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Surah 66 · Madinah · 12 āyāt
Phase 06 · Conquest, completion and farewell(6–11 AH) — view in timelineAt-TaḥrīmThe Prohibition
التحريم
A short Madinan surah revealed over a domestic dispute in the Prophet's ﷺ household, opening with a gentle correction — why do you prohibit yourself what Allāh has made lawful — before widening into two of the surah's most memorable teachings: sincere repentance as the door back to Allāh, and four women given as parables, two whose nearness to a righteous man availed them nothing, and two whose faith under a hostile ruler exalted them. The surah closes on the same note of total accountability with which it opened: no relationship, however close, substitutes for one's own standing with Allāh.
Why it was revealed
A private matter arose between the Prophet ﷺ and some of his wives — reports mention his temporarily prohibiting something lawful to himself (either honey or a maidservant, according to differing narrations) to please them, and a secret he confided to one wife that was then disclosed to another. The surah opens by addressing this directly, then moves to instruct the wives collectively toward repentance, and finally sets the household episode within the larger pattern of righteous and unrighteous women married to righteous men.
Drawn fromṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4913; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5267; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5267 and 4912; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1474; Ibn Kathīr on 66:10–12; Ibn Kathīr on 66:3–5; Ibn Kathīr, introduction to Sūrat at-Taḥrīm
ʿĀʾishah reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to drink honey at the house of Zaynab bint Jaḥsh and stay there; she and Ḥafṣah agreed between themselves that whichever of them he came to first should say, 'I detect the smell of maghāfīr [a foul-smelling gum] on you,' so that he would avoid it. When this happened, he ﷺ said, 'No, but I drank honey at Zaynab's, and I shall not do so again' — after which 'Why do you prohibit what Allāh has made lawful for you' was revealed.
Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5267 and 4912; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1474; Ibn Kathīr, introduction to Sūrat at-Taḥrīm
In the Prophet's ﷺ life
The Prophet ﷺ prohibits himself something lawful
To please his wives, he ﷺ swore off something permissible; the correction came directly from above rather than being left to him to resolve privately.
Recalled in āyah 1, 2
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِى مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَٰجِكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allāh has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5267
- Madd — 2 vowels
- Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
- Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
- Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
- Ghunnah — 2 vowels
- Qalqalah
- Ikhfāʾ
- Ikhfāʾ shafawī
- Idghām shafawī
- Idghām with ghunnah
- Idghām without ghunnah
- Idghām mutajānisayn
- Idghām mutaqāribayn
- Iqlāb
- Hamzat al-waṣl
- Lām shamsiyyah
- Silent letter
Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).
A household matter answered from above
The Prophet ﷺ is asked why he forbids himself what Allāh made lawful, seeking his wives' approval; Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful, and has legislated the expiation of oaths for him. When a confided matter was disclosed and made known to him, part of it is mentioned and part overlooked, and two wives are told that if they repent it is best, for their hearts have deviated, while if they support one another against him, Allāh, Jibrīl and the righteous believers stand as his supporters.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:4; Ibn Kathīr on 66:1
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِى مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَٰجِكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
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O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allāh has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
إِن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ صَغَتْ قُلُوبُكُمَا ۖ وَإِن تَظَـٰهَرَا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوْلَىٰهُ وَجِبْرِيلُ وَصَـٰلِحُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ
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If you two [wives] repent to Allāh, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated. But if you cooperate against him - then indeed Allāh is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels, moreover, are [his] assistants.
From the tafsīr
Even a matter arising from a desire to please one's family is corrected directly by revelation, showing that pleasing people cannot override what Allāh has made lawful.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 66:1
'If you two repent... your hearts have deviated' is addressed with firmness yet without public exposure of the full matter — the Prophet ﷺ mentioned part of what was disclosed and left part unspoken, a model of discretion in correcting a private fault.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 66:4
Key takeaways
- Seeking to please people is never a reason to forbid yourself what Allah has made lawful.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:4; Ibn Kathīr on 66:1
- Correction from Allah can come even into matters of the Prophet's ﷺ own household.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:4; Ibn Kathīr on 66:1
- Discretion — mentioning only what is necessary — is part of how faults are corrected without humiliation.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:4; Ibn Kathīr on 66:1
Reflect
Have you ever restricted something lawful for yourself simply to keep someone's approval?
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Question 1 of 2
How does the Prophet ﷺ handle the disclosed confidence in 66:3, per Ibn Kathīr?
Question 2 of 2
What prompted the revelation of 66:1 according to the report from ʿĀʾishah?
Sincere repentance and the believers' light
Believers are commanded to guard themselves and their families from a Fire fuelled by people and stones, and are called to sincere repentance (tawbatan naṣūḥan), which may erase misdeeds and admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, on a Day when Allāh will not disgrace the Prophet ﷺ and those who believed with him — their light proceeding before them as they ask their Lord to perfect it.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 66:6; Ibn Kathīr on 66:8
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ ۖ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
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O you who have believed, repent to Allāh with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allāh will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent."
From the tafsīr
Tawbah naṣūḥ, 'sincere' or 'sound' repentance, is explained by the Salaf as regret over the past, immediate abandonment of the sin, and firm resolve never to return to it.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 66:8
Guarding one's family from the Fire requires active teaching and correction, not merely personal piety — the responsibility named here is collective, within the household.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 66:6
Key takeaways
- Sincere repentance has conditions: regret, abandonment, and resolve, not merely words.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 66:6; Ibn Kathīr on 66:8
- Protecting one's family from wrongdoing is a named religious duty, not an optional concern.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 66:6; Ibn Kathīr on 66:8
- Believers' light on the Day of Judgement is something they will actively ask Allah to complete.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 66:6; Ibn Kathīr on 66:8
Reflect
Does your household have an active culture of correction and guidance, or is faith left to each person alone?
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Question 1 of 2
How did the Salaf explain 'tawbatan naṣūḥā' in 66:8?
Question 2 of 2
According to al-Saʿdī, what does guarding one's family from the Fire in 66:6 require?
Four women as parables
Allāh presents an example for the disbelievers: the wives of Nūḥ and Lūṭ, under two righteous servants, who betrayed them and were told to enter the Fire with those who enter, their prophetic husbands availing them nothing before Allāh. And an example for the believers: the wife of Firʿawn, who asked her Lord for a house near Him in Paradise and to be saved from Firʿawn, his deeds, and the wrongdoing people; and Maryam bint ʿImrān, who guarded her chastity, so Allāh breathed into her of His spirit, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was among the devoutly obedient.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:11–12; Ibn Kathīr on 66:10
ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ نُوحٍ وَٱمْرَأَتَ لُوطٍ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَـٰلِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدْخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ
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Allāh 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 [i.e., those prophets] did not avail them from Allāh at all, and it was said, "Enter the Fire with those who enter."
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
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And Allāh presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people."
وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَ
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And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of ʿImrān, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel [i.e., Gabriel], and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.
From the tafsīr
'They betrayed them' is explained not as infidelity in the intimate sense but as betrayal in faith and secrets — the wife of Nūḥ mocked his message to the people, and the wife of Lūṭ signalled his guests to his people.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 66:10
The wife of Firʿawn's plea and Maryam's chastity are placed immediately after the two failed wives to show that a woman's standing before Allah is entirely her own — neither harmed by a husband's disbelief nor saved by a husband's righteousness.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 66:11–12
Key takeaways
- Closeness to a righteous person does not itself save anyone before Allah.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:11–12; Ibn Kathīr on 66:10
- Distance from every support — even Firʿawn's own household — does not itself prevent salvation.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:11–12; Ibn Kathīr on 66:10
- Each person's relationship with Allah stands independently of family or marriage.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 66:11–12; Ibn Kathīr on 66:10
Reflect
Are you relying on someone else's righteousness to carry your own standing with Allah?
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Question 1 of 2
What does the pairing of the four women in 66:10–12 teach, according to al-Qurṭubī?
Question 2 of 2
How does Ibn Kathīr explain the 'betrayal' of the wives of Nūḥ and Lūṭ in 66:10?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ح ر م
āyāt 1to forbid, prohibit
- تُحَرِّمُyou prohibit
- حَرَامforbidden
- حُرْمَةsanctity
ت و ب
āyāt 4, 5, 8to repent, turn back
- تَتُوبَآyou two repent
- تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًاsincere repentance
- تَـٰٓئِبَـٰتٍrepentant women
خ و ن
āyāt 10to betray
- فَخَانَتَاهُمَاthey betrayed them both
- خَآئِنtraitor
- خِيَانَةbetrayal
ن ج و
āyāt 11to save, rescue
- نَجِّنِىsave me
- نَجَاةsalvation
- مُنجٍsaviour
ح ص ن
āyāt 12to guard, fortify
- أَحْصَنَتْshe guarded
- حِصْنfortress
- إِحْصَانchastity
ق ن ت
āyāt 5, 12to be devoutly obedient
- قَـٰنِتَـٰتٍdevoutly obedient women
- قُنُوتdevout standing
- ٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَthe devoutly obedient
ن و ر
āyāt 8light
- نُورُهُمْtheir light
- أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَاperfect for us our light
- نُّورlight
Carry this with you
- Pleasing people is never a reason to forbid yourself what Allah has made lawful.
- Even the Prophet's ﷺ household received direct correction from revelation.
- Correction of a fault can be firm while still preserving discretion and dignity.
- Sincere repentance requires regret, abandonment of the sin, and resolve — not words alone.
- Guarding one's family from wrongdoing is an active, named religious duty.
- Nearness to a righteous person does not itself save anyone before Allah.
- Distance from every worldly support does not itself prevent salvation, as with the wife of Firʿawn.
- Every soul's standing before Allah is its own — independent of marriage or family.
Where this surah connects
Cross-surah threads
Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.
All threads →Sources behind Sūrah At-Taḥrīm
Every line of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these references. Ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com and āyah references open on quran.com, so you can check the claim rather than take it on trust. The Arabic text itself is fetched live from a verified public corpus.
Tafsīr10
- Al-Qurṭubī on 66:11–12
- Al-Qurṭubī on 66:4
- Al-Saʿdī on 66:6
- Ibn Kathīr on 66:1
- Ibn Kathīr on 66:10
- Ibn Kathīr on 66:10–12
- Ibn Kathīr on 66:3
- Ibn Kathīr on 66:3–5
- Ibn Kathīr on 66:8
- Ibn Kathīr, introduction to Sūrat at-Taḥrīm
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At-Taḥrīm · Sincere repentance and the believers' light
How did the Salaf explain 'tawbatan naṣūḥā' in 66:8?
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