Surah Al-Ahzab 33:4

Abolition of Adoption

Before Allah discusses ideas and theoretical matters, He gives tangible examples: one man cannot have two hearts in his body, and a man's wife does not become his mother if he says the words of Zihar to her: "You are to me like the back of my mother." By the same token, an adopted child does not become the son of the man who adopts him and calls him his son. Allah says:

مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِى جَوْفِهِ وَمَا جَعَلَ أَزْوَجَكُمُ اللاَّئِى تُظَـهِرُونَ مِنْهُنَّ أُمَّهَـتِكُمْ

(Allah has not made for any man two hearts inside his body. Neither has He made your wives whom you declare to be like your mothers' backs, your real mothers...) This is like the Ayah:

مَّا هُنَّ أُمَّهَـتِهِمْ إِنْ أُمَّهَـتُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللاَّئِى وَلَدْنَهُمْ

(They cannot be their mothers. None can be their mothers except those who gave them birth) (58:2).

وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ

(nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons.) This was revealed concerning Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, the freed servant of the Prophet . The Prophet had adopted him before prophethood, and he was known as Zayd bin Muhammad. Allah wanted to put an end to this naming and attribution, as He said:

وَمَا جَعَلَ أَدْعِيَآءَكُمْ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ

(nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons. ) This is similar to the Ayah later in this Surah:

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍ مّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَـكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيماً

(Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the last (end) of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything.) (33:40). And Allah says here:

ذَلِكُمْ قَوْلُكُم بِأَفْوَهِكُمْ

(That is but your saying with your mouths.) meaning, `your adoption of him is just words, and it does not mean that he is really your son,' for he was created from the loins of another man, and a child cannot have two fathers just as a man cannot have two hearts in one body.

وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ يَهْدِى السَّبِيلَ

(But Allah says the truth, and He guides to the way.) Sa`id bin Jubayr said:

يَقُولُ الْحَقَّ

(But Allah says the truth,) means, justice. Qatadah said:

وَهُوَ يَهْدِى السَّبِيلَ

(and He guides to the way) means, the straight path. Imam Ahmad said that Hasan told them that Zuhayr told them from Qabus, meaning Ibn Abi Zibyan, that his father told him: "I said to Ibn `Abbas, `Do you know the Ayah,

مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِى جَوْفِهِ

(Allah has not made for any man two hearts inside his body.) What does this mean' He said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up one day to pray, and he trembled. The hypocrites who were praying with him said, `Do you not see that he has two hearts, one heart with you and another with them' Then Allah revealed the words:

مَّا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِى جَوْفِهِ

(Allah has not made for any man two hearts inside his body.)" This was also narrated by At-Tirmidhi, who said, "It is a Hasan Hadith". It was also narrated by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim from the Hadith of Zuhayr.

An Adopted Child should be named after His Real Father

ادْعُوهُمْ لاًّبَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(Call them (adopted sons) by their fathers, that is more just with Allah.) This is a command which abrogates the state of affairs that existed at the beginning of Islam, when it was permitted to call adopted sons after the man who adopted them. Then Allah commanded that they should be given back the names of their real fathers, and states that this was more fair and just. Al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that `Abdullah bin `Umar said: "Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, the freed servant of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, was always called Zayd bin Muhammad, until (the words of the) Qur'an were revealed:

ادْعُوهُمْ لاًّبَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(Call them (adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allah.)" This was also narrated by Muslim, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i. They used to deal with them as sons in every respect, including being alone with them as Mahrams and so on. Hence Sahlah bint Suhayl, the wife of Abu Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: "O Messenger of Allah! We used to call Salim our son, but Allah has revealed what He has revealed. He used to enter upon me, but I feel that Abu Hudhayfah does not like that. The Prophet said:

«أَرْضِعِيهِ تَحْرُمِي عَلَيْه»

(Breastfeed him and he will become your Mahram. )" Hence when this ruling was abrogated, Allah made it permissible for a man to marry the ex-wife of his adopted son, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ married Zaynab bint Jahsh, the divorced wife of Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, Allah said:

لِكَىْ لاَ يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِى أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَآئِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْاْ مِنْهُنَّ وَطَراً

(So that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them) (33:37). And Allah says in Ayat At-Tahrim:

وَحَلَـئِلُ أَبْنَآئِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَـبِكُمْ

(The wives of your sons from your own loins) (4:23). The wife of an adopted son is not included because he was not born from the man's loins. A "foster" son through breastfeeding is the same as a son born from one's own loins, from the point of view of Shari`ah, because the Prophet said in the Two Sahihs:

«حَرَّمُوا مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ مَا يُحَرَّمُ مِنَ النَّسَب»

(Suckling makes unlawful as lineage does.) As for calling a person "son" as an expression of honor and endearment, this is not what is forbidden in this Ayah, as is indicated by the report recorded by Imam Ahmad and the Sunan compilers -- apart from At-Tirmidhi -- from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "We young boys of Banu `Abd Al-Muttalib came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at the Jamarat; he slapped us on the thigh and said,

«(أُبَيْنِيَّ) لَا تَرْمُوا الْجَمْرَةَ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْس»

(O my sons, do not stone the Jamarah until the sun has risen.) This was during the Farewell Pilgrimage in 10 AH.

ادْعُوهُمْ لاًّبَآئِهِمْ

(Call them by their fathers.) This is concerning Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him. He was killed in 8 AH at the battle of Mu'tah. In Sahih Muslim it is reported that Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«يَابَنِي»

(O my son.)" It was also reported by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi.

فَإِن لَّمْ تَعْلَمُواْ ءَابَاءَهُمْ فَإِخوَانُكُمْ فِى الدِّينِ وَمَوَلِيكُمْ

(But if you know not their father's then they are your brothers in the religion and Mawalikum (your freed servants).) Here Allah commands that adopted sons should be given back their fathers' names, if they are known; if they are not known, then they should be called brothers in faith or freed servants, to compensate for not knowing what their real lineage is. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ left Makkah after performing his `Umrat Al-Qada', the daughter of Hamzah, may Allah be pleased with her, started following him, calling, "O uncle, O uncle!" `Ali took her and said to Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, "Take care of your uncle's daughter," so she picked her up. `Ali, Zayd and Ja`far -- may Allah be pleased with them -- disputed over of which of them was going to take care of her, and each of them gave his reasons. `Ali said, "I have more right, because she is the daughter of my paternal uncle." Zayd said, "She is the daughter of my brother." Ja`far bin Abi Talib said: "She is the daughter of my paternal uncle and I am married to her maternal aunt -- meaning Asma' bint `Umays." The Prophet ruled that she should stay with her maternal aunt, and said:

«الْخَالَةُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأُم»

(The maternal aunt has the same status as the mother.) He said to `Ali, may Allah be pleased with him,

«أَنْتَ مِنِّي وَأَنَا مِنْك»

(You belong to me and I belong to you.) He said to Ja`far, may Allah be pleased with him,

«أَشْبَهْتَ خَلْقِي وَخُلُقِي»

(You resemble me both in your looks and in your attitude.) And he said to Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him,

«أَنْتَ أَخُونَا وَمَوْلَانَا»

(You are our brother and our freed servant.) This Hadith contains a number of rulings, the most important of which is that the Prophet ruled according to the truth, and that he sought to appease all the disputing parties. His saying to Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him,

«أَنْتَ أَخُونَا وَمَوْلَانَا»

(You are our brother and our freed servant.) is as Allah says in this Ayah:

فَإِخوَانُكُمْ فِى الدِّينِ وَمَوَلِيكُمْ

(your brothers in faith and your freed servants. ) Then Allah says:

وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَآ أَخْطَأْتُمْ بِهِ

(And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake,) meaning, if you call one of them after someone who is not in fact his father, by mistake, after trying your best to find out his parentage, then Allah will not attach any sin to this mistake. This is like the Ayah in which Allah commands His servants to say:

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا

(Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error) (2:286). It was reported in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: قَدْ فَعَلْت»

(Allah says, "Certainly I did (so).") In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it was recorded that `Amr bin Al-`As, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِذَا اجْتَهَدَ الْحَاكِمُ فَأَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ، وَإِنِ اجْتَهَدَ فَأَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْر»

(If the judge makes Ijtihad and reaches the right decision, he will have two rewards; if he makes Ijtihad and reaches the wrong decision, he will have one reward.) In another Hadith:

«إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالى رَفَعَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي الْخَطَأَ وَالنِّسْيَانَ وَمَا يُكْرَهُونَ عَلَيْه»

(Allah will forgive my Ummah for mistakes, forgetfulness and what they are forced to do.) And Allah says here:

وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَآ أَخْطَأْتُمْ بِهِ وَلَـكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

(And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) meaning, the sin is on the person who deliberately does something wrong, as Allah says elsewhere:

لاَّ يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ اللَّهُ بِالَّلغْوِ فِى أَيْمَـنِكُمْ

(Allah will not call you to account for that which is unintentional in your oaths) (2:225). Imam Ahmad narrated from Ibn `Abbas that `Umar said: "Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ with the Truth and revealed to him the Book. One of the things that was revealed in it was the Ayah of stoning, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stoned adulterers and we stoned them after he died." Then he said, "We also used to recite, `Do not attribute yourselves to anyone other than your fathers, for this is disbelief, to attribute yourselves to anyone other than your fathers."' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«لَا تُطْرُونِي كَمَا أُطْرِيَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ، فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدُاللهِ، فَقُولُوا: عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه»

(Do not exaggerate in praising me as `Isa bin Maryam was praised upon him be peace and blessings. I am just a servant of Allah. Say, "He is His servant and Messenger.") Or Ma`mar may have said:

«كَمَا أَطْرَتِ النَّصَارَى ابْنَ مَرْيَم»

(As the Christians praised the son of Maryam. ) This was also narrated in another Hadith:

«ثَلَاثٌ فِي النَّاسِ كُفْرٌ: الطَّعْنُ فِي النَّسَبِ، وَالنِّيَاحَةُ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ، وَالْاسْتِسْقَاءُ بِالنُّجُوم»

(Three things that people do are parts of disbelief: slandering a person's lineage, wailing over the dead and seeking rain by the stars.)

Pada ayat ini, Allah menerangkan bahwa Dia tidak menjadikan dua hati dalam satu tubuh sehingga tidak mungkin pada diri seseorang berkumpul iman dan kafir. Jika seseorang beriman kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya, tentu di dalam hatinya tidak ada kekafiran dan kemunafikan, walaupun sedikit, dan ia tentu mengikuti Al-Qur'an dan sunah Rasulullah, menyeru manusia mengikuti jalan Allah, mengikuti hukum-hukum-Nya dan berserah diri hanya kepada Allah. Sebaliknya jika seseorang itu kafir atau munafik, tentu di dalam hatinya tidak ada iman kepada Allah dan Rasul-Nya dan dia tidak akan bertawakal kepada Allah. Dengan kata lain, mustahil berkumpul pada diri seseorang dua buah keyakinan yang berlawanan, sebagaimana tidak mungkin ada dua hati di dalam satu tubuh manusia.

Pada masa Jahiliah sering terjadi pada bangsa Arab, untuk maksud dan dengan ucapan tertentu, mereka menjadikan istrinya sebagai ibunya. Maka bila dia mengucapkan kepada istrinya ucapan tertentu itu, jadilah istrinya sebagai ibunya yakni tidak dapat dicampurinya.

Menurut kebiasaan orang-orang Arab di masa Jahiliah, apabila seorang suami mengatakan kepada istrinya, "Anti 'alayya kadhahri ummi" (punggungmu haram atasku seperti haramnya punggung ibuku), maka sejak suami mengucapkan perkataan itu, istrinya haram dicampurinya, seperti dia haram mencampuri ibunya. Tindakan suami seperti itu di zaman Jahiliah disebut "dhihar". Dalam Islam hukum ini diganti dengan hukum yang diterangkan dalam surah al-Mujadalah/58 ayat 3.

Dan mereka yang menzihar istrinya, kemudian menarik kembali apa yang telah mereka ucapkan, maka (mereka diwajibkan) memerdekakan seorang budak sebelum kedua suami istri itu bercampur. Demikianlah yang diajarkan kepadamu, dan Allah Mahateliti terhadap apa yang kamu kerjakan. (al-Mujadilah/58: 3)

Kemudian dalam ayat ini, Allah mencela satu lagi kebiasaan orang-orang Arab di masa Jahiliah, karena hal itu termasuk mengada-adakan sesuatu yang tidak benar dan tidak mempunyai dasar yang kuat, yaitu mengangkat anak (adopsi). Apabila seseorang mengangkat anak orang lain menjadi anaknya pada masa Jahiliah, maka berlakulah bagi anak itu hukum-hukum yang berlaku atas anak kandungnya sendiri, seperti terjadinya hubungan waris-mewarisi, hubungan mahram, dan sebagainya. Kebiasaan bangsa Arab Jahiliah ini pernah dilakukan Nabi Muhammad sebelum turunnya ayat ini. Beliau pernah mengangkat Zaid bin harisah menjadi anak angkatnya.

Zaid ini adalah putra harisah bin Syarahil dan berasal dari Bani thayyi' di Syam. Ketika terjadi peperangan antara salah satu kabilah Arab dengan Bani thayyi', Zaid kecil tertawan dan dijadikan budak. Kemudian Khalil dari suku Tihamah membeli Zaid dan lalu menjualnya kepada hakim bin ham bin Khuwailid. hakim memberikan Zaid sebagai hadiah kepada Khadijah, saudara perempuan ayahnya. Setelah Nabi Muhammad menikah dengan Khadijah, beliau tertarik kepada Zaid, maka Khadijah menghadiahkan Zaid kepada suaminya itu.

Mendengar kabar bahwa Zaid berada pada Muhammad, harisah, ayah Zaid, pergi dengan saudaranya ke Mekah dengan maksud menebus anaknya yang tercinta itu. Ia pun meminta kepada Muhammad agar menyerahkan Zaid. Nabi Muhammad lalu memberi keleluasaan kepada Zaid untuk memutuskan sendiri, bahkan beliau tidak mau menerima tebusan. Setelah ditanyakan kepadanya, maka Zaid memilih untuk tetap bersama Nabi Muhammad, tidak mau ikut dengan bapaknya ke negeri Syam. harisah dan saudaranya lalu berkata kepada Zaid, "Celakalah engkau Zaid, engkau lebih memilih perbudakan dari kemerdekaan." Zaid menjawab, "Sesungguhnya aku melihat kebaikan pada laki-laki ini (Muhammad), yang menjadikanku tidak sanggup berpisah dengannya, dan aku tidak sanggup memilih orang lain selain dia untuk selama-lamanya."

Nabi saw kemudian keluar menemui orang banyak dan berkata, "Saksikanlah oleh kamu sekalian bahwa Zaid adalah anakku, aku akan mewarisinya, dan ia akan mewarisiku..." Mendengar hal yang demikian, hati harisah dan saudaranya menjadi senang, maka dipanggillah Zaid dengan "Zaid bin Muhammad" sampai turun ayat ini.

Menurut Qurthubi, seluruh ahli tafsir sependapat bahwa ayat ini diturunkan berhubungan dengan Zaid bin harisah itu.

Diriwayatkan oleh al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidzi, an-Nasa'i, dan imam-imam hadis yang lain dari Ibnu 'Umar bahwa ia berkata, "Kami tidak pernah memanggil "Zaid bin harisah", tetapi kami memanggilnya "Zaid bin Muhammad" hingga turunnya ayat ini (al-Ahzab ayat 5)." Dengan turunnya ayat ini, Nabi saw berkata, "Engkau Zaid bin harisah."

Pada akhir ayat ini, Allah menegaskan lagi bahwa perkataan suami bahwa istrinya haram dicampurinya sebagaimana ia haram mencampuri ibunya, dan perbuatan mengangkat anak dan menjadikan kedudukannya sama dengan anak sendiri (kandung) adalah ucapan lidah saja, tidak mempunyai dasar agama atau pikiran yang benar. Oleh karena itu, ucapan tersebut tidak akan menimbulkan akibat hukum sedikit pun. Allah mengatakan yang benar, sehingga mustahil istri dapat disamakan dengan ibu, sebagaimana mustahil pula orang lain dihukum sama dengan anaknya sendiri. Semua anak itu menasabkan (membawa nama ayah sesudah nama sendiri) dirinya kepada ayah dan ibunya. Tidak mungkin seseorang mengatakan orang lain ayah dari seorang anak jika bukan keturunannya, sebagaimana tidak mungkin pula seseorang ibu mengatakan ia adalah ibu dari seorang anak, padahal ia tidak pernah melahirkannya. Oleh karena itu, Allah mengatakan perkataan yang benar dan lurus, maka ikutilah perkataan itu dan turutilah jalan lurus yang telah dibentangkan-Nya.

Dengan turunnya ayat ini, maka hilanglah akibat-akibat buruk yang dialami oleh istri-istri karena zihar suaminya dan haramlah hukumnya mengangkat anak dan menjadikannya mempunyai hukum yang sama dengan anak kandung. Adapun memelihara anak orang lain sebagai amal sosial untuk diasuh dan dididik dengan izin orang tuanya sendiri, tanpa waris-mewarisi, tidak menjadikannya sebagai mahram sebagaimana status anak kandung, dan masih dinasabkan kepada orang tuanya, maka hal itu tidak diharamkan, bahkan mendapat pahala.