Quran 33:5 — Al-Ahzaab, verse 5
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
Name your adopted sons after their real fathers: this is more equitable in God’s eyes––if you do not know who their fathers are [they are your] ‘brothers-in-religion’ and proteges. You will not be blamed if you make a mistake, only for what your hearts deliberately intend; God is most forgiving and merciful.
ادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا آبَاءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَمَوَالِيكُمْ ۚ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَا أَخْطَأْتُمْ بِهِ وَلَـٰكِنْ مَا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا
id'ʿūhum liābāihim huwa aqsaṭu ʿinda l-lahi fa-in lam taʿlamū ābāahum fa-ikh'wānukum fī l-dīni wamawālīkum walaysa ʿalaykum junāḥun fīmā akhṭatum bihi walākin mā taʿammadat qulūbukum wakāna l-lahu ghafūran raḥīman
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- Call them after their true fathers; that is more equitable in the sight of God. If you know not who their fathers were, then they are your brothers in religion, and your clients. There is no fault in you if you make mistakes, but only in what your hearts premeditate. God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.
- Muhammad Asad
- [As for your adopted children,] call them by their [real] fathers’ names: this is more equitable in the sight of God; and if you know not who their fathers were, [call them] your brethren in faith and your friends. However, you will incur no sin if you err in this respect: [what really matters is] but what your hearts intend - for God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!
- Sahih International
- Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allāh. 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 Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ٱدْعُوهُمْid'ʿūhum | Call them | دعو |
| 2 | لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْliābāihim | by their fathers | أبو |
| 3 | هُوَhuwa | it | — |
| 4 | أَقْسَطُaqsaṭu | (is) more just | قسط |
| 5 | عِندَʿinda | near | عند |
| 6 | ٱللَّهِ ۚl-lahi | Allah | أله |
| 7 | فَإِنfa-in | But if | — |
| 8 | لَّمْlam | not | — |
| 9 | تَعْلَمُوٓا۟taʿlamū | you know | علم |
| 10 | ءَابَآءَهُمْābāahum | their fathers | أبو |
| 11 | فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْfa-ikh'wānukum | then (they are) your brothers | أخو |
| 12 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 13 | ٱلدِّينِl-dīni | [the] religion | دين |
| 14 | وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْ ۚwamawālīkum | and your friends | ولي |
| 15 | وَلَيْسَwalaysa | But not is | ليس |
| 16 | عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykum | upon you | — |
| 17 | جُنَاحٌۭjunāḥun | any blame | جنح |
| 18 | فِيمَآfīmā | in what | — |
| 19 | أَخْطَأْتُمakhṭatum | you made a mistake | خطأ |
| 20 | بِهِۦbihi | in it | — |
| 21 | وَلَـٰكِنwalākin | but | — |
| 22 | مَّاmā | what | — |
| 23 | تَعَمَّدَتْtaʿammadat | intended | عمد |
| 24 | قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚqulūbukum | your hearts | قلب |
| 25 | وَكَانَwakāna | And Allah | كون |
| 26 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 27 | غَفُورًۭاghafūran | (is) Oft-Forgiving | غفر |
| 28 | رَّحِيمًاraḥīman | Most Merciful | رحم |