Surah Tahrim

Surah Tahrim (سُورَةُ الـَّحرِيم) is the 66^th surah of the Quran revealed in Medina and located in juz 28. Tahrim means the forbidding, a reference to the first verse of the verse in which Prophet Muhammad (s) had sworn an oath and made something halal forbidden for himself. In this article on Islam4u, we will explore the concepts mentioned in this surah.

Facts About Surah Tahrim

Tahrim literally means forbidding. According to most tafasir, the Prophet (s) had sworn an oath forbidding himself from something halal. Allah in this surah tells the Prophet (s) why he is making something lawful unlawful for himself. This surah is the 108^th surah that was revealed to the Prophet (s). In the current arrangement of the Quran, it is the 66^th and last surah of juz 28 of the Quran and was revealed in Medina. The surah has 12 verses, 254 words, and 1104 letters.

Arabic Text and Translation of Surah Tahrim

Allah’s Defense of the Prophet in Surah Tahrim

The first verse of Surah Tahrim reads:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِى مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَٰجِكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ‎﴿١﴾

O Prophet! Why do you prohibit [yourself] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful. (1)

The Prophet had a wife that he very much loved, Maria the Copt (مَارِيةُ القِبطِيَة), an Egyptian woman who had come to Medina. Two of the wives of the Prophet (s), namely Aisha and Hafsa became very jealous of her. One day, the Prophet (s) went to Hafsa’s house. She asked the Prophet (s) if she could go to her father’s home to which the Prophet (s) consented. It is reported that Maria came and went into one of the rooms of the house with the Prophet (s).

She would sometimes go to the houses of the Prophet’s wives and do household chores. When Hafsa returned and saw the Prophet (s) with Maria, she expressed her discontent and anger at the Prophet for allowing Maria into her house. To please Hafsa, the Prophet (s) told her that he would swear an oath to prohibit Maria from himself provided she does not tell anyone what had happened. Hafsa agreed. However, she went to Aisha and disclosed this secret saying, “I come with good news. The Prophet has prohibited Maria from himself and Allah has relieved us from her.”  

This was when the first few verses of Surah Tahrim were revealed to the Prophet (s), defending the Prophet and censuring those wives of his who had conspired against him.

The Breaking of the Prophet’s (s) Oath

Verse two of Surah Tahrim reads:

قَدْ فَرَضَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ تَحِلَّةَ أَيْمَٰنِكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مَوْلَىٰكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ‎﴿٢﴾

Allah has certainly made lawful for you the dissolution of your oaths, and Allah is your master and He is the All-knowing, the All-wise. (2)

Allah has determined a way for breaking one’s oath, that is, by paying the expiation or kaffarah. The Prophet (s) too broke his oath, per Allah’s command, by freeing a slave and made what he had made unlawful for himself lawful again. This is the beauty of the religion of Islam. The doors to Allah’s mercy are always wide open.

The Prophet’s Secret

Verse three of Surah Tahrim reads:

وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِلَىٰ بَعْضِ أَزْوَٰجِهِۦ حَدِيثًا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتْ بِهِۦ وَأَظْهَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَرَّفَ بَعْضَهُۥ وَأَعْرَضَ عَنۢ بَعْضٍ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِۦ قَالَتْ مَنْ أَنۢبَأَكَ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِىَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ ‎﴿٣﴾

When the Prophet confided a matter to one of his wives, but when she divulged it [instead of guarding the secret] and Allah apprised him about it, he acquainted [her] with part of the matter and ignored part of it. So when he told her about it, she said, ‘Who informed you about it?’ He said, ‘The All-knowing and the All-aware has informed me.’ (3)

When the Prophet swore an oath to make Maria haram for himself to please Hafsa, he told her to keep this a secret and not tell anyone else. However, Hafsa went and told everything to Aisha. The Prophet became very upset with her and said, “Why did you reveal my secret to Aisha?” Hafsa was dumbfounded as to how the Prophet (s) found out that she told Aisha his secret, so she asked, “Who informed you of this.” The Prophet said, “The All-knowing and the All-aware has informed me.” However, the Prophet did not tell her something else that Hafsa was hiding according to the part of the verse that says, “and ignored part of it.” What was that other secret that she was hiding? Aisha and Hafsa had conspired to kill the Prophet (s). According to certain historical records, Aisha and Hafsa poisoned the Prophet (s) and thus he was martyred after suffering from illness due to the poisoning.^[1]

Some have said that the first part of the secret that the Prophet (s) told Hafsa was that Aisha’s father, Abu Bakr, would become the caliph after him, and her father Umar would become the caliph after Abu Bakr. Hafsa went and revealed this to Aisha. Aisha told her father Abu Bakr and Abu Bakr told Umar. Then they all conspired to poison the Prophet (s) so that they would rise to the caliphate more quickly.^[2]

Repentance Is the Only Way Out

Verse four of Surah Tahrim reads:

إِن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ صَغَتْ قُلُوبُكُمَا ۖ وَإِن تَظَٰهَرَا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَٰلِحُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ ‎﴿٤﴾‏

If the two of you repent to Allah [it will be better for you] for your hearts have certainly swerved, and if you back each other against him, then [know that] Allah is indeed his guardian, and Gabriel, the righteous among the faithful, and, thereafter, the angels are his supporters. (4)

The two wives of the Prophet whom Allah commanded to repent are without a doubt Hafsa and Aisha. Allah in this verse once again defends the Prophet (s) by saying that if you two continue to plot against the Messenger of Allah, then you should know that Allah is his guardian, and his supporters are Jibril, the righteous among the faithful, and the angels. The righteous among the faithful according to numerous narrations from both sects (Shia and Sunni) is none other than the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a), who always accompanied the Prophet (s) and defended him.^[3]

Allah Addresses All of the Prophet’s Wives

Allah states in verse five of Surah Tahrim:

عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُۥٓ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُۥٓ أَزْوَٰجًا خَيْرًا مِّنكُنَّ مُسْلِمَٰتٍ مُّؤْمِنَٰتٍ قَٰنِتَٰتٍ تَٰٓئِبَٰتٍ عَٰبِدَٰتٍ سَٰٓئِحَٰتٍ ثَيِّبَٰتٍ وَأَبْكَارًا ‎﴿٥﴾‏

It may be that if he divorces you his Lord will give him, in [your] stead, wives better than you: [such as are] muslim, faithful, obedient, penitent, devout and given to fasting, virgins and non-virgins. (5)

The addressees of the verse include all of the Prophet’s wives, threatening them that if they wish to harm the Prophet (s) through their words and behavior, he will divorce them and Allah will give him better wives who are submissive, faithful, obedient, penitent, devout, given to fasting, virgins, and non-virgins. These verses of the Quran are indeed very soothing for the Prophet (s) whose heart had ached after being so annoyed by two of his wives. If it were not for these verses, the Prophet (s) would become deeply sorrowful.

Guarding One’s Family Is of the Essence

Verse six of Surah Tahrim reads:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ‎﴿٦﴾

O you who have faith! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel will be people and stones, over which are [assigned] severe and mighty angels, who do not disobey whatever Allah commands them and carry out what they are commanded. (6)

This verse addresses the believers in general. It is telling us the moral of the story that was told at the beginning of the chapter. We must all guard ourselves and our families against hellfire, just as the Prophet (s) did concerning his wives and family. We must all try our best to avoid doing the things Allah has forbidden and perform all of our religious duties. If we do not, then hell will be the abode of all wrongdoers.

Disbelievers Shall Not Be Excused on the Day of Judgment

Allah addresses the disbelievers in verse seven of Surah Tahrim:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا۟ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ‎﴿٧﴾

They will call out to the faithless:] ‘O faithless ones! Do not make any excuses today. You are being requited only for what you used to do.’ (7)

No excuses will be accepted on the Day of Judgment. If someone has disbelieved in this worldly life, then they will be brought to account for what they used to do. The only thing that will benefit one on that day is belief in Allah and good deeds. Even if they swear by Allah that they have not disbelieved or ascribed partners to Allah, it would not benefit them in the least. Some of them will blame others for their disbelief and misguidance. However, these excuses will be of no avail.

The Sincere Repentance

The eighth verse of Surah Tahrim reads:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّٰتٍ 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 شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ‎﴿٨﴾

O you who have faith! Repent to Allah with sincere repentance! Maybe your Lord will absolve you of your misdeeds and admit you into gardens with streams running in them, on the day when Allah will not let down the Prophet and the faithful who are with him. Their light will move swiftly before them and on their right. They will say, ‘Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us! Indeed You have power over all things.’ (8)

In this verse, Allah is showing us how we can be saved from hell. Allah addresses the believers and tells them to repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Based on a hadith from the Prophet (s), his Holiness was asked what sincere repentance is. He said, “It is when the repenter does not commit the sin he is repenting of ever again, the same way milk never returns to the mother’s breast!” Sincere repentance must be such that it revolutionizes the soul to the point that one never goes back to committing sins, the same way it is impossible for milk to go back to a mother’s breast. Then the verse mentions the effects of such repentance, stating that Allah will forgive our sins and cause us to enter the gardens of paradise. On that day, Allah will not humiliate those who have had faith in Him, including the prophets of Allah. These people will be guided toward paradise by a light that shines on their right.

Doing Jihad Against Disbelievers and Hypocrites

Allah says in the ninth verse of Surah Tahrim:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ جَٰهِدِ ٱلْكُفَّارَ وَٱلْمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَىٰهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ‎﴿٩﴾

O Prophet! Wage jihad against the faithless and the hypocrites, and be severe with them. Their refuge will be hell, and it is an evil destination. (9)

Waging jihad is not always an armed struggle. This verse most probably means rebuking, warning, and disgracing such people, especially the hypocrites. The Prophet (s) never fought a war with hypocrites. Therefore, Allah says to be severe with them as they are very dangerous. They claim they believe in Allah and the Prophet (s), but they do not actually believe in them deep down. They are the ones who inflict harm on Islam by spreading rumors and false information. Their fate will be hell.

An Example for the Disbelievers

The tenth verse of Surah Tahrim reads:

ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ نُوحٍ وَٱمْرَأَتَ لُوطٍ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَٰلِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدْخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ ‎﴿١٠﴾‏

Allah cites an example of the faithless: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of our righteous servants, yet they betrayed them. So they did not avail them in any way against Allah, and it was said [to them], ‘Enter the Fire, along with those who enter [it].’ (10)

Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Prophet (s) must look at the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. Even though they were living with two of Allah’s righteous servants, they disbelieved and betrayed them and were cursed by Allah. Of course, these betrayals were not acts of indecency as no wife of any prophet committed acts of indecency. By betrayal, Allah means that they did not obey their husbands and thus became inhabitants of hell. This verse is also a warning to the wives of the Prophet (s) lest they betray him. Two of the Prophet’s wives according to the first few verses of Surah Tahrim bothered the Prophet (s). Allah warns them so that they do not become like the wives of Noah and Lot. In other words, being the wife of a prophet of Allah does not guarantee one’s salvation.

An Example for the Believers

Verse 11 of Surah Tahrim reads:

وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ‎﴿١١﴾

Allah cites an example of the faithful: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, ‘My Lord! Build me a home near You in paradise, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his conduct, and deliver me from the wrongdoing lot.’ (11)

Allah in this verse states that it may very well be that a person who is a wife of a wrongdoer such as Pharaoh to be a believer in Allah and His righteous servant. This is the exact opposite of what was stated in the previous verse. Pharaoah eventually found out that Asiya was a believer in Allah and His Prophet Moses (a). Therefore, he killed her.

Mary the Daughter of Imran

Verse 12, the final verse of Surah Tahrim reads:

وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَٰنِتِينَ ‎﴿١٢﴾‏

And Mary, daughter of Imran, who guarded the chastity of her womb, so We breathed into it of Our spirit. She confirmed the words of her Lord and His Books, and she was one of the obedient. (12)

This verse mentions a second role model for believers, namely Mary or Maryam daughter of Imran. Allah cites this example to show the Prophet’s wives that they must strive to be pure and obedient just like Mary. She gave birth to a child (Jesus) who later became one of the greatest of all prophets even though she did not have a husband. She was extremely pure, righteous, pious, and obedient to Allah. Like her, we must also confirm the words of our Lord and His books.

Benefits and Virtues of Reciting Surah Tahrim

• The Prophet (s) has said that whoever recites Surah Tahrim will be able to repent to Allah with sincere repentance.
• It has been reported by Imam al-Sadiq (a) that whoever recites Surahs Talaq and Tahrim in their obligatory prayers, Allah will protect them on the Day of Judgment from fear, terror, grief, and sorrow, and will exempt them from falling into the fire of hell, and because of reciting these two surahs and continuing to recite them, Allah will admit them to paradise because these two surahs are attributed to the Prophet (s).
• Writing these surahs for a dying person makes the process of dying easier for them, and it reduces the punishment of the deceased.
• Reciting these surahs continuously is also beneficial for a debtor, as it removes anxiety and worry.

Conclusion

Surah Tahrim mostly mentions the story of the Prophet (s) and how he swore an oath to make something lawful unlawful for himself. Two of the wives of the Prophet had annoyed him and thus Allah revealed the verses of this surah to defend His Prophet (s) and rebuke the Prophet’s wives. Surah Tahrim also mentions other things that are relevant to the main story, such as guarding one’s family against the fire of hell, repenting to Allah with sincere repentance, fighting the disbelievers and hypocrites in the way of Allah, and following the example of the righteous servants of Allah.

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References

[1] Tafsir al-‘Ayashi, vol. 1, p. 200; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 22, p. 516.

[2] Tafsir al-Qummi and al-Burhan

[3] Cf. Hasakani, Shawahid al-Tanzil, 1411 AH, vol. 2, pp. 341-352; Abu Hayyan Anadalusi, al-Bahr al-Muhit, 1420 AH, vol. 5. p. 332; Suyuti, Durar al-Manthur, 1404 AH, vol. 6, p. 244.