Qamus, 7/26.
[5] Mizan, 18/125; Hadi, 3/268; Tabrisi, 9/87.
[6] Mudarrisi, 12/528-529; Ibn Ajibah, 7/35.
[7] Rahnama, 17/108.
[8] Alusi, 13/103.
[9] Amthal, 16/101.
[10] Alusi, 13/103.
[11] Ahsan al-Hadith, 10/56.
[12] Suyuti, 6/23.