سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 4
مَّا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِى جَوْفِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَٰجَكُمُ ٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى تُظَـٰهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُم بِأَفْوَٰهِكُمْ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَقُولُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِى ٱلسَّبِيلَ ﴿4﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Allâh has not made for any man two hearts inside his body. Neither has He made your wives whom you declare to be like your mothers’ backs, your real mothers. [az-Zihâr is the saying of a husband to his wife, "You are to me like the back of my mother" i.e. You are unlawful for me to approach], nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons. That is but your saying with your mouths. But Allâh says the truth, and He guides to the (Right) Way.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
مَّا
mā
Not
جَعَلَ
jaʿala
Allah (has) made
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah (has) made
لِرَجُلٍۢ
lirajulin
for any man
مِّن
min
[of]
قَلْبَيْنِ
qalbayni
two hearts
فِى
fī
in
جَوْفِهِۦ ۚ
jawfihi
his interior
وَمَا
wamā
And not
جَعَلَ
jaʿala
He (has) made
أَزْوَٰجَكُمُ
azwājakumu
your wives
ٱلَّـٰٓـِٔى
allāī
whom
تُظَـٰهِرُونَ
tuẓāhirūna
you declare unlawful
مِنْهُنَّ
min'hunna
[of them]
أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ ۚ
ummahātikum
(as) your mothers
وَمَا
wamā
And not
جَعَلَ
jaʿala
He has made
أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْ
adʿiyāakum
your adopted sons
أَبْنَآءَكُمْ ۚ
abnāakum
your sons
ذَٰلِكُمْ
dhālikum
That
قَوْلُكُم
qawlukum
(is) your saying
بِأَفْوَٰهِكُمْ ۖ
bi-afwāhikum
by your mouths
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
but Allah
يَقُولُ
yaqūlu
says
ٱلْحَقَّ
l-ḥaqa
the truth
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
and He
يَهْدِى
yahdī
guides
ٱلسَّبِيلَ
l-sabīla
(to) the Way
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
4-1 Some narrations indicate that a hypocrite used to claim that he had two hearts. One heart was with the Muslims and the other heart was with disbelief and the disbelievers. This verse was revealed in refutation of him. The meaning is that among the polytheists of Makkah, there was a person named Jameel bin Ma'mar Fihr, who was very clever, cunning, and extremely sharp. He claimed that he had two hearts with which he thought and understood, whereas Muhammad had only one heart. This verse was revealed in response to him. (Aysar al-Tafasir) Some commentators say that the two issues being mentioned ahead are an introduction to this, meaning just as a person cannot have two hearts, similarly, if a person performs zihar with his wife, that is, says to her, "Your back is to me like the back of my mother," then by saying this, his wife does not become his mother. Thus, he cannot have two mothers. Similarly, if a person adopts someone as his son, that person does not become his real son, rather, that son will remain the son of his own father; he cannot have two fathers.
4-2 This issue is called zihar; its details will come in Surah Mujadilah.
4-3 Its details will come ahead in this surah.
4-4 That is, by calling someone a mother, she does not become a mother, nor by calling someone a son does he become a son, meaning the legal rulings of lineage will not apply to them.
4-5 Therefore, follow this and do not call the woman of zihar a mother, nor the adopted child a son. Note that calling someone a son out of love and affection is one thing, and calling an adopted child a son while considering him a real son is another thing. The first is permissible; here, the prohibition is intended for the second.
4-2 This issue is called zihar; its details will come in Surah Mujadilah.
4-3 Its details will come ahead in this surah.
4-4 That is, by calling someone a mother, she does not become a mother, nor by calling someone a son does he become a son, meaning the legal rulings of lineage will not apply to them.
4-5 Therefore, follow this and do not call the woman of zihar a mother, nor the adopted child a son. Note that calling someone a son out of love and affection is one thing, and calling an adopted child a son while considering him a real son is another thing. The first is permissible; here, the prohibition is intended for the second.
