ٱدْعُوهُمْ لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْ ۚ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَآ أَخْطَأْتُم بِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا 5
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Ud'ūhum li-ābā'ihim huwa aqsatu 'inda-llāh. Fa-in lam ta'lamū ābā'ahum fa-ikhwānukum fi-d-dīn wa-mawālikum. Wa-laysa 'alaykum junāhun fī-mā akhta'tum bih, wa-lākin mā ta'ammaddat qulūbukum. Wa-kāna-llāhu ghafūran rahīman.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands believers to attribute adopted children to their biological fathers rather than claiming them as one's own offspring, as this is more just in the sight of Allah. If the biological father is unknown, the adopted person should be referred to as a brother/sister in faith or a freed person (mawlā), with no sin upon those who make unintentional errors in this regard, though intentional falsehood is blameworthy. The ayah emphasizes Allah's forgiveness and mercy for those who err without deliberate intent, establishing ethical principles for family relationships and legal attribution in Islamic society.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period and relates to the practice of adoption among pre-Islamic Arabs, where adopted children were legally and socially treated as biological children. The ayah reforms this practice after the Prophet (peace be upon him) married Zaynab bint Jahsh, the former wife of his adopted son Zayd ibn Hārithah, which clarified that adoption does not create the same kinship ties as biological relations. This surah (Al-Ahzab) addresses various social reforms in the Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record that 'Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet about adopted children, and he clarified that adopted sons do not become mahram (unmarriageable kin) to the women in the family. Additionally, traditions record the case of Zayd ibn Hārithah, whose name was changed from 'Zayd ibn Muhammad' to restore his lineage to his biological father Hārithah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that truthfulness in matters of identity and lineage is a fundamental Islamic principle, while also demonstrating Allah's compassion for honest mistakes made without deliberate deception. Modern Muslims should recognize that while adopted children deserve full love, care, and support, maintaining clear biological lineage serves important legal, religious, and social purposes in Islam.