NAME: التحريم, At-Tahrim.
Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of the word ”Tuharram”.
١ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِي مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
1 O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.s.
But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.
ENGLISH NAME: Forbiddance/Prohibition.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 66
SURAH TAHRIM TOTAL VERSES: 12
SURAH TAHRIM TOTAL WORDS: 254
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 197
TOTAL LETTERS: 1,105
REVELATION PERIOD:
Medinan, Approx. 629 – 630 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Prophet Muhammad, His Wives, Gabriel, Angels, Believers, Wives of Prophet Nuh And Lut, Wife Of Pharaoh, Mary/Maryam.
SURAH TAHRIM MAIN TOPICS:
Wives Of Prophet Warned And Asked for Repentance, If Prophet Divorce, Allah Will Give Him Others Better Than The Present Wives.
SURAH TAHRIM KEY VERSES:
٣ وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَىٰ بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتْ بِهِ وَأَظْهَرَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَرَّفَ بَعْضَهُ وَأَعْرَضَ عَنْ بَعْضٍ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِ قَالَتْ مَنْ أَنْبَأَكَ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِيَ الْعَلِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ
3 And [remember] when the Prophet confided to one of his wives a statement; and when she informed [another] of it and Allah showed it to him, he made known part of it and ignored a part. And when he informed her about it, she said, “Who told you this?” He said, “I was informed by the Knowing, the Acquainted.”
٤ إِنْ تَتُوبَا إِلَى اللَّهِ فَقَدْ صَغَتْ قُلُوبُكُمَا ۖ وَإِنْ تَظَاهَرَا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَاهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَالِحُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ
4 If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated. But if you cooperate against him – then indeed Allah is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels, moreover, are [his] assistants.
٥ عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِنْكُنَّ مُسْلِمَاتٍ مُؤْمِنَاتٍ قَانِتَاتٍ تَائِبَاتٍ عَابِدَاتٍ سَائِحَاتٍ ثَيِّبَاتٍ وَأَبْكَارًا
5 Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you – submitting [to Allah], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, and traveling – [ones] previously married and virgins.
١٠ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا امْرَأَتَ نُوحٍ وَامْرَأَتَ لُوطٍ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَالِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَقِيلَ ادْخُلَا النَّارَ مَعَ الدَّاخِلِينَ
10 Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them, so those prophets did not avail them from Allah at all, and it was said, “Enter the Fire with those who enter.”
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1(Instructions To prophet That Do Not Make Something Unlawful Which Allah Has Made Lawful, Wives Of Prophet Admonished), 2(Expiation Of Oaths), 3(Prophet Gave A Secret To A Wife, She Told To The Other, Allah Revealed This To Prophet, He Inquired), 4(Wives Are Instructed To Repent, Otherwise God Is With Prophet, And Prophet Has Protector Gabriel And Other Angels And Helpers From Believers), 5(If Prophet Divorce, Allah Will Give Him Others Better Than The Present Wives), 6(Hell Fuel Is Men And Stones, Its Guardian Are Angels, Harsh And Severe), 8(Last Day Believers Light/Nur Will Proceed Before Them And On Their Right), 10(Example Of Prophet Nuh And Lut Wives For Disbelievers), 11-12(Example Of Pharaoh Wife And Of Mary/Maryam For Believers)
SURAH TAHRIM BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND
This Surah has 12 verses divided into 2 Rukus/Sections. It takes its name from verse 1: “…. يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ” (O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you…..) where the word “تُحَرِّمُ” meaning “you prohibit” appears. This Surah was revealed in Madina around 7th to 8th year after Hijrah 629-630 AD.
It refers to an incident that took place between the Prophet and his wives. There are different traditions some say that Prophet’s Oath was regarding Honey, and some say it was regarding not going to one of His wives. In the second case the narrations tell that the women were either Hazrat Safia or Hazrat Maria Qibtiyyah and because both were very beautiful and in Hazrat Aisha’s words I have never felt so much jealous of any of prophet’s wife and marriage as with Safia/OR Maria. Thus she with the help of Hazrat Hafsa plotted a plan and Prophet swear that he will not go to Safia Or Maria’s apartment again.
Most consensus is that the incident referred here was regarding honey. Some traditions state it was Hafsah who gave Prophet the honey and Aaisha with the help of Hazrat Sawdah bint Zamah plotted. Other narrations tell it was Zaynab bint Jahsh who gave the honey to the Prophet, while Aaisha and Hafsah were the plotters.
A detail of the event is mentioned below as per two Bukhari Hadiths whose references are also quoted.
Book: Divorce – كتاب الطلاق
Global Id: 5121 (17)
English reference: Vol. 7, Book 63, Hadith 193
Arabic reference: Book 68, Hadith 5323
حَدَّثَنَا فَرْوَةُ بْنُ أَبِي الْمَغْرَاءِ