Surah 66. At-Tahrim Prohibition - English Translation

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Verses : 12
التحريم
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

bookmark 1. O prophet! Why do you prohibit what God has permitted for you, seeking to please your wives? God is Forgiving and Merciful.

1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِى مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَٰجِكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

bookmark 2. God has decreed for you the dissolution of your oaths. God is your Master. He is the All-Knowing, the Most Wise.

2. قَدْ فَرَضَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ تَحِلَّةَ أَيْمَٰنِكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

bookmark 3. The Prophet told something in confidence to one of his wives. But when she disclosed it, and God made it known to him; he communicated part of it, and he avoided another part. Then, when he informed her of it, she said, “Who informed you of this?” He said, “The All-Knowing, the All-Informed, informed me.”

3. وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِلَىٰ بَعْضِ أَزْوَٰجِهِۦ حَدِيثًۭا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتْ بِهِۦ وَأَظْهَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَرَّفَ بَعْضَهُۥ وَأَعْرَضَ عَنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِۦ قَالَتْ مَنْ أَنۢبَأَكَ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِىَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ

bookmark 4. If you repent to God, then your hearts have listened. But if you band together against him, then God is his Ally, as is Gabriel, and the righteous believers. In addition, the angels will assist him.

4. إِن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ صَغَتْ قُلُوبُكُمَا ۖ وَإِن تَظَٰهَرَا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَٰلِحُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ

bookmark 5. Perhaps, if he divorces you, his Lord will give him in exchange wives better than you: submissive, believing, obedient, penitent, devout, fasting—previously married, or virgins.

5. عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُۥٓ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُۥٓ أَزْوَٰجًا خَيْرًۭا مِّنكُنَّ مُسْلِمَٰتٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَٰتٍۢ قَٰنِتَٰتٍۢ تَٰٓئِبَٰتٍ عَٰبِدَٰتٍۢ سَٰٓئِحَٰتٍۢ ثَيِّبَٰتٍۢ وَأَبْكَارًۭا

bookmark 6. O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire, whose fuel is people and stones. Over it are angels, fierce and powerful. They never disobey God in anything He commands them, and they carry out whatever they are commanded.

6. يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًۭا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌۭ شِدَادٌۭ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

bookmark 7. O you who disbelieved! Make no excuses today. You are being repaid for what you used to do.

7. يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

bookmark 8. O you who believe! Repent to God with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remit your sins, and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the Day when God will not disappoint the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light streaming before them, and to their right, they will say, “Our Lord, complete our light for us, and forgive us; You are capable of all things.”

8. يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةًۭ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ ۖ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ

bookmark 9. O prophet! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Their abode is Hell. What a miserable destination!

9. يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَٰهِدِ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

bookmark 10. God illustrates an example of those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants, but they betrayed them. They availed them nothing against God, and it was said, “Enter the Fire with those who are entering.”

10. ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ نُوحٍۢ وَٱمْرَأَتَ لُوطٍۢ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَٰلِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًۭٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدْخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ

bookmark 11. And God illustrates an example of those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, “My Lord, build for me, with you, a house in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his works, and save me from the wrongdoing people.”

11. وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًۭا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

bookmark 12. And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her womb, and so We breathed into her of Our Spirit; and she believed in the truth of her Lord’s Words and His Books, and was one of the devout.

12. وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَٰنِتِينَ

Context of Revelation

Surah At-Taḥrīm (The Prohibition) is a Medinan surah consisting of 12 verses. It was revealed following an incident in the household of the Prophet ﷺ, where he made a personal vow to abstain from something lawful in order to please some of his wives. God reminded him of his prophetic mission, revealing this surah to reaffirm the balance between compassion within the family and fidelity to divine guidance.

According to authentic exegeses such as Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr and Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, the event involved some of the Prophet’s wives — notably ʿĀ’isha and Ḥafṣa — and served as a lesson that even the Prophet ﷺ must not let personal emotions interfere with his divine duty.

Main Teachings and Key Insights

Surah At-Taḥrīm imparts essential lessons on sincerity toward God, responsibility within the family, and spiritual reform. Its main teachings include:

  • God forbids making unlawful what He has made lawful — emotional excess must yield to divine obedience. (vv. 1–2)
  • The Prophet’s wives are reminded to honor their elevated status and the moral responsibilities that come with it. (vv. 3–5)
  • The call to sincere repentance — believers are urged to purify their hearts and homes. (v. 8)
  • A warning for families — “Protect yourselves and your families from the Fire.” (v. 6)
  • Examples of women: two disbelieving wives (of Noah and Lot) and two exemplary believers (Asiya, wife of Pharaoh, and Mary, mother of Jesus). (vv. 10–12)

The surah highlights moral accountability within the family unit and the principle that true faith is personal, not inherited through blood or marriage.

Structure and Main Themes

  • Introduction (vv. 1–2): God’s gentle reprimand to the Prophet ﷺ for declaring something unlawful and the reminder of divine forgiveness.
  • Admonition to the Prophet’s wives (vv. 3–5): a call to upright conduct and spiritual awareness.
  • Spiritual responsibility (v. 6): command to believers to safeguard their families from the Fire.
  • Call to repentance (vv. 7–8): encouragement to return to God with sincerity.
  • Contrasting examples of women (vv. 9–12): moral models and warnings for all believers.

The tone of the surah is firm yet compassionate, combining divine discipline with mercy, and urging moral reform beginning at home.

Key Verse

The central verse of the surah is verse 6:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ

O you who believe! Guard yourselves and your families against a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.

Why this verse is key:

  • It defines the spiritual duty of believers to guide and protect their households in matters of faith and morality.
  • It establishes the idea of spiritual leadership within the family: protection through prayer, teaching, and moral example.
  • It encapsulates the ethical message of the surah: genuine faith is expressed through active responsibility, education, and care within the home.

In summary, Surah At-Taḥrīm underscores the values of sincerity in faith, family piety, and personal accountability. It teaches that true reform begins within one’s household and that God’s mercy embraces those who repent sincerely and act with justice.

Surah At-Tahrim
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