📗 Surah At-Tahrim – Overview

🪶 Arabic Name: سورة التحريم

📝 Meaning: “The Prohibition”

📍 Classification: Madani (Medinan)

🔢 Total Verses: 12

⏳ Chronological Order of Revelation: 107th Surah revealed (a Late Medinan Surah)

📖 Key Themes: The relationship between the Prophet (ﷺ) and his wives, The gravity of oaths and their expiation, The call to repentance, The responsibility to protect one’s family from Hellfire, and Powerful examples of believing and disbelieving women.

🍯 Verse 66:1 — The Honey Incident: When Pleasing Your Family Displeases God (Key Event)

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan (c. 7-9 AH / 628-631 CE) — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah opens with one of the most personal and intimate divine addresses to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the entire Qur’an. The context, as narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and other sources, revolves around a minor domestic incident. The Prophet (ﷺ) had a fondness for a sweet drink, often honey, which he would sometimes take in the apartment of one of his wives, Zaynab bint Jahsh (RA). Some of his other wives, namely Aisha (RA) and Hafsa (RA), became jealous. They conspired playfully that when he next visited them after having the honey, they would both comment that his breath had an unpleasant odor (from the maghafir flower, which honeybees sometimes visited). Being extremely sensitive to any unpleasant smell, the Prophet (ﷺ) was affected by their comment and made an oath, a personal prohibition (tahrim), upon himself to never drink that honey again, simply to please his wives. This verse was revealed as a gentle, loving admonishment. It was not a rebuke for a sin, but a correction of priorities: “O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives?”

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Madinah (c. 7-9 AH). This is a direct commentary on a specific, real-time event in the Prophet’s (ﷺ) household.

“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.” (Qur’an 66:1)

• Primary evidence: The Asbab al-Nuzul for this verse is one of the most famous and widely reported in the canonical hadith collections. The narration from Aisha (RA) in Sahih al-Bukhari details the “honey incident” as the direct cause for this revelation. While another, weaker narration speaks of an incident with his concubine Mariyah, the honey incident is the most authenticated and widely accepted context.
• Classical tafsir: All major commentators, from Al-Tabari to Ibn Kathir, present the honey incident as the primary context for this verse. They emphasize that the verse’s purpose was to gently guide the Prophet (ﷺ) and to establish the legal principle that making a lawful thing unlawful for oneself through an oath requires expiation.

• Location/Context: The Prophet’s (ﷺ) household in Madinah.
• Primary Actors: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and his wives Aisha (RA), Hafsa (RA), and Zaynab bint Jahsh (RA).
• Function in Narrative: To gently admonish the Prophet (ﷺ) for making a personal prohibition, to establish the limits of legislative authority, and to introduce the topic of oaths.
• Evidence Level: High (Certain). The historical event is directly narrated by an eyewitness (Aisha RA) in the most authentic hadith collections (Sahih al-Bukhari) and is the consensus opinion of classical scholars.

📜 Verse 66:2 — The Legal Exit: How to Dissolve a Troublesome Oath

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan (c. 7-9 AH) — Confidence: High (100%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): This verse is the direct legal solution to the problem presented in the previous verse. After the Prophet (ﷺ) made his oath to abstain from honey, this verse was revealed to provide the way out. It establishes the principle of Tahrir al-Yamin (the dissolution of an oath) through expiation (kaffarah). It states that Allah has already prescribed this legal remedy for the believers. The details of the expiation itself are not given here but are found elsewhere in the Qur’an (in Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:89), which includes feeding or clothing ten poor people, or fasting for three days. This verse simply affirms that a legal mechanism exists, and the Prophet (ﷺ) is not bound by his vow. The verse concludes by reminding him, “And Allah is your protector, and He is the Knowing, the Wise,” reinforcing that this legal guidance is from the ultimate authority and is based on perfect wisdom.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Madinah. This is a direct legal ruling provided for the specific situation of the Prophet (ﷺ) and generalized for the community.

• Primary evidence: The verse is the direct and necessary legal solution to the issue raised in verse 1. Its placement and content are logically inseparable from the opening of the Surah.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators confirm that this verse instructed the Prophet (ﷺ) to perform the expiation for his oath and resume consuming what he had prohibited for himself. It thus serves as the legislative basis for the practice of Kaffarat al-Yamin.

• Location/Context: Madinah.
• Primary Actors: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the Muslim community.
• Function in Narrative: To provide the legal solution for dissolving an oath through expiation, freeing the Prophet (ﷺ) from his vow.
• Evidence Level: High (Certain). This verse is the explicit legal answer to the problem posed in the preceding verse, making its context and purpose self-evident within the text.

🤫 Verse 66:3 — The Leaked Secret: A Test of Trust in the Prophetic Household

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan (c. 7-9 AH) — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): This verse delves deeper into the domestic drama. After the Prophet (ﷺ) made his oath regarding the honey, he confided this matter as a secret to one of his wives (Hafsa RA). He asked her not to tell anyone. However, driven by her close friendship with Aisha (RA), Hafsa (RA) disclosed the secret to her. Allah (SWT) then informed His Prophet (ﷺ) of this breach of confidence. When the Prophet (ﷺ) confronted Hafsa (RA), telling her he knew she had revealed the secret (mentioning only part of what she had said out of kindness), she was stunned and asked, “Who told you this?” He replied, “I was informed by the All-Knowing, the Acquainted.” This incident elevated the domestic issue into a serious matter of trust and discretion within the prophetic household. It was a test for his wives, demonstrating that even their most private conversations were not hidden from Allah, who would protect and inform His Messenger.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Madinah. A specific, private conversation and its aftermath within the Prophet’s (ﷺ) home.

“And [remember] when the Prophet confided to one of his wives a statement; and when she informed [another] of it and Allah exposed 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.'” (Qur’an 66:3)

• Primary evidence: This verse directly continues the narrative of the domestic incident. The act of confiding a secret and its subsequent disclosure is part of the same story arc that began with the prohibition of honey.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators are in agreement that the Prophet (ﷺ) confided in Hafsa (RA), and she told Aisha (RA). They praise the Prophet’s (ﷺ) gentle handling of the confrontation as an example of his noble character, as he did not expose everything he knew, thus preserving his wife’s dignity even while correcting her.

• Location/Context: The Prophet’s (ﷺ) household in Madinah.
• Primary Actors: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), Hafsa (RA), and Aisha (RA).
• Function in Narrative: To detail the breach of confidence within the Prophet’s (ﷺ) household, to teach the importance of keeping trusts, and to demonstrate the Prophet’s (ﷺ) divinely-given knowledge.
• Evidence Level: High. This is a direct continuation of the narrative from the preceding verses, and the identities of the actors are well-established in the Tafsir literature.

🤝 Verse 66:4 — A Call to Repentance: Two Wives vs. A Divine Alliance

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan (c. 7-9 AH) — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): This verse is the climax of the divine admonishment directed at the two wives involved, Aisha (RA) and Hafsa (RA). After their conspiracy regarding the honey and the breaking of the secret, this verse calls them directly to repentance. It states, “If you two repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated.” This is a stern but merciful call to turn back to the right path. The verse then delivers a powerful warning about the consequences if they were to persist in colluding against the Prophet (ﷺ). It lays out a formidable alliance in his defense: his protector is Allah Himself, followed by the angel Jibril, all the righteous believers, and all the other angels. This was a divine declaration that the Prophet’s (ﷺ) well-being was not dependent on his wives’ approval and that any opposition to him was opposition to an alliance of cosmic proportions.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Madinah.

“If you two repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have inclined. But if you conspire against him – then indeed, Allah is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels, after that, are [his] assistants.” (Qur’an 66:4)

• Primary evidence: The verse explicitly addresses two women (“if you two repent”), directly linking it to the two wives, Aisha and Hafsa, who are the known protagonists of the honey incident.
• Classical tafsir: There is a famous hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari where Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), the father of Hafsa, confirms that the “two” being addressed are indeed Aisha and Hafsa. He narrates his own concern over his daughter’s involvement and the seriousness with which this divine intervention was taken.

• Location/Context: Madinah.
• Primary Actors: Aisha (RA) and Hafsa (RA).
• Function in Narrative: To call the two wives to repentance and to issue a stern warning about the divine and angelic support that the Prophet (ﷺ) enjoys.
• Evidence Level: High (Certain). The dual form of the verbs and pronouns in the Arabic text, combined with the clear hadith from Umar (RA) in Bukhari, makes the identification of the addressees certain.

⚠️ Verse 66:5 — The Divine Ultimatum: Better Wives Are Easy for God to Provide

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan (c. 7-9 AH) — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): This verse is the final, powerful ultimatum in the domestic episode. It is a hypothetical but severe warning to all of the Prophet’s wives, expanding the address from just the two involved. The verse states that if the Prophet (ﷺ) were to divorce them all, Allah could easily replace them with a whole new set of wives who are “better than you”—and then it lists their ideal qualities: submitting to Allah, believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, and given to fasting, whether previously married or virgins. This was not a literal threat that was going to be carried out, but a powerful rhetorical device to make the wives realize the immense blessing and honor of their position and to caution them against taking it for granted.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Madinah (as a hypothetical future).

• Primary evidence: This verse is the rhetorical climax of the warning to the Prophet’s wives, following logically from the previous admonishments. Its tone and content fit perfectly within the context of the domestic dispute.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators connect this verse to the month-long separation of the Prophet (ﷺ) from his wives. They see it as the height of the divine reproach, meant to make the wives fully appreciate the gravity of causing grief to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the precariousness of their honored position if they failed in their duty.

• Location/Context: Madinah.
• Primary Actors: All the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ).
• Function in Narrative: To serve as a final, stern warning to the Prophet’s wives, reminding them of their duties and the blessing of their position.
• Evidence Level: High. The verse is the clear culmination of the preceding narrative about the domestic incident, and it is historically linked to the Prophet’s month-long separation from his wives.

🔥 Verse 66:6 — The Family Fireguard: Protect Yourselves and Your Kin from Hell

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan (General Medinan Context) — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): With this verse, the Surah makes a crucial pivot. It moves from the specific, private affairs of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) household to a universal, public command for all believers. The opening verses showed a prophet trying to manage his family; this verse now commands every believer to take on that same responsibility. The command is stark and urgent: “O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.” This verse established the principle that a believer’s duty is not just their own personal salvation, but also the spiritual well-being of their family. It is a call to active teaching, guidance, and creating a righteous household environment. The verse then describes the terrifying nature of this Fire and its merciless angelic guards.

Referenced Timeline: The Continuous Present (a command for all time) & The Eschatological Future (the description of Hell).

“O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe…” (Qur’an 66:6)

• Primary evidence: The thematic shift from the specific case of the Prophet’s family to a general command for all believers’ families is a logical progression, turning a private lesson into a public principle. This is a common rhetorical structure in the Qur’an.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators unanimously interpret this verse as establishing the religious duty of a Muslim to educate and guide their family. Al-Tabari explains that “protecting” them means teaching them the duties they owe to Allah and the proper manners of life, so that they may be saved from the Fire.

• Location/Context: Madinah.
• Primary Actors: The entire community of believers.
• Function in Narrative: To universalize the lesson from the Prophet’s (ﷺ) household, establishing the principle of spiritual responsibility for one’s family.
• Evidence Level: High. The verse’s content is a direct and logical application of the themes of the Surah to the general populace, a necessary step in turning a specific incident into timeless guidance.

🚫 Verse 66:7 — The Day of No Excuses: A Direct Address to the Damned

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): This verse is a dramatic shift in perspective. It is a direct, terrifying address to the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment, spoken as they are being cast into the Fire described in the previous verse. The angels will say to them, “O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses this Day. You are only being recompensed for what you used to do.” This verse is not directed at the believers in Madinah, but serves as a vivid portrayal of the future that awaits those who reject the message. It’s a literary device that transports the listener to the scene of judgment, making the consequences of disbelief immediate and palpable. It reinforces the lesson of verse 6 by showing the terrible reality from which believers are commanded to protect their families.

Referenced Timeline: The Eschatological Future (The Day of Judgment).

• Primary evidence: The verse is a direct description of the Day of Judgment and is thematically linked to the mention of the Fire in the preceding verse. Its purpose is to contrast the fate of the disbelievers with the call to repentance for believers that follows.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators explain this as a depiction of the scene when the disbelievers are brought before Hell. It is a declaration that the time for debate, argument, and excuses is over. All that remains is the direct recompense for one’s own actions.

• Location/Context: Revealed in Madinah, describing a future event.
• Primary Actors: The disbelievers on the Day of Judgment.
• Function in Narrative: To provide a vivid and terrifying depiction of the consequences of disbelief, reinforcing the urgency of the call to faith and repentance.
• Evidence Level: High. This eschatological scene serves as the necessary dark counterpoint to the message of hope and repentance offered to the believers.

✨ Verse 66:8 — The Sincere Repentance: The Path to Light and Forgiveness

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): After the terrifying glimpse into Hell, the Surah immediately turns back to the believers with a message of immense hope. This verse contains the famous command to make Tawbatan Nasuha—a sincere, pure, and earnest repentance. It’s the positive path away from the fate described in the previous verse. The verse outlines the reward for this sincere repentance: the removal of sins and entry into Paradise. It then paints a beautiful picture of the believers on the Day of Judgment, their light “radiating before them and on their right,” a stark contrast to the darkness of the disbelievers. It even gives them the words to a prayer they will say on that Day: “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent.” This verse serves as the ultimate answer and solution to the entire Surah’s drama, from the minor slips in the Prophet’s (ﷺ) home to the major sins of disbelief.

Referenced Timeline: The Continuous Present (a command for all time) & The Eschatological Future (the description of believers on the Day of Judgment).

“O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow…” (Qur’an 66:8)

• Primary evidence: This verse provides the ultimate hopeful resolution to all the admonishments in the Surah. After correcting the Prophet’s wives and warning the believers, it gives them the clear path to rectification and success.
• Classical tafsir: Scholars have extensively defined what constitutes “sincere repentance.” Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) and others are reported to have said it means to repent from a sin and have no intention of ever returning to it. This verse is held up as the primary textual evidence for the conditions and immense virtue of repentance in Islam.

• Location/Context: Madinah.
• Primary Actors: The entire community of believers.
• Function in Narrative: To provide the ultimate solution and path to salvation—sincere repentance—and to describe the magnificent reward for it in the Hereafter.
• Evidence Level: High. This verse is the clear spiritual climax of the Surah, offering the path of redemption that contrasts with the doom of the unrepentant.

⚔️ Verse 66:9 — The Prophetic Mandate: A Command to Strive Against the Enemy

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan (General Medinan Context) — Confidence: Medium (85%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): This verse is a parenthetical command to the Prophet (ﷺ), shifting focus from the internal, spiritual state of the believers to the external political reality. It commands the Prophet (ﷺ) to “strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them.” This verse, or very similar versions of it, appears in other Medinan Surahs and reflects the ongoing state of conflict between the nascent Muslim state and its enemies. The command for “harshness” (ghilzah) is understood to mean firmness and uncompromising resolve in the face of their enmity, not indiscriminate cruelty. After the intimate domestic drama and the call to repentance, this verse serves as a reminder of the larger struggle in which the community was engaged.

Referenced Timeline: Contemporary Madinah.

• Primary evidence: The command to strive against both disbelievers and hypocrites is a uniquely Medinan theme, as the phenomenon of large-scale hypocrisy only emerged after the Hijrah.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators explain that the nature of “striving” differs based on the group. Ibn Abbas (RA) is reported to have said, “Strive against the disbelievers with the sword, and against the hypocrites with the tongue (i.e., with argument and admonishment).” This shows the nuanced understanding of the command.

• Location/Context: Madinah.
• Primary Actors: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), the disbelievers, and the hypocrites.
• Function in Narrative: To provide a command regarding the external struggle, balancing the Surah’s focus on internal and domestic issues.
• Evidence Level: Medium. While clearly a Medinan verse, it is a general command not tied to a specific incident like the opening of the Surah, functioning as a thematic interpolation about the wider context of the community’s struggle.

💔 Verses 66:10-12 — Four Women, Four Destinies: Ultimate Accountability (Narrative Anchor)

Estimated placement in timeline: Late Medinan — Confidence: High (95%).

Context & Events (Asbab al-Nuzul): The Surah concludes with one of the most powerful sets of examples in the Qur’an, returning to the theme of the righteousness (or sinfulness) of wives. After the admonishment to the Prophet’s (ﷺ) own wives, these verses were revealed to state the ultimate principle: on the Day of Judgment, every soul is responsible for itself, and even the closest family ties to a righteous person cannot save a disbeliever. To illustrate this, Allah presents two pairs of women. The first pair are the wives of two righteous prophets, Nuh (Noah) and Lut (Lot). Despite being married to messengers of God, they “betrayed” them (not through infidelity, but through disbelief and disloyalty to their message) and were told to “enter the Fire with those who enter.” Their connection to prophets was of no avail. The second pair are two believing women in corrupt households. The first is the wife of Pharaoh, who, despite being married to the greatest tyrant in the Qur’an, prayed, “My Lord, build for me a home near You in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds.” Her faith was her own, and her husband’s evil could not touch her soul. The final example is Maryam (Mary), the daughter of ‘Imran, who guarded her chastity and became the vessel for God’s word. These four examples provide the definitive conclusion to the Surah’s opening theme.

Referenced Timeline: Ancient History (The eras of Nuh, Lut, Musa, and Isa). The verses use these historical figures as timeless moral archetypes.

“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 they [the husbands] did not avail them from Allah at all…” (Qur’an 66:10)

• Primary evidence: These examples provide the perfect thematic conclusion to a Surah that began with a discussion of the conduct of the Prophet’s wives. It universalizes the lesson and anchors it in powerful, cross-cultural prophetic history.
• Classical tafsir: Commentators explain that these parables were a direct message to Aisha (RA) and Hafsa (RA), and all the Prophet’s wives, not to presume that their position would save them if their actions were not righteous. Conversely, the examples of Pharaoh’s wife and Maryam were presented as role models for them to aspire to, showing that true honor lies in piety, not in proximity to power.

• Location/Context: Madinah.
• Primary Actors: The wives of Nuh and Lut, the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam (as historical archetypes).
• Function in Narrative: To provide definitive examples of faith and disbelief, emphasizing individual accountability and showing that righteousness is not transferable by marriage or kinship.
• Evidence Level: High. The verses serve as the perfect and logical conclusion to the Surah’s central theme, using standard Qur’anic storytelling techniques to deliver its final moral.