and the star too is in the sky, yet it is still “with” us, for it never disappears from our sight. In the same manner Allah—exalted is He—while upon His Throne, is above all creation.

From a practical, methodological standpoint, this verse means that once you believe Allah is with you, you will fear Him and watch over yourself, because nothing of your condition is hidden from Him wherever you may be. Even were you alone in a pitch-dark house with no one around, Allah would still be with you—not in the same physical location, but encompassing you so that not a single detail of your affair escapes Him. Therefore observe Him, fear Him, carry out His commands and avoid His prohibitions. Allah alone grants success. “Indeed, nothing is hidden from Allah …”

The third verse the author—may Allah have mercy on him—cites in the chapter on vigilance is the Almighty’s statement: “Indeed, nothing in the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Allah” (Āl ʿImrān 3:5). The word “thing” (shayʾun) is indefinite in a context of negation—“nothing is hidden”—which makes it all-inclusive; thus absolutely nothing is concealed from Allah, whether on earth or in heaven. Allah details this further when He says: “With Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them but He. He knows what is on land and at sea; not a leaf falls without His knowledge, nor a grain in the depths of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, but it is (all) in a clear record” (al-Anʿām 6:59).

The scholars remark: if He knows every fallen leaf, how much more must He know the leaves that are growing, which He Himself causes to sprout and creates; He is even more knowledgeable of them.

As for His words, “nor a grain (ḥabbah) in the darkness of the earth,” the term “grain” is indefinite, set within a negation further emphasized by the preposition min, so it covers every seed, whether minute or large.

Suppose, then, that a tiny grain is buried in the mud of the sea; it lies beneath five