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Chapter 66

The Forbiddingal-Taḥrīm ( التحريم )

12 verses • revealed at Medinan

»The surah that opens with admonishing the Prophet against The Forbidding or prohibition of something he once imposed on himself for the purpose of not offending his wives, though God had made it lawful for him. Named after the phrase “why do you forbid” (li mā tuḥrimu) in verse 1. It mentions two of the Prophet’s wives, namely Ḥafṣah and ʿĀyishah, for an incident when a confidence was betrayed (verse 3 ff.) and urges all believers to submit themselves to God and to guard themselves and their families against Hellfire (verse 6). The surah closes by giving examples of believing and disbelieving women (verse 10 ff.).«

The surah is also known as Holding (something) to be Forbidden, The Prohibition

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

N. J. Dawood: In The Name Of God, The Compassionate, The Merciful

1
يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ ما أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبتَغي مَرضاتَ أَزواجِكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

N. J. Dawood

Prophet, why do you prohibit that which God has made lawful for you, in seeking to please your wives?1 God is forgiving and merciful.
  • Muḥammad, we are told, was once found by his wife Ḥafṣah with a Coptic slave from whom he had promised her to separate. Of this Ḥafṣah secretly informed ‘Ā’ishah, another wife of his. To free Muḥammad from his promise to Ḥafṣah was the object of this chapter. Some of the references are obscure.