Verse. 3538

٣٣ - ٱلْأَحْزَاب

33 - Al-Ahzab

اُدْعُوْہُمْ لِاٰبَاۗىِٕہِمْ ہُوَاَقْسَطُ عِنْدَ اؘ۝۰ۚ فَاِنْ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوْۗا اٰبَاۗءَہُمْ فَاِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّيْنِ وَمَوَالِيْكُمْ۝۰ۭ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيْمَاۗ اَخْطَاْتُمْ بِہٖ۝۰ۙ وَلٰكِنْ مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوْبُكُمْ۝۰ۭ وَكَانَ اللہُ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِـيْمًا۝۵
OdAAoohum liabaihim huwa aqsatu AAinda Allahi fain lam taAAlamoo abaahum faikhwanukum fee alddeeni wamawaleekum walaysa AAalaykum junahun feema akhtatum bihi walakin ma taAAammadat quloobukum wakana Allahu ghafooran raheeman

English

Ahmed Ali

Call them by the names of their fathers. This is the right course in the sight of God. If you do not know their fathers, they are then your brothers in religion and your friends. It will not be a sin if you make a mistake, unless you do so intentionally; for God is forgiving and kind.

5

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (proclaim their real parentage) name them in relation to their real fathers. (that will be more equitable) better, more correct and fairer (in the sight of allah) in relation to lineage. (and if ye know not their fathers) if you do not know the lineage of their fathers, (then (they are) your brethren in the faith) name them with names showing brotherhood in faith: 'abdullah, 'abd al-rahman, 'abd al-rahim and 'abd al-raziq, (and your clients) and name them as your clients. (and there is no sin for you in the mistakes that ye make unintentionally) regarding the identification of one's parentage, (but what your hearts purpose (that will be a sin for you)) what is a sin for you is to attribute intentionally someone to other than his real father. (allah is forgiving) of what was done in the past, (merciful) in relation to what will happen in the future. this verse was revealed about zayd ibn harithah who was adopted by the prophet (pbuh). people used to call him zayd ibn muhammad, but allah forbade them from calling him so and guided them to what is proper.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : instead, attribute them to their [true] fathers. that is more equitable, [that is] more just, in the sight of god. if you do not know their [true] fathers, then they are your brethren in religion and [as] your associates. and you would not be at fault for any mistake you make, in this respect, except, in, what your hearts may premeditate, after the prohibition [has been issued]. and god is forgiving, of whatever you said before the prohibition [was issued], merciful, to you in this respect.