Chapter 66 - 107
The Prohibition (Surah Al-Tahrim)
(12 verses - revealed in Madinah – during 7th year of Hijrah)
In the Name of Allah, the God of Mercy, the Endower of Mercy!
O Prophet! Why do you abstain from something (haram) for yourself while Allah has made it lawful (halal) for you? Do you seek to please your wives? Allah is Ever Forgiving, Merciful! Allah has allowed you all to expiate your oaths (in such cases) – Allah is your Patron, being All Knowing, Wise! (v. 1-2)
When the Prophet confided with one of his wives, she informed others of it and Allah made the matter (of disclosure) known to him (Prophet) – some part of it, while excluding other details. When he (Prophet) questioned her of it, she said, “Who told you of this?” and the Prophet replied, “I was informed by the One, the Knowing, the Aware!” If you both (wives of the Prophet) repent, then your hearts are really inclined to Allah but if you back each other up against him (Prophet), then (know that) Allah is his Patron as well as Gabriel and righteous believers and further aided by angels as well. (v. 3-4)
Perhaps your Sustainer God, if he (Prophet) were to divorce you, give him in your place wives better than you – being a Muslim, faithful, conforming, humble, in love, abstaining – a widow or a virgin. (v. 5)
O Believers! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones with angels guarding – strong and stern – never disobeying Allah in what they are commanded and always executing as expected. O Disbelievers! Make no excuse this Day – your reward is based on what you did! (v. 6-7)
O Believers! Turn to Allah with a sincere repentance. Perchance your Sustainer God will remove from your evil deeds and allow you to enter the Gardens with flowing streams on this Day when Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who believe with him. They will say, having lights in front of them and on their right hands, “Our Sustainer God, may you make our lights most perfect and grant us protection. Indeed You possess power over all things.” (v. 8)
O Prophet! Strive (jahidi) against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and remain firm against them – their resident will be Hell and it is an evil dwelling place! (v. 9)
For the disbelievers, Allah presents examples of the wives of Noah and Lot, who acted hypocritically against their righteous husbands, who could not do nothing to protect them against Allah and (the wives) were commanded, “Enter the Fire with other entrants.” While an example for the believers is the wife of Pharaoh as she said, “My Sustainer God, may You build me a house with You in the Garden and protect me from Pharoah and his corruptions, and save me from unjust people.” (Another example is) Mary, the daughter of Amran who maintained her chastity and We (God) breathed Our Spirit (ruh) into her womb, and she affirmed the Word1 from her Sustainer God, God’s scriptures and was deeply devoted to God. (v. 10-12)
1 “Kalimah” or Word of God has different meanings depending the context – actual word of God, God’s command and entity that is created as a result of God’s command, which in this context refers to Jesus (see also…)
