Compared Translations of the meaning of the Quran - 33:4
al-Ahzab - The Clans, The Coalition, The Combined Forces, The Allies
Verse: 4


Roman Translition of the Arabic Source
Transliteration Ma jaAAala Allahu lirajulin min qalbayni fee jawfihi wama jaAAala azwajakumu alla-ee tuthahiroona minhunna ommahatikum wama jaAAala adAAiyaakum abnaakum thalikum qawlukum bi-afwahikum waAllahu yaqoolu alhaqqa wahuwa yahdee alssabeela

Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad NEVER has God endowed any man with two hearts in one body: and [just as] He has never made your wives whom you may have declared to be “as unlawful to you as your mothers’ bodies” [truly] your mothers, so, too, has He never made your adopted sons [truly] your sons: these are but [figures of] speech uttered by your mouths - whereas God speaks the [absolute] truth: and it is He alone who can show [you] the right path.
M. M. 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.
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.
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.
[Al-Muntakhab] Never did Allah provide a man with two hearts within his body nor did He make your wives whom you divorce by the diction "mother's back" your mothers, nor did He ordain that your adopted sons be designated as your sons. This is your story and the allegation to which you give tongue whereas Allah declares the truth as guides you thereto.
[Progressive Muslims] God did not make any man with two hearts in his body. Nor did He make your wives whom you estrange to be as your mothers. Nor did He make your adopted children to be your sons. Such is what you claim with your mouths, but God speaks the truth, and He guides to the path.
Abdel 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.
Ahmed Ali 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 .
Aisha Bewley Allah has not allotted to any man two hearts within his breast, nor has He made those of your wives you equate with your mothers your actual mothers,* nor has He made your adopted sons your actual sons. These are just words coming out of your mouths. But Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the 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.
Ali Quli Qara'i 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 sons. These are mere utterances of your mouths. But Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the way.
Amatul Rahman Omar Allah 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 (Zihar) 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 Allah declares the truth and He guides to the (straight) path.
Hamid S. Aziz And rely on (or trust in) Allah; and Allah is sufficient for a Protector.
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali In no way has Allah made to any man two hearts within the hollow (of his breast); and in no way has He made your spouses whom you (declare) as your mother's back (i.e., divorce by Dhihar, a pre-Islamic form of divorc) (truly) your mothers; and in no way has He made your adopted sons your sons (in fact). That (Literally: temptation; i.e., if the hypocrites had been asked to apostatize from Islam) is your saying, (the words) of your mouths; and Allah says the Truth, and He guides on 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.
Muhammad 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 Zihar, 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.
Shabbir Ahmed Allah did not give any man two hearts in his chest. (You cannot be a believer and a disbeliever at the same time). And He never regards your wives as your mothers because of your senseless utterances, such as your declaring them as your mothers. (2:226), (58:2-4). Nor does He regard your adopted sons as your biological sons. These are mere words that you utter with your mouths, but Allah declares the Truth and shows the Way.
Syed Vickar Ahamed Allah has not made for any man, two hearts in his (one) body: Nor, (O people!) has He (Allah) made your wives, whom you declare to be like your mother’s backs (and thus divorce them by the evil practice of Az-Zihar, see 58.2&mdash4), your real mothers: Nor has He made your adopted sons your (real) sons. This is (only) your (manner of) speaking by your mouths. But Allah reveals (to you) the Truth, and He shows the (right) Way.
Umm Muhammad (Sahih International) Allah has not made for a man two hearts in his interior. And He has not made your wives whom you declare unlawful your mothers. And he has not made your adopted sons your [true] sons. That is [merely] your saying by your mouths, but Allah says the truth, and He guides to the [right] way.
Farook Malik NEVER has God endowed any man with two hearts in one body: [Lit., "within him". In the first instance, this connects with the preceding passage, implying that man cannot be truly conscious of God and at the same time defer to the views of "the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites" (Razi). Beyond this, however, the above sentence forms a conceptual link with the sequence, which states that it is against the God-willed laws of nature - and, therefore, unreasonable and morally inadmissible - to attribute to one and the same person two mutually incompatible roles within the framework of human relationships (Zamakhshari).] and [just as] He has never made your wives whom you may have declared to be "as unlawful to you as your mothers' bodies" [truly] your mothers, [This is a reference to the pre-Islamic Arabian custom called zihar, whereby a husband could divorce his wife by simply declaring, "Thou art [henceforth as unlawful] to me as my mother's back", the term zahr ("back") being in this case a metonym for "body". In pagan Arab society, this mode of divorce was considered final and irrevocable; but a woman thus divorced was not allowed to remarry, and had to remain forever in her former husband's custody. As is evident from the first four verses of surah 58 (Al-Mujadalah) - which was revealed somewhat earlier than the present surah - this cruel pagan custom had already been abolished by the time of the revelation of the above verse, and is mentioned here only as an illustration of the subsequent dictum that the "figures of speech [lit., "your sayings"] which you utter with your mouths" do not necessarily coincide with the reality of human relations.] so, too, has He never made your adopted sons [truly] your sons: [I.e., in the sense of blood relationship: hence, the marriage restrictions applying to real sons - and, by obvious implication, daughters as well - do not apply to adoptive children. This statement has a definite bearing on verses 37 ff. below.] these are but [figures of] speech uttered by your mouths - whereas God speaks the [absolute] truth: [Sc., by bringing into being the factual, biological relationship of parent and child in distinction from all man-made, social relationships like husband and wife, or foster-parent and adoptive child. In this connection it should be borne in mind that the Quran frequently uses the metaphor of God's "speech" to express His creative activity.] and it is He alone who can show [you] the right path.

Controversial, deprecated, or status undetermined works
Bijan Moeinian [as] God has not given two hearts to people [either you should follow Islam or your tradition]. Your divorced wives [unlike the old tradition of the ignorance] are not considered as your mothers neither are your adopted sons as your real sons [in right]. These [ignorance days’ traditions] are only words flowing from people’s mouth [without any rational behind them]. God’s words are based upon reality and your Lord is the only one who guides you toward the right path.
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.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah 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.
Maulana Muhammad Ali Allah has not made for any man two hearts within him; nor has He made your wives whom you desert by Zihar, your mothers, nor has He made those whom you assert (to be your sons) your sons. These are the words of your mouths. And Allah speaks the truth and He shows the way.
Muhammad Ahmed - Samira 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.
Sher Ali ALLAH has not made for any man two hearts in his breast; nor has HE made those of your wives from whom you keep away by calling them mothers, your mothers in fact, nor has HE made those whom you adopt as sons, your sons in fact. These are merely the words of your mouths; but ALLAH declares the truth, and HE guides to the right path.
Yusuf Ali (org.) God 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 God tells (you ) the Truth, and He shows the (right) Way.
Rashad Khalifa GOD did not give any man two hearts in his chest. Nor did He turn your wives whom you estrange (according to your custom) into your mothers. Nor did He turn your adopted children into genetic offspring. All these are mere utterances that you have invented. GOD speaks the truth, and He guides in the (right) path.

Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works
Arthur John 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.
Edward Henry Palmer God has not made for any man two hearts in his inside; nor has He made your wives,- whom you back away from,- your real mothers; nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons. That is what ye speak with your mouths; but God speaks the truth and He guides to the path!
George Sale God hath not given a man two hearts within him; neither hath he made your wives -- some of whom ye divorce, regarding them thereafters as your mothers -- your true mothers; nor hath he made your adopted sons your true sons. This is your saying in your mouths: But God speaketh the truth ; and he directeth the right way.
John Medows Rodwell God hath not given a man two hearts within him; neither hath he made your wives whom ye divorce to be as your mothers; nor hath he made your adopted sons to be as your own sons. Such words are indeed in your mouths; but God speaketh the truth, and in the right way He guideth.

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