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Al-Ahzab (The Combined Forces)

Verse 5of 73

ٱدْعُوهُمْ لِءَابَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْ ۚ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌۭ فِيمَآ أَخْطَأْتُم بِهِۦ وَلَٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًا﴿٥

Translation (Sahih International)

Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers - then they are [still] your brothers in religion and those entrusted to you. And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

Word-by-word meaning

ٱدْعُوهُمْid'ʿūhumCall them
لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْliābāihimby their fathers
هُوَhuwait
أَقْسَطُaqsaṭu(is) more just
عِندَʿindanear
ٱللَّهِ ۚl-lahiAllah
فَإِنfa-inBut if
لَّمْlamnot
تَعْلَمُوٓا۟taʿlamūyou know
ءَابَآءَهُمْābāahumtheir fathers
فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْfa-ikh'wānukumthen (they are) your brothers
فِىin
ٱلدِّينِl-dīni[the] religion
وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْ ۚwamawālīkumand your friends
وَلَيْسَwalaysaBut not is
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumupon you
جُنَاحٌۭjunāḥunany blame
فِيمَآfīmāin what
أَخْطَأْتُمakhṭatumyou made a mistake
بِهِۦbihiin it
وَلَـٰكِنwalākinbut
مَّاwhat
تَعَمَّدَتْtaʿammadatintended
قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚqulūbukumyour hearts
وَكَانَwakānaAnd Allah
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAnd Allah
غَفُورًۭاghafūran(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمًاraḥīmanMost Merciful

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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