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 al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 4) ➊ { مَا جَعَلَ اللّٰهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّنْ قَلْبَيْنِ فِيْ جَوْفِهٖ … : ’’ أَدْعِيَاءُ‘‘ ’’دَعِیٌّ‘‘} (the plural of {فَعِيْلٌ } meaning object) is the plural. Before stating the main purpose, it is mentioned as a preface that Allah Almighty has not placed two hearts in any man's chest, that in one there is faith and in the other disbelief. There is only one heart in the chest, it will either be that of a believer, a hypocrite, or a disbeliever. Similarly, every person has only one mother, from whose womb he was born. It cannot happen that after that, by calling someone else a mother, she becomes his mother, nor do your wives become your mothers by declaring them forbidden like your mothers. And every person has only one father; it cannot happen that at first his father was one, then someone called him a son, so he became his father. These are only words from your mouths; Allah Almighty does not accept any of these things. He only says what is reality and truth, and He guides only to the straight path. The word "Zihar" is derived from {’’ ظَهْرٌ ‘‘}, which means "back," i.e., to say to one's wife that you are forbidden to me like my mother's back. Its detailed rulings will come in Surah Mujadila. The details regarding an adopted son are being mentioned here, and the details about marrying his divorced wife will come a few verses later.
➋ In these verses, making someone an adopted son is prohibited, as a result of which he was considered like a real son, he would be known by the lineage of the adopter and would be considered his heir. However, there is no harm in calling someone a son as an expression of love and affection, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) {’’يَا بُنَيَّ‘‘ }. [دیکھیے مسلم، الآداب، باب جواز قولہ لغیر ابنہ یا بنيّ … : ۲۱۵۱ ] And Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the night of Muzdalifah made the young boys of Banu Abdul Muttalib ride on donkeys and sent them ahead, so on that occasion the Prophet (peace be upon him) patted our thighs and said: [ أُبَيْنِيَّ ! لاَ تَرْمُوا الْجَمْرَةَ حَتّٰی تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ ] [ أبوداوٗد، المناسک، باب التعجیل من جمع : ۱۹۴۰ ] "My dear sons! Do not throw pebbles at the Jamrat until the sun rises."
➋ In these verses, making someone an adopted son is prohibited, as a result of which he was considered like a real son, he would be known by the lineage of the adopter and would be considered his heir. However, there is no harm in calling someone a son as an expression of love and affection, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) {’’يَا بُنَيَّ‘‘ }. [دیکھیے مسلم، الآداب، باب جواز قولہ لغیر ابنہ یا بنيّ … : ۲۱۵۱ ] And Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the night of Muzdalifah made the young boys of Banu Abdul Muttalib ride on donkeys and sent them ahead, so on that occasion the Prophet (peace be upon him) patted our thighs and said: [ أُبَيْنِيَّ ! لاَ تَرْمُوا الْجَمْرَةَ حَتّٰی تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ ] [ أبوداوٗد، المناسک، باب التعجیل من جمع : ۱۹۴۰ ] "My dear sons! Do not throw pebbles at the Jamrat until the sun rises."
