سُوْرَةُ الْاَحْزَابِ
Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 5
ٱدْعُوهُمْ لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْ ۚ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَآ أَخْطَأْتُم بِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿5﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers: that is more just with Allâh. But if you know not their father’s (names, call them) your brothers in faith and Mawâlîkum (your freed slaves). And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱدْعُوهُمْ
id'ʿūhum
Call them
لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْ
liābāihim
by their fathers
هُوَ
huwa
it
أَقْسَطُ
aqsaṭu
(is) more just
عِندَ
ʿinda
near
ٱللَّهِ ۚ
l-lahi
Allah
فَإِن
fa-in
But if
لَّمْ
lam
not
تَعْلَمُوٓا۟
taʿlamū
you know
ءَابَآءَهُمْ
ābāahum
their fathers
فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ
fa-ikh'wānukum
then (they are) your brothers
فِى
fī
in
ٱلدِّينِ
l-dīni
[the] religion
وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْ ۚ
wamawālīkum
and your friends
وَلَيْسَ
walaysa
But not is
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
upon you
جُنَاحٌۭ
junāḥun
any blame
فِيمَآ
fīmā
in what
أَخْطَأْتُم
akhṭatum
you made a mistake
بِهِۦ
bihi
in it
وَلَـٰكِن
walākin
but
مَّا
mā
what
تَعَمَّدَتْ
taʿammadat
intended
قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ
qulūbukum
your hearts
وَكَانَ
wakāna
And Allah
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
And Allah
غَفُورًۭا
ghafūran
(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمًا
raḥīman
Most Merciful
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.
5-1 With this command, the custom that had continued from the time of ignorance and was also prevalent in the early days of Islam, that adopted sons were considered real sons, was prohibited. The Companions state that we used to call Zaid bin Harithah, whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had freed and adopted as a son, as Zaid bin Muhammad, until the verse of the Noble Quran ادعوھم لآبائھم was revealed. After the revelation of this verse, an issue also arose in the house of Abu Hudhaifah, who had adopted Salim as a son. When it was forbidden to consider adopted sons as real sons, it became necessary to observe veiling from them. The Prophet ﷺ told Abu Hudhaifah's wife to breastfeed him and make him her foster son, because in this way she would become unlawful for him. So she did so. That is, those whose real fathers are known, now end all other attributions and attribute them to their real fathers. However, those whose fathers are not known, consider them your religious brothers and friends, not sons.
5-2 Because mistakes are forgiven, as is explicitly stated in the hadith.
5-3 That is, whoever knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father will be a severe sinner. It is mentioned in the hadith, "Whoever knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father has committed disbelief." (Sahih Bukhari)
5-2 Because mistakes are forgiven, as is explicitly stated in the hadith.
5-3 That is, whoever knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father will be a severe sinner. It is mentioned in the hadith, "Whoever knowingly attributes himself to someone other than his father has committed disbelief." (Sahih Bukhari)
