Al-Mukhtasar · Tafsir · in English
التحريم
At-Tahrim
The Prohibition · Medinan · 12 ayahs
66:1Page 560
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَۖ تَبۡتَغِي مَرۡضَاتَ أَزۡوَٰجِكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ١
O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allāh has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
O Messenger! Why do you make impermissible that which Allah has made permissible for you, i.e. making use of your servant girl Mariah, wanting to please your wives in doing so after they expressed protective jealousy over her? Allah is Forgiving towards you and is Merciful to you.
66:2Page 560
قَدۡ فَرَضَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ تَحِلَّةَ أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ مَوۡلَىٰكُمۡۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٢
Allāh has already ordained for you [Muslims] the dissolution of your oaths.1 And Allāh is your protector, and He is the Knowing, the Wise.
Verily, Allah has legislated for you to break your oaths by giving expiation if you find something better than the oaths your took or if you go against them. Allah is your helper and He is The Knower of your circumstances and what is best for you; He is The Wise in His legislation and decree.
66:3Page 560
وَإِذۡ أَسَرَّ ٱلنَّبِيُّ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضِ أَزۡوَٰجِهِۦ حَدِيثٗا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتۡ بِهِۦ وَأَظۡهَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِ عَرَّفَ بَعۡضَهُۥ وَأَعۡرَضَ عَنۢ بَعۡضٖۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِۦ قَالَتۡ مَنۡ أَنۢبَأَكَ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِيَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ ٣
And [remember] when the Prophet confided to one of his wives a statement; and when she informed [another] of it and Allāh showed it to him, he made known part of it and ignored a part. And when he informed her about it, she said, "Who told you this?" He said, "I was informed by the Knowing, the Aware."
And remember when the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned something only to Ḥafṣah, and that was that he will never again go close to his wife Mariah. So after Ḥafṣah informed ‘Ā’ishah of the information, and Allah informed His Messenger of his secret having been spread, he reprimanded Ḥafṣah and told her part of what she had said, not mentioning another. So she asked him, “Who informed you of this?” He replied, “The Knower of everything and The Aware of every hidden thing informed me of it.”
66:4Page 560
إِن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ صَغَتۡ قُلُوبُكُمَاۖ وَإِن تَظَٰهَرَا عَلَيۡهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰهُ وَجِبۡرِيلُ وَصَٰلِحُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ ٤
If you two [wives] repent to Allāh, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated. But if you cooperate against him - then indeed Allāh is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels, moreover, are [his] assistants.
It is your duty that you both repent, because your hearts have inclined towards liking something the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) disliked, i.e. staying away from his servant girl and forbidding her upon himself. And if you insist upon joining forces against him, then know that Allah is his guardian and helper, and so is Gabriel and the best of believers. The angels are also his helpers and supporters after Allah against those who cause inconvenience to him.
66:5Page 560
عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُۥٓ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبۡدِلَهُۥٓ أَزۡوَٰجًا خَيۡرٗا مِّنكُنَّ مُسۡلِمَٰتٖ مُّؤۡمِنَٰتٖ قَٰنِتَٰتٖ تَٰٓئِبَٰتٍ عَٰبِدَٰتٖ سَٰٓئِحَٰتٖ ثَيِّبَٰتٖ وَأَبۡكَارٗا ٥
Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you - submitting [to Allāh], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, and traveling1 - [ones] previously married and virgins.
It is very likely that if His Messenger was to divorce both of you, Allah may He be glorified will give him wives better than you, who are submissive to his instructions, believing in Allah and His Messenger, obedient to Allah, repenting of their sins, devoted to their Lord, fasting; previously married and virgins whom no one except the Messenger has touched. However, he did not divorce them.
66:6Page 560
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيكُمۡ نَارٗا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡحِجَارَةُ عَلَيۡهَا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٞ شِدَادٞ لَّا يَعۡصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمۡ وَيَفۡعَلُونَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُونَ ٦
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allāh in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.
O those who have faith in Allah and act according to what He has legislated for them! Put up a barrier for yourselves and your families against a huge fire which is stoked with people and stones. Appointed over this fire are tough angels who are harsh to whoever enters it. They do not disobey the command of Allah when He commands them, and they do whatever He commands them to do without hesitation or showing weakness.
66:7Page 560
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَا تَعۡتَذِرُواْ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ إِنَّمَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٧
O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do.
The disbelievers will be told on the day of resurrection: O you who have disbelieved in Allah! Do not make excuses today for the disbelief and sins you used to commit, because your excuses will not be accepted. Today, you will be requited only for the disbelief in Allah and rejection of His Messengers you used to perpetrate in the world.
66:8Page 561
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوۡبَةٗ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَكُمۡ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥۖ نُورُهُمۡ يَسۡعَىٰ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتۡمِمۡ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ٨
O you who have believed, repent to Allāh with sincere repentance. Perhaps1 your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allāh will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent."
O those who have faith in Allah and act according to what He has legislated for them! Repent to Allah sincerely for your sins; Allah will erase your sins from your records and enter you into gardens on the, under the palaces and trees of which rivers flow, on the Day of Judgement: a day on which Allah will not humiliate the Prophet nor those who had faith with him, by entering them into the hellfire. Rather, their light will shine in front of them and their right sides on the Bridge, and they will be saying: “O our Lord! Perfect for us our light so that we can enter Paradise and not be like the hypocrites whose light dies out at the Bridge; and forgive our sins for us, because You are indeed, capable of everything. You are not incapable of perfecting our light and forgiving our sins.”
66:9Page 561
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ جَٰهِدِ ٱلۡكُفَّارَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱغۡلُظۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ٩
O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.
O Messenger! Strive against the disbelievers with the sword, and against the hypocrites with your tongue and upholding the punishments. And be harsh against them so that they fear you. The abode they will end up in on the Day of Judgement is hell, and that abode is a very evil abode indeed.
66:10Page 561
ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱمۡرَأَتَ نُوحٖ وَٱمۡرَأَتَ لُوطٖۖ كَانَتَا تَحۡتَ عَبۡدَيۡنِ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا صَٰلِحَيۡنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمۡ يُغۡنِيَا عَنۡهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـٔٗا وَقِيلَ ٱدۡخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ ١٠
Allāh presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them,1 so they [i.e., those prophets] did not avail them from Allāh at all, and it was said, "Enter the Fire with those who enter."
Allah gives an example of those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger that their relationship with the believers will not benefit them in any condition: the example of the two wives of two of the prophets of Allah: the wives of Noah and Lot. For verily they were wives to two pious servants, but they deceived their husbands by preventing from the path of Allah and helping the people of disbelief from their nations. Their being wives of these two pious servants did not help them, and it will be said to them: “Enter into the hellfire amongst the disbelievers and transgressors entering it.”
66:11Page 561
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱمۡرَأَتَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِذۡ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ ٱبۡنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيۡتٗا فِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ١١
And Allāh presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people."
And Allah also mentions an example to those who have faith in Him and His Messengers, that their connections with the disbelievers will not harm them or affect them as long as they remain steadfast upon the truth: the example of the wife of Pharaoh when she said: “O my Lord! Build a house for me near You in Paradise, and save me from the tyranny of Pharaoh, his might and his evil deeds; and save me also from the people who wrong themselves by following him in his transgression and oppression.”
66:12Page 561
وَمَرۡيَمَ ٱبۡنَتَ عِمۡرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَحۡصَنَتۡ فَرۡجَهَا فَنَفَخۡنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتۡ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتۡ مِنَ ٱلۡقَٰنِتِينَ ١٢
And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of ʿImrān, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel [i.e., Gabriel], and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.
And Allah also mentions an example for those who have faith in Him and His Messengers, in the condition of Mary the daughter of ‘Imrān who safeguarded her private parts from fornication, so Allah commanded Gabriel to blow into her due to which she fell pregnant through the power of Allah with Jesus the son of Mary, without a father. She also believed in the religions of Allah and the books revealed to His Messengers, and she was obedient to Allah by fulfilling His commands and refraining from the things He did not allow.
Text: Quranic Universal Library (Tarteel), via spa5k/tafsir_api (MIT), at a fixed version. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences