At-Tahrim

And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah's saying (O Prophet!): '(O Prophet!) i.e. Muhammad (pbuh). (Why bannest thou that which Allah hath made lawful for thee) i.e. marrying Maria the Copt, the Mother of Ibrahim; that is because he had forbidden himself from marrying her, (seeking to please thy wives) seeking the pleasure of your wives 'A'ishah and Hafsah by forbidding yourself from marrying Maria the Copt? (And Allah is Forgiving) He forgives you, (Merciful) about that oath.

(Allah hath made lawful for you (Muslims) absolution from your oaths (of such a kind)) and so the Prophet (pbuh) absolved himself from his oath and married Maria the Copt, (and Allah is your Protector) and Helper. (He is the Knower) He knows that you forbade yourself Maria the Copt, (the Wise) in that which He enjoined about the expiation of oaths.

(When the Prophet confided a fact unto one of his wives) i.e. Hafsah (and when she afterward divulged it) Hafsah divulged to 'A'ishah what the Prophet (pbuh) told her in confidence (and Allah apprised him thereof) and Allah informed him that Hafsah informed 'A'ishah, (he made known (to her) part thereof) part of what she said to 'A'ishah regarding the leadership of Abu Bakr and 'Umar; and it is said: about seeing Maria the Copt on his own (and passed over part) he did not mention making forbidding Maria the Copt on himself nor what he told her concerning the leadership of Abu Bakr and 'Umar after him, for he did not reproach him for this. (And when he told it her) when the Prophet (pbuh) informed Hafsah about what she said to 'A'ishah (she said) Hafsah said: (Who hath told thee) that I informed 'A'ishah? (He said) the Prophet (pbuh) said: (The Knower, the Aware hath told me) what you divulged to 'A'ishah.

(If ye twain turn unto Allah repentant) if you two, i.e. Hafsah and 'A'ishah, repent of hurting and disobeying the Prophet (pbuh) ((ye have cause to do so) for your hearts desired (the ban)) for your hearts have deviated from the Truth; (and if ye aid one another against him (Muhammad)) but if you help one another to harm and disobey him (then lo! Allah, even He, is his protecting Friend) then Allah is his Protector and Helper against you, (and Gabriel) will help him against you (and the righteous among the believers) all true believers are helpers to him against you: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, may Allah be well pleased with, and all other true believers; (and furthermore the angels are his helpers) and the angels are with all these his helpers against you.

(It may happen) and this will surely happen (that his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your stead wives better than you) in obedience, (submissive (to Allah)) by stating it openly, (believing) true in their faith both with their tongues and hearts, (pious) obedient to Allah and to their husband, (penitent) from their sins, (inclined to fasting, widows) like Asiyah Bint Muzahim, the wife of Pharaoh (and maids) like Mary daughter of Amran, the mother of Jesus.

(O ye who believe) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an! (Ward off from yourselves) and your folks (and your families) and wives and children (a Fire) He says: teach them good manners and make them learn goodness, and by doing so you will save them from the Fire (whereof the fuel is men and stones) of sulphur which is the hottest of stones, (over which) over the Fire (are set angels) i.e. the angels in charge of the Fire (strong) huge, (severe) very strong, (who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them) regarding the chastisement of the dwellers of the Fire, (but do) i.e. the angels in charge of the Fire (that which they are commanded.

(Then it will be said): O ye who disbelieve) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an! (Make no excuses for yourselves this day) for your excuses will not be accepted. (Ye are only being paid for what ye used to do) and say in the life of the world.

(O ye who believe) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an! (Turn unto Allah in sincere repentance!) repent of your sins truly and sincerely from the bottom of your hearts. This means feeling regret in one's heart, asking forgiveness with one's tongue and stop engaging in the particular sin one is repenting of with one's body and conscience, intending never to return to it (It may be) �may be� from Allah denotes a necessity (that your Lord will remit from you your evil deeds) forgive your sins through repentance (and bring you) in the Hereafter (into Gardens beneath which) beneath their trees and habitations (rivers flow) rivers of wine, water, honey and milk flow, (on the day) which is the Day of Judgement (when Allah will not abase the Prophet) as He abases the disbelievers; He says: He will not torment the Prophet (pbuh) (and those who believe with him) and will not torment those who believe in him, such as Abu Bakr and his believing brothers. (Their light will run) will shine (before them) on the Bridge over the Fire (and on their right hands: they will say) when the light of the hypocrites is put out: (Our Lord! Perfect our light for us) on the Bridge over hell, (and forgive us) our sins! (Lo! Thou art Able to do all things) of completing our light and forgiving us.

(O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers) the disbelievers of Mecca with the sword until they accept faith (and the hypocrites) of Medina with your tongue by rebuking and threatening them, (and be stern with them) and be hard in words and deeds with both parties. (Hell will be their home) the destination of the disbelievers and hypocrites will be the Fire, (a hapless journey's end) is Gehenna wherein they will end up.

Allah warned 'A'ishah and Hafsah because they hurt the Prophet (pbuh) by mentioning the example of the wives of Noah and Lot, saying: (Allah citeth) Allah explains (an example) a trait (for those who disbelieve) by mentioning the two disbelieving women: (the wife of Noah) Wahilah (and the wife of Lot) Wa'ilah, (who were under two of our righteous slaves) messengers (yet betrayed them) yet opposed them in religion, displaying belief outwardly while hiding their disbelief inwardly, such that they kept their hypocrisy in their hearts; but they did not betray their husbands in the sense that they committed adultery, for no wife of a prophet had ever done this, (so that they the husbands availed them naught) benefited them naught (against Allah) against the chastisement of Allah; i.e. the righteousness of their husbands did not benefit them while they were disbelievers (and it was said (unto them): Enter the Fire) in the Hereafter (along with those who enter) the Fire.

Allah then encouraged them to repent and be good and follow the example of Asiyah Bint Muzahim and Mary daughter of Amran, saying: (And Allah citeth an example) Allah explained the trait to be followed (for those who believe) giving the example of two Muslim women: (the wife of Pharaoh) Asiyah Bint Muzahim (when she said) regarding Pharaoh's torture of her: (My Lord! Build for me a home with Thee in the Garden) so that Pharaoh's torture becomes bearable for me, (and deliver me from Pharaoh) from the religion of Pharaoh (and his work) and his torture, (and deliver me from evil doing folk) the disbelievers. Thus the disbelief of her husband did not harm her because of her faith and sincerity;

(And Mary, daughter of Imran, whose body was chaste, therefore We breathed therein something of Our Spirit) and so Gabriel breathed inside her garment and she became pregnant with Jesus. (And she put faith in the words of her Lord) she believed in what Gabriel told her that he was the Messenger of Allah entrusted with giving her a holy son (and His Scriptures) and she also believed in His Scriptures: the Torah, the Gospel and all other Scriptures; it is also said this means: she believed in the words of her Lord that Jesus the son of Mary will come into being by Allah saying �Be!� and he became a human being, and she also believed in His Scripture: the Gospel, (and was of the obedient) in times of hardship and comfort; and it is also said that this means: and she was obedient to He Who is far transcendent and majestic'.