Surah 66. At-Tahrim

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1], 8-12 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-766. At-Tahrim Page 56066. At-Tahrimبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِیٰۤاَیُّهَاOالنَّبِیُّProphetلِمَWhy (do)تُحَرِّمُyou prohibitمَاۤwhatاَحَلَّhas made lawfulاللّٰهُAllahلَكَ ۚfor youتَبْتَغِیْseekingمَرْضَاتَ(to) pleaseاَزْوَاجِكَ ؕyour wivesوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful قَدْIndeedفَرَضَhas ordainedاللّٰهُAllahلَكُمْfor youتَحِلَّةَ(the) dissolutionاَیْمَانِكُمْ ۚ(of) your oathsوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahمَوْلٰىكُمْ ۚ(is) your Protectorوَ هُوَand Heالْعَلِیْمُ(is) the All-Knowerالْحَكِیْمُ the All-Wise وَ اِذْAnd whenاَسَرَّconfidedالنَّبِیُّthe Prophetاِلٰیtoبَعْضِoneاَزْوَاجِهٖ(of) his wivesحَدِیْثًا ۚa statementفَلَمَّاand whenنَبَّاَتْshe informedبِهٖabout itوَ اَظْهَرَهُand made it apparentاللّٰهُAllahعَلَیْهِto himعَرَّفَhe made knownبَعْضَهٗa part of itوَ اَعْرَضَand avoidedعَنْۢ[of]بَعْضٍ ۚa partفَلَمَّاThen whenنَبَّاَهَاhe informed herبِهٖabout itقَالَتْshe saidمَنْWhoاَنْۢبَاَكَinformed youهٰذَا ؕthisقَالَHe saidنَبَّاَنِیَHas informed meالْعَلِیْمُthe All-Knowerالْخَبِیْرُ the All-Aware اِنْIfتَتُوْبَاۤyou both turnاِلَیtoاللّٰهِAllahفَقَدْso indeedصَغَتْ(are) inclinedقُلُوْبُكُمَا ۚyour hearts;وَ اِنْbut ifتَظٰهَرَاyou backup each otherعَلَیْهِagainst himفَاِنَّthen indeedاللّٰهَAllahهُوَHeمَوْلٰىهُ(is) his Protectorوَ جِبْرِیْلُand Jibreelوَ صَالِحُand (the) righteousالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ۚbelieversوَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُand the Angelsبَعْدَafterذٰلِكَthatظَهِیْرٌ (are his) assistants عَسٰیPerhapsرَبُّهٗۤhis Lordاِنْifطَلَّقَكُنَّhe divorced youاَنْ[that]یُّبْدِلَهٗۤHe will substitute for himاَزْوَاجًاwivesخَیْرًاbetterمِّنْكُنَّthan youمُسْلِمٰتٍsubmissiveمُّؤْمِنٰتٍfaithfulقٰنِتٰتٍobedientتٰٓىِٕبٰتٍrepentantعٰبِدٰتٍwho worshipسٰٓىِٕحٰتٍwho fastثَیِّبٰتٍpreviously marriedوَّ اَبْكَارًا and virgins یٰۤاَیُّهَاOالَّذِیْنَ(you) whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveقُوْۤاProtectاَنْفُسَكُمْyourselvesوَ اَهْلِیْكُمْand your familiesنَارًا(from) a Fireوَّ قُوْدُهَاwhose fuelالنَّاسُ(is) peopleوَ الْحِجَارَةُand stonesعَلَیْهَاover itمَلٰٓىِٕكَةٌ(are) Angelsغِلَاظٌsternشِدَادٌsevereلَّاnotیَعْصُوْنَthey disobeyاللّٰهَAllahمَاۤ(in) whatاَمَرَهُمْHe Commands themوَ یَفْعَلُوْنَbut they doمَاwhatیُؤْمَرُوْنَ they are commanded یٰۤاَیُّهَاOالَّذِیْنَ(you) whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveلَا(Do) notتَعْتَذِرُواmake excusesالْیَوْمَ ؕtodayاِنَّمَاOnlyتُجْزَوْنَyou will be recompensedمَا(for) whatكُنْتُمْyou used (to)تَعْمَلُوْنَ۠do

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Surah Introduction

This Medinian sûrah deals with an incident that happened within the Prophet's household. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) used to visit all of his wives in the evening. It so happened that he stayed longer than usual at the home of Zainab bint Jaḥsh, where he was offered honey- something he liked very much. Out of jealousy, two other wives (Ḥafṣah and 'Âishah) agreed between themselves to tell the Prophet ( ﷺ ) , when he visited each of them, that his mouth gave off a bad smell, knowing that he ( ﷺ ) did not like bad smells. Eventually, the Prophet made an oath that he would never eat honey again, and told Ḥafṣah not to tell anyone about this. But she told 'Âishah that their plan worked. Both wives are subtly advised to learn from the example of the two believing women mentioned at the end of the sûrah-Mary and Âsiyah, the wife of Pharaoh-and take a lesson from the fate of the wives of Noah and Lot, who were both destroyed despite being wives of prophets. The believers are urged in this sûrah to mend their ways and genuinely repent to Allah in order to win His eternal reward, whereas the disbelievers are warned of a horrible fate. The fate of the disbelievers is elaborated upon in the next sûrah.

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Translation of Verse 1-71. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. O Prophet! Why do you prohibit ˹yourself˺ from what Allah has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is All- Forgiving, Most Merciful.

2. Allah has already ordained for you ˹believers˺ the way to absolve yourselves from your oaths. ¹²¹¹ For Allah is your Guardian. And He is the All-Knowing, All-Wise.

3. ˹Remember˺ when the Prophet had ˹once˺ confided something to one of his wives, then when she disclosed it ˹to another wife˺ and Allah made it known to him, he presented ˹to her˺ part of what was disclosed and overlooked a part. So when he informed her of it, she exclaimed, "Who told you this?" He replied, "I was informed by the All-Knowing, All-Aware."

4. ˹It will be better˺ if you ˹wives˺ both turn to Allah in repentance, for your hearts have certainly faltered. But if you ˹continue to˺ collaborate against him, then ˹know that˺ Allah Himself is his Guardian. And Gabriel, the righteous believers, and the angels are ˹all˺ his supporters as well.

5. Perhaps, if he were to divorce you ˹all˺, his Lord would replace you with better wives who are submissive ˹to Allah˺, faithful ˹to Him˺, devout, repentant, dedicated to worship and fasting-previously married or virgins.

6. O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, overseen by formidable and severe angels, who never disobey whatever Allah orders-always doing as commanded.

7. ˹The deniers will then be told,˺ "O disbelievers! Make no excuses this Day! You are only rewarded for what you used to do."

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Commentary

1211. See 5:89.