The Prohibition
At-Taḥrîm
التَّحْریم
LEARNING POINTS
This surah generally deals with a situation that happened in the house of the Prophet (PBUH) with two of his wives who acted in a certain way because of jealousy.
Both wives are told that they should keep Allah in mind and take a lesson from the stories of the wife of Nuh (AS), the wife of Lut (AS), the wife of Pharaoh (Asiyah), and Maryam (the mother of 'Isa (AS)).
If someone trusted us with a secret, we should not reveal it to others.
If someone did something wrong, we do not need to remind them of everything they did.
BACKGROUND STORY
The Prophet used to visit all of his wives in the evening. One day, he stayed a bit longerdt the house of his wife Zainab, where he was offered honey-something he liked very much. nb wives Aishah and Hafşah got very jealous and made a plan that when he Visited bou each would tell him that his mouth didn't smell good, knowing that he didn't like bad Smells. Hatşah vwas the second one to tell him. So he s promised her that he would never eat ho again, and told her to keep this between them. But she was excited to tell Aishah that thelr p what happened, so he st was not happy with the Way worked. Allah revealed to the Prophet they acted. The first few verses of this surah tell the Prophet that he doesn't have to forbid himself from something that he likes just to please someone. (Recorded by Irmam Musiin)
WORDS OF WISDOM
According to verse 2 of this surah, if someone breaks an oath, they can make up for it by:
1. Feeding 10 poor people by giving each person a meal that they normally eat, or:
2. Fasting 3 days if they can't feed the poor.:
This ruling is explained in 5:89.:
According to verse 4, the Prophet didn't go through all the details of what his wife had revealed. This is called taghaful in Arabic-which means to ignore certain things because they are not im- portant or because you don't want to embarrass someone' We should only focus on important and serious matters. They say in English, Pick your battles':
SIDE STORY
Salahu-ddin was a highly respected Muslim leader. One day, he was sitting with his soldiers in a camp, when some of them started to joke around. One of the soldiers threw a shoe at another but missed him. The shoe landed right in front of Salahu-ddin, who ignored what happened and looked the other way.'
A LESSON TO THE PROPHET'S WIVES
1O Prophet! Why would you forbid 'yourself from something that Allah has made lawful to you, just to please your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. 2Allah has already set for you 'believers' a way to make up for broken oaths. This is because Allah is your Guardian. And He is the One with perfect knowledge and wisdom. 3'Remember' when the Prophet had 'once' trusted one of his wives with a secret, then when she revealed it 'to another wife' and Allah let him know, he mentioned 'to her' some of what she revealed and ignored some. So when he told her about it, she wondered, "Who told you this?" He said, "I was told by the One with perfect knowledge and is fully Aware." 4It will be better' if both of you 'wives' repent to Allah, for your hearts have definitely misbehaved. But if you 'continue to' team up against him, then 'know that' Allah Himself is his Guardian. And Jibreel, the faithful believers, and the angels are 'all' his supporters as well. 5Maybe if he decided to divorce all of you, his Lord would replace you with better wives who submit 'to Allah', have sure faith, always obey, repent, worship, and fast—previously married or not.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَۖ تَبۡتَغِي مَرۡضَاتَ أَزۡوَٰجِكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ 1قَدۡ فَرَضَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ تَحِلَّةَ أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ مَوۡلَىٰكُمۡۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ 2وَإِذۡ أَسَرَّ ٱلنَّبِيُّ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضِ أَزۡوَٰجِهِۦ حَدِيثٗا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتۡ بِهِۦ وَأَظۡهَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِ عَرَّفَ بَعۡضَهُۥ وَأَعۡرَضَ عَنۢ بَعۡضٖۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِۦ قَالَتۡ مَنۡ أَنۢبَأَكَ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِيَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ 3إِن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ صَغَتۡ قُلُوبُكُمَاۖ وَإِن تَظَٰهَرَا عَلَيۡهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰهُ وَجِبۡرِيلُ وَصَٰلِحُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ 4عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُۥٓ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبۡدِلَهُۥٓ أَزۡوَٰجًا خَيۡرٗا مِّنكُنَّ مُسۡلِمَٰتٖ مُّؤۡمِنَٰتٖ قَٰنِتَٰتٖ تَٰٓئِبَٰتٍ عَٰبِدَٰتٖ سَٰٓئِحَٰتٖ ثَيِّبَٰتٖ وَأَبۡكَارٗا5
WARNING OF JUDGEMENT DAY
6O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, supervised by strong and tough angels, who never disobey whatever Allah commands--always doing as Ordered. 7The deniers will then be told, "O disbelievers! Make no excuses Today! You are only punished for what you used to do."
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيكُمۡ نَارٗا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡحِجَارَةُ عَلَيۡهَا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٞ شِدَادٞ لَّا يَعۡصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمۡ وَيَفۡعَلُونَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُونَ 6يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَا تَعۡتَذِرُواْ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ إِنَّمَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ7
SIDE STORY
You may have seen Madagascar 2. In the movie, there is a crash landing scene where the plane starts to dive and all the animals onboard freak out. Marty tells Alex that they have been the best friends ever. Alex agrees, saying that he wanted to confess a mistake. Marty promises to forgive Alex no matter what he did. Alex says that he was sorry for breaking Marty's iPod by mistake. Marty gets so mad, screaming, What?! I am gonna kill you. So, in one second, Marty forgets all the good things that Alex has done for just one little mistake.
In Islam, we believe that our sins can never be bigger than Allah's mercy. Even if someone does wrong their whole life then makes tawbah by praying to Allah for forgiveness, He is always willing to forgive them, especially if they are sincere.
A scholar by the name of Sahl was travelling with others in a caravan. Suddenly, they were sur- rounded by highway robbers, who took them to the head of the thieves. Sahl noticed that all the thieves were eating the food they had stolen from the caravan, except their leader. When Sahl asked him why he was not eating with them, he said, It's Monday, and I always fast on Mondays and Thursdays like the Prophet Sahl was shocked, but didn't say anything. Three years later, Sahl said he was circling the Ka'bah during haij when he came across the same man who used to be the head of the thieves. Sahl said, Sub-hana-Allah! What happened?The man said, Well, I had closed all doors between me and Allah, except the door of fasting. So Allah has showered His mercy on me through that one door, and opened all doors for me.
If someone does something wrong, we shouldn't hate that person, but we may dislike the wrong he or she does. And if someone is doing good and bad things, we shouldn't look down upon them or make them lose hope in Allah's mercy. We should try to bring them back to Him in a gentle way. Even if someone fasts in Ramadan but doesn't pray, we shouldn't tel them to stop fasting. Rather, we should talk to them about how important salah is.
YAllah forgives honest mistakes. One time, I visited a mosque in the US for a talk. In the questionand answer session, a new Muslim sister asked if she had been fasting the right way. She said, based on a booklet she was given when she accepted Islam 3 years ago, she would wake up in the morning, have a meal, and continue her fast until sunset. I asked what time she woke up in the morning for the meal, and she said, Around 10:30 a.m.! Of course she was fasting the wrong way-she should have had this meal before Fajr. But Allah will forgive her, because she didn't know. She didn't even have to make up the fast for those 3 Ramadans. The same ruling applies if you pray to the wrong qiblah (direction of prayer) by mistake.'
REWARD OF SINCERE REPENTANCE
8O believers! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance, so your Lord may clear you of your sins and enter you into Gardens, under which rivers flow, on the Day Allah will not disappoint the Prophet or the believers with him. Their light will shine in front of them and on their right. They will say, "Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us. Surely You have power over all things."
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوۡبَةٗ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمۡ سَئَِّاتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَكُمۡ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥۖ نُورُهُمۡ يَسۡعَىٰ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَبِأَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتۡمِمۡ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ8
RESPONDING TO ABUSE
9O Prophet! Struggle against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be tough with them. Jahannam will be their home. What an evil destination!
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ جَٰهِدِ ٱلۡكُفَّارَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱغۡلُظۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ9
WORDS OF WISDOM
Some people live in the most religious homes, but they don't become Muslim, like the wife of Nuh a, the wife of Lut , the father of lbrahim , and the son of Nuh . Some live in the most wicked homes and Allah guides them to Islam, like Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh. The lesson here is: no one can guide except Allah..
TWO EXAMPLES FOR THE DISBELIEVERS
10Allah gives an example to the disbelievers: the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. Each was married to one of Our faithful servants, but they were not loyal to their faith. So their husbands did not protect them from the punishment of Allah. Both were told, "Enter the Fire, along with the others!"
ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱمۡرَأَتَ نُوحٖ وَٱمۡرَأَتَ لُوطٖۖ كَانَتَا تَحۡتَ عَبۡدَيۡنِ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا صَٰلِحَيۡنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمۡ يُغۡنِيَا عَنۡهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡٔٗا وَقِيلَ ٱدۡخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ10
TWO EXAMPLES FOR THE BELIEVERS
11And Allah gives an example to the believers: the wife of Pharaoh, who prayed, "My Lord! Build me a house near You in Jannah, save me from Pharaoh and his 'evil' actions, and save me from the people who do wrong." 12There is' also 'the example of Maryam, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her dignity, so We breathed a soul of Our creation 'into her womb'. She believed in the truth of her Lord's words and Holy Books, and was one of those obedient 'to Him'.
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلٗا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱمۡرَأَتَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِذۡ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ ٱبۡنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيۡتٗا فِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ 11وَمَرۡيَمَ ٱبۡنَتَ عِمۡرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَحۡصَنَتۡ فَرۡجَهَا فَنَفَخۡنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتۡ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتۡ مِنَ ٱلۡقَٰنِتِينَ12
Verse 12: so the became pregnant with isa