Three men were disputing near the House, two from Quraysh and one from Thaqif, or two from Thaqif and one from Quraysh. Their understanding was little and the fat of their bellies was much.One of them said, "Do you think Allah hears what we say?"Another said, "He hears us when we speak aloud but does not hear us when we lower our voices."The third said, "If He hears us when we speak aloud, then He hears us when we lower our voices."So Allah revealed, "And you did not used to conceal yourselves lest your hearing, your sight, or your skins testify against you" [Fussilat 41:22].
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم حدثنا ابن أبي عمر حدثنا سفيان عن منصور عن مجاهد عن أبي معمر
اختصم عند البيت ثلاثة نفر قرشيان وثقفي أو ثقفيان وقرشي قليل فقه قلوبهم كثير شحم بطونهم فقال أحدهم أترون أن الله يسمع ما نقول فقال الآخر يسمع إذا جهرنا ولا يسمع إذا أخفينا وقال الآخر إن كان يسمع إذا جهرنا فإنه يسمع إذا أخفينا فأنزل الله {وما كنتم تستترون أن يشهد عليكم سمعكم ولا أبصاركم ولا جلودكم}
Agreed upon [by Bukhari and Muslim]. Muslim narrated it in the Book of the Characteristics of the Hypocrites and Rulings Concerning Them, hadith no. 2775, from Muhammad bin Abu Umar. Bukhari narrated it, hadith no. 4817, from the hadith of Sufyan bin Uyayna, with the same wording.