Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ahzab Verse 4

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his chest cavity, nor did he make your wives whom you subjected to Zihār, your mothers, nor did he make your adopted sons your (real) sons. That is (merely) a word uttered by your mouths. And Allah says the truth and He shows the (right) way.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Allah does not place two hearts in any person’s chest. Nor does He regard your wives as ˹unlawful for you like˺ your real mothers, ˹even˺ if you say they are.[[ This divorce (called ẓihâr) was commonly practiced in Arabia before the Prophet (ﷺ). If a man declared his wife as unlawful for him as the ẓahr (back) of his mother, his wife would be divorced. Islam abolished this type of divorce (see {58:3}-4). ]] Nor does He regard your adopted children as your real children.[[ The following distinction should be made:Sponsorship (which is permissible): a person can sponsor a child or host them in their home and care for them as they care for their own children, except for legal matters. For example, adopted children keep their last names, are allowed to marry the children of their adopted parent, adopted and biological children of the opposite sex should dress modestly in front of each other, and do not have a share in the estate of their adopted parents, but can get a share of inheritance (up to one-third of the estate) through bequest (waṣiyah). Adoption: a person is not allowed to take an orphan and give them his/her last name, give them a share of inheritance similar to their own children, etc. ]] These are only your baseless assertions. But Allah declares the truth, and He ˹alone˺ guides to the ˹Right˺ Way.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Allah has not made for any man two hearts inside him, nor has he made your wives – whom you declare unlawful – your real mothers, nor has he made your adopted sons your real sons. These are only words that you utter, but Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the right way.

A. J. Arberry

God has not assigned to any man two hearts within his breast; nor has He made your wives, when you divorce, saying, 'Be as my mother's back,' truly your mothers, neither has He made your adopted sons your sons in fact. That is your own saying, the words of your mouths; but God speaks the truth, and guides on the way.

Abdul Haleem

God does not put two hearts within a man’s breast. He does not turn the wives you reject and liken to your mothers’ backs into your real mothers; nor does He make your adopted sons into real sons. These are only words from your mouths, while God speaks the truth and guides people to the right path.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Allah hath not placed unto any man two hearts in his inside, nor hath He made your spouses whom ye declare to be as your mother's backs, your real mothers, nor hath He made your adopted sons your real sons. This is only your saying by your mouths, whereas Allah saith the truth and He guideth the way.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body; nor has He made your wives whom ye divorce by Zihar your mothers; nor has He made your adopted sons your sons. Such is (only) your (manner of) speech by your mouths. But Allah tells (you) the Truth, and He shows the (right) Way.

Abul Ala Maududi

Allah has never put two hearts within one person's body; nor has He made your wives, whom you compare to your mothers' backs (to divorce them), your true mothers; nor has He made those whom you adopt as sons your own sons. These are only words that you utter with your mouths. But Allah proclaims the Truth and directs you to the Right Path.

Ahmed Ali

God has not provided two hearts in the breast of a man, nor made your wives, whom you pronounce "mothers" (in order to divorce them), your real mothers, nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons. This is only what your lips pronounce. God says what is just, and shows the right way.

Ahmed Raza Khan

Allah has not kept two hearts in the body of any man; nor has He made them your mothers those wives of yours, whom you declare to be your mothers; nor has He made them your sons, whom you have adopted; this is the statement of your mouths; and Allah proclaims the truth and it is He Who shows the path.

Ali Quli Qarai

Allah has not put two hearts within any man, nor has He made your wives whom you repudiate by zihar your mothers, nor has he made your adopted sons your [actual] sons. These are mere utterances of your mouths. But Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the [right] way.

Ali Ünal

God has not made for any man two hearts within his body (one to be assigned for belief in and worship of Him and the other to belief in and worship of others). Nor has He made your wives whom you may declare to be (unlawful to you) as your mothers’ back (to mean you divorce them ) your mothers (in fact). Nor has He made your adopted sons your sons (in fact). Those are only expressions you utter with your mouths. Whereas God speaks the truth and He guides to the right way.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Allâh has not placed two hearts in the bosom of any man, nor does He regard as your mothers those of your wives whom you desert by (Zihâr) calling them as such, nor does He regard those whom you adopt as your children as your own (real) children. These are mere words that you speak; but Allâh declares the truth and He guides to the (straight) path.

English Literal

God did not make/put to a man from two hearts in his interior/inside, and He did not make/create your wives which (F) you declare them as forbidden for you (Pre-Islamic form of divorce in which the husband declares his wife as forbidden to him as his mother) from them (F) (as) your mothers, and He did not make/create those named after you but not your children by birth/your adopted children your sons, that (is) your word/opinion and belief with your mouths, and God says the truth and He guides (to) the path/way .

Faridul Haque

Allah has not kept two hearts in the body of any man; nor has He made them your mothers those wives of yours, whom you declare to be your mothers; nor has He made them your sons, whom you have adopted; this is the statement of your mouths; and Allah proclaims the truth and it is He Who shows the path.

Hamid S. Aziz

And rely on (or trust in) Allah; and Allah is sufficient for a Protector.

Hilali & Khan

Allah has not put 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. [AzZihar 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 Allah says the truth, and He guides to the (Right) Way.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And trust in Allah. And Allah is enough as having charge (of affairs).

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Allah has not made for any man two hearts within him; nor has He made your wives whose backs you liken to the backs of your mothers as your mothers, nor has He made those whom you assert to be your sons your real sons; these are the words of your mouths; and Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the way.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Allah hath not assigned unto any man two hearts within his body, nor hath He made your wives whom ye declare (to be your mothers) your mothers, nor hath He made those whom ye claim (to be your sons) your sons. This is but a saying of your mouths. But Allah saith the truth and He showeth the way.

Muhammad Sarwar

God has not created two hearts inside any one human being. God does not consider your wives whom you renounce by zihar as your mothers nor those whom you adopt as your sons. These are only words of your mouth. God tells the Truth and shows the right path.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Allah has never made any man with two hearts inside him. Nor has He made your wives, when you divorce, saying: 'Be as my mother's back' your mothers. Neither has He made your fostered sons as your own sons. These are your own sayings, words which you utter with your mouths; but Allah speaks the truth and guides to the Path.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Allah 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 nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons. That is but your saying with your mouths. But Allah says the truth, and He guides to the way.

Wahiduddin Khan

God has not placed two hearts in any man's body, nor has He made your wives -- from whom you keep away by saying, "Be as my mother's back" -- your [real] mothers, neither He has made your adopted sons as your own sons. These are merely words which you utter with your mouths: but God speaks the truth and gives guidance to the right path.

Talal Itani

God did not place two hearts inside any man's body. Nor did He make your wives whom you equate with your mothers, your actual mothers. Nor did He make your adopted sons, your actual sons. These are your words coming out of your mouths. God speaks the truth, and guides to the path.

Tafsir jalalayn

God has not placed two hearts inside any man; [this was revealed] in order to refute those disbelievers who said that they each had two hearts with which they could reason better than Muhammad's single mind; nor has He made your wives whom (read as all', or all') you repudiate by zihr (read tazzahharna, or tuzhirna; the original t' [of tatazharna] has been assimilated with the z') -- a man would say to his wife for example, `You are for me as [untouchable as] my mother's back' -- your mothers, in other words, [He has not made you wives] like [your] mothers, so that they are illicit [for conjugality] in that respect, [a practice] which in pre-Islamic times was considered a [valid form of] divorce. An atonement with [necessary] conditions is necessary in such a case, as mentioned in srat al-Mujdila [Q. 58;2-3]. Nor has He made those whom you claim as [adopted] sons (ad`iy', the plural of da`iyy, which is one claimed as the son of one who is not his [biological] father) your sons, in reality. That is a mere utterance of your mouths, namely, [of] the Jews and the hypocrites. When the Prophet (s) married Zaynab bt. Jahsh, who had been Zayd b. Hritha's wife, the adopted son of the Prophet (s), they said, `Muhammad married his son's wife!', and so God proved them liars in this. But God speaks the truth, in this [matter], and He guides to the way, the way of truth.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Abolition of Adoption

Before 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.

Allah says;

مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَاجَكُمُ اللَّايِي تُظَاهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ

Allah 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...

This is like the Ayah;

مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَـتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهَـتُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللَّيِى وَلَدْنَهُمْ

They cannot be their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. (58;2)

وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءكُمْ أَبْنَاءكُمْ

nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons.

This was revealed concerning Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, the freed servant of the Prophet. The Prophet had adopted him before Prophethood, and he was known as Zayd bin Muhammad. Allah wanted to put an end to this naming and attribution, as He said;

وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءكُمْ أَبْنَاءكُمْ


nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons.

This is similar to the Ayah later in this Surah;

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَأ أَحَدٍ مّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَـكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيماً


Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything. (33;40)

And Allah says here;

ذَلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُم بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ

That is but your saying with your mouths.

meaning, `your adoption of him is just words, and it does not mean that he is really your son,' for he was created from the loins of another man, and a child cannot have two fathers just as a man cannot have two hearts in one body.

وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِي السَّبِيلَ



But Allah says the truth, and He guides to the way.

Sa`id bin Jubayr said;

يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ
(But Allah says the truth) means, justice.

Qatadah said;

وَهُوَ يَهْدِي السَّبِيلَ
(and He guides to the way) means, the straight path.

Imam Ahmad said that Hasan told them that Zuhayr told them from Qabus, meaning Ibn Abi Zibyan, that his father told him;

"I said to Ibn Abbas, `Do you know the Ayah,
مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ
(Allah has not made for any man two hearts inside his body). What does this mean?'

He said that the Messenger of Allah stood up one day to pray, and he trembled. The hypocrites who were praying with him said,

`Do you not see that he has two hearts, one heart with you and another with them.'

Then Allah revealed the words;
مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ
(Allah has not made for any man two hearts inside his body)."

This was also narrated by At-Tirmidhi, who said, "It is a Hasan Hadith".

It was also narrated by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim from the Hadith of Zuhayr.
An Adopted Child should be named after His Real Father

Allah commands;