3وَوالِدٍ وَما وَلَدَMuhammad Asadand [I call to witness] parent and offspring:1Lit., "the begetter and that which he has begotten". According to Tabari's convincing explanation, this phrase signifies "every parent and all their offspring" - i.e., the human race from its beginning to its end. (The masculine form al-walid denotes, of course, both male and female parents.)