سُوْرَةُ التَّحْرِيْمِ
Surah At-Tahrim (66) — Ayah 1
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِى مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَٰجِكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿1﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allâh has allowed to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O
ٱلنَّبِىُّ
l-nabiyu
Prophet
لِمَ
lima
Why (do)
تُحَرِّمُ
tuḥarrimu
you prohibit
مَآ
mā
what
أَحَلَّ
aḥalla
has made lawful
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكَ ۖ
laka
for you
تَبْتَغِى
tabtaghī
seeking
مَرْضَاتَ
marḍāta
(to) please
أَزْوَٰجِكَ ۚ
azwājika
your wives
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
غَفُورٌۭ
ghafūrun
(is) Oft-Forgiving
رَّحِيمٌۭ
raḥīmun
Most Merciful
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
O Prophet! Why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you? Do you seek the pleasure of your wives [1]? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
[1]
The Prophet’s Oath to Abstain from Honey and the Instruction of Secrecy:
It was the daily routine of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that after the Asr prayer, he would visit all his wives’ homes, so that he could remain fully informed about the household affairs and ensure that all was well. Once, when he visited Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ, she gave him a drink of honey. Thus, he stayed there for a while. The next day as well, Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ gave him honey to drink, and since the Prophet ﷺ liked honey and its drink very much, this too became a sort of daily routine, that he would spend some time at Sayyidah Zainab’s ؓ house. This was displeasing to the other wives, especially Sayyidah Aisha ؓ and Sayyidah Hafsa ؓ, because each of the Prophet’s wives wanted to be the main focus of his attention. So, Sayyidah Aisha ؓ and Sayyidah Hafsa ؓ devised a plan to make the Prophet ﷺ give up his habit of drinking honey at Sayyidah Zainab’s ؓ house. They decided to say to him that a smell of maghafir (a type of gum with an unpleasant odor) was coming from his mouth. When one wife said this and then the other said something similar, the Prophet ﷺ began to suspect that perhaps such an odor was indeed coming from him, and he had a strong aversion to unpleasant smells. Also, he wished to please these wives. Therefore, he swore an oath that he would no longer drink honey at Sayyidah Zainab’s ؓ house. Imam Bukhari has briefly narrated this incident as follows: Sayyidah Aisha ؓ says: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to stay at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ and drink honey. Hafsa ؓ and I agreed that whichever of us the Prophet ﷺ visited, she would say: “Did you eat maghafir? I smell maghafir from you.” (And so they did.) The Prophet ﷺ said: “No! Rather, I drank honey at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ. Now I swear that I will never drink honey again. And do not tell anyone about this.” [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير۔ تفسير سورة تحريم]
The Authority to Declare Lawful and Unlawful Belongs Only to Allah:
Incidentally, this verse sheds light on several important matters. For example:
1. The authority to declare something lawful (halal) or unlawful (haram) belongs only to Allah. Not even a prophet, including the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, had the authority to declare something lawful or unlawful by his own will, or to declare something lawful as unlawful or something unlawful as lawful.
2.
The Status of the Messenger is Distinct from Ordinary People:
If a person, for some reason, declares a lawful thing unlawful for himself, or abandons it for a period, or swears an oath to give it up, this in itself is not a major sin. For example, if some people are harmed by beef and therefore stop eating it or swear not to eat it, this is not a sin. But the matter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is not of a personal nature. Rather, his essential and fundamental status is that of a Messenger, whose every action is a model and obligatory to follow for the Ummah. Therefore, Allah took him to task for this action, lest his Ummah also consider honey unlawful or at least disliked. In other words, any action of the Prophet that is not in accordance with Allah’s pleasure and will, even if it is only a matter of leaving what is preferable (tark-e-awla), is immediately corrected through clear revelation.
3.
Types of Hidden Revelation (Wahi Khafi):
Just as there are three types of Sunnah: verbal (qawli)—that which is known or established from the Prophet’s ﷺ words; practical (fi’li)—that which is known or established from his actions; and written (tahriiri) sunnah—when an action occurs in his presence and he does not object or remains silent, and such Sunnah is also a proof. Similarly, there are three types of hidden revelation (other than the Quran). Verbal revelation are the sayings that were revealed to the Prophet ﷺ through Jibreel ؑ, such as prescribed supplications and tashahhud, etc. Practical revelation is the act whose method was taught to the Prophet ﷺ by Jibreel ؑ, for example, the method of performing prayer. Tacit revelation is when Allah, by way of approval, remains silent regarding the Prophet’s ﷺ ijtihad, statement, or action. Many of the Prophet’s sayings and actions are of this kind. And if there is anything in the Prophet’s statement or action that is contrary to Allah’s will, He immediately corrects it by drawing attention to it.
The Meaning of the Infallibility of the Prophets:
It is possible for even the greatest of distinguished humans, including the Prophets, to make a mistake. The only difference is that the mistake of the Prophets is immediately corrected through revelation, so that their lives remain completely unblemished (which, in technical terms, is called the infallibility of the Prophets), making them a model worthy of imitation and obligatory to follow for the Ummah. This status is not granted to anyone other than the Prophets.
[1]
The Prophet’s Oath to Abstain from Honey and the Instruction of Secrecy:
It was the daily routine of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that after the Asr prayer, he would visit all his wives’ homes, so that he could remain fully informed about the household affairs and ensure that all was well. Once, when he visited Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ, she gave him a drink of honey. Thus, he stayed there for a while. The next day as well, Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ gave him honey to drink, and since the Prophet ﷺ liked honey and its drink very much, this too became a sort of daily routine, that he would spend some time at Sayyidah Zainab’s ؓ house. This was displeasing to the other wives, especially Sayyidah Aisha ؓ and Sayyidah Hafsa ؓ, because each of the Prophet’s wives wanted to be the main focus of his attention. So, Sayyidah Aisha ؓ and Sayyidah Hafsa ؓ devised a plan to make the Prophet ﷺ give up his habit of drinking honey at Sayyidah Zainab’s ؓ house. They decided to say to him that a smell of maghafir (a type of gum with an unpleasant odor) was coming from his mouth. When one wife said this and then the other said something similar, the Prophet ﷺ began to suspect that perhaps such an odor was indeed coming from him, and he had a strong aversion to unpleasant smells. Also, he wished to please these wives. Therefore, he swore an oath that he would no longer drink honey at Sayyidah Zainab’s ؓ house. Imam Bukhari has briefly narrated this incident as follows: Sayyidah Aisha ؓ says: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to stay at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ and drink honey. Hafsa ؓ and I agreed that whichever of us the Prophet ﷺ visited, she would say: “Did you eat maghafir? I smell maghafir from you.” (And so they did.) The Prophet ﷺ said: “No! Rather, I drank honey at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh ؓ. Now I swear that I will never drink honey again. And do not tell anyone about this.” [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير۔ تفسير سورة تحريم]
The Authority to Declare Lawful and Unlawful Belongs Only to Allah:
Incidentally, this verse sheds light on several important matters. For example:
1. The authority to declare something lawful (halal) or unlawful (haram) belongs only to Allah. Not even a prophet, including the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, had the authority to declare something lawful or unlawful by his own will, or to declare something lawful as unlawful or something unlawful as lawful.
2.
The Status of the Messenger is Distinct from Ordinary People:
If a person, for some reason, declares a lawful thing unlawful for himself, or abandons it for a period, or swears an oath to give it up, this in itself is not a major sin. For example, if some people are harmed by beef and therefore stop eating it or swear not to eat it, this is not a sin. But the matter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is not of a personal nature. Rather, his essential and fundamental status is that of a Messenger, whose every action is a model and obligatory to follow for the Ummah. Therefore, Allah took him to task for this action, lest his Ummah also consider honey unlawful or at least disliked. In other words, any action of the Prophet that is not in accordance with Allah’s pleasure and will, even if it is only a matter of leaving what is preferable (tark-e-awla), is immediately corrected through clear revelation.
3.
Types of Hidden Revelation (Wahi Khafi):
Just as there are three types of Sunnah: verbal (qawli)—that which is known or established from the Prophet’s ﷺ words; practical (fi’li)—that which is known or established from his actions; and written (tahriiri) sunnah—when an action occurs in his presence and he does not object or remains silent, and such Sunnah is also a proof. Similarly, there are three types of hidden revelation (other than the Quran). Verbal revelation are the sayings that were revealed to the Prophet ﷺ through Jibreel ؑ, such as prescribed supplications and tashahhud, etc. Practical revelation is the act whose method was taught to the Prophet ﷺ by Jibreel ؑ, for example, the method of performing prayer. Tacit revelation is when Allah, by way of approval, remains silent regarding the Prophet’s ﷺ ijtihad, statement, or action. Many of the Prophet’s sayings and actions are of this kind. And if there is anything in the Prophet’s statement or action that is contrary to Allah’s will, He immediately corrects it by drawing attention to it.
The Meaning of the Infallibility of the Prophets:
It is possible for even the greatest of distinguished humans, including the Prophets, to make a mistake. The only difference is that the mistake of the Prophets is immediately corrected through revelation, so that their lives remain completely unblemished (which, in technical terms, is called the infallibility of the Prophets), making them a model worthy of imitation and obligatory to follow for the Ummah. This status is not granted to anyone other than the Prophets.
