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Al-Ahzab (The Combined Forces)

Verse 4of 73

مَّا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍۢ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِى جَوْفِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَٰجَكُمُ ٱلَّٰٓـِٔى تُظَٰهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُم بِأَفْوَٰهِكُمْ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَقُولُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِى ٱلسَّبِيلَ﴿٤

Translation (Sahih International)

Allah has not made for a man two hearts in his interior. And He has not made your wives whom you declare unlawful your mothers. And he has not made your adopted sons your [true] sons. That is [merely] your saying by your mouths, but Allah says the truth, and He guides to the [right] way.

Word-by-word meaning

مَّاNot
جَعَلَjaʿalaAllah (has) made
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah (has) made
لِرَجُلٍۢlirajulinfor any man
مِّنmin[of]
قَلْبَيْنِqalbaynitwo hearts
فِىin
جَوْفِهِۦ ۚjawfihihis interior
وَمَاwamāAnd not
جَعَلَjaʿalaHe (has) made
أَزْوَٰجَكُمُazwājakumuyour wives
ٱلَّـٰٓـِٔىallāīwhom
تُظَـٰهِرُونَtuẓāhirūnayou declare unlawful
مِنْهُنَّmin'hunna[of them]
أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ ۚummahātikum(as) your mothers
وَمَاwamāAnd not
جَعَلَjaʿalaHe has made
أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْadʿiyāakumyour adopted sons
أَبْنَآءَكُمْ ۚabnāakumyour sons
ذَٰلِكُمْdhālikumThat
قَوْلُكُمqawlukum(is) your saying
بِأَفْوَٰهِكُمْ ۖbi-afwāhikumby your mouths
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahubut Allah
يَقُولُyaqūlusays
ٱلْحَقَّl-ḥaqathe truth
وَهُوَwahuwaand He
يَهْدِىyahdīguides
ٱلسَّبِيلَl-sabīla(to) the Way

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Abolition of AdoptionBefore Allah discusses ideas and theoretical matters, He gives tangible examples: one man cannot have two hearts in his body, and a man's wife does not become his mother if he says the words of Zihar to her: "You are to me like the back of my mother." By the same token, an adopted child does not become the son of the man who adopts him and calls him his son.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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