The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 639
PT. 21 AL-AḤZĀB CH. 33 مَا جَعَلَ اللهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ Allah has not made for any. 5 prácotti man two hearts in his breast; وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَاجَكُمُ اثْى تُظهِرُونَ nor has He made those of your مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَتِكُمْ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَاءَ كُم أَبْنَاءكُمْ ذَلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُمْ بِأَفْوَاهِكُمْ * wives from whom you keep away by calling them mothers, your real mothers, nor has He made your adopted sons your b وَاللهُ يَقُوْلُ الْحَقِّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِى السَّبِيلَ real sons. These are merely the words of your mouths; but Allah speaks the truth, and He guides to the right path. 3077 they were being mentally prepared for them. As the verses that follow show, the present Surah was revealed at a most critical period in the Holy Prophet's eventful career. The whole of Arabia had risen like one man against Islam. Besides, a most unscrupulous campaign of slander and calumny had also been let loose against him by the "Hypocrites" and Jews of Medina. Those indeed were very difficult days for Islam. 3077. Important Words: (keep away by calling them he separated from his wife, calling her امرأته. (mothers ظاهر من means, and ظهار. his mother مظاهرة are infinitive nouns from this root (Lane & Aqrab). (your adopted sons). This the plural of (da'iyyun) which is derived from 6, which means, he called. means, he made him to assert his relationship as a son. means, he claimed as his father one who was not his father. & means one invited to a repast; one who is claimed as a son by a person who is 2553 one not his father; adopted son; whose origin or lineage or parentage is doubted; a bastard (one who attributes his descent to other than his father) (Aqrab & Lane). Commentary: The verse seeks to abolish two very deep-seated and wide-spread customs of the Arabs in the Holy Prophet's time. The more obnoxious of these two was that of Zihār. A husband, in a fit of anger, would call his wife his mother. The poor woman was deprived of her conjugal rights and yet remained tied to him without the right of marrying another man. Islam, a great champion of women's rights, could not tolerate such a savage custom. The other custom was that of adopting the son of another man as own. This one's custom, apart from being calculated to cause complications in blood relationships was also puerile and foolish. The reason for the abolition of both these customs is implied in the words, "Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his breast. " Human heart is