Qur'an 66:1
 | |
| Verse's Information | |
|---|---|
| Sura | Sura al-Tahrim |
| Verse | 1 |
| Juz' | 28 |
| Content Information | |
| Cause of Revelation | The Prophet's prohibition of certain halal things upon himself |
| Place of Revelation | Medina |
| Related Verses | Qur'an 66:2, Qur'an 66:3, Qur'an 66:4, Qur'an 66:5 |
Qur'an 66:1 was revealed addressing Prophet Muhammad (s) with a reproachful tone, asking him why he forbids himself what God has made lawful for him in order to please his wives.
According to various narrations, this verse is associated with two events: first, when the Prophet (s) vowed to abstain from intimacy with Mariya al-Qibtiyya to please Hafsa, and second, when he prohibited himself from eating honey due to spending extra time in the house of some of his wives who served him honey.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِي مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
O Prophet! Why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
Quran 66:1
Introduction
In the opening verse of Qur'an 66, the Messenger of God (s) is asked why he forbids himself what God has made lawful for him.[1] Some exegetes regard this address as containing an element of reproach,[2] while others regard it as an expression of God's affection for the Prophet (s).[3] However, Allama Tabataba'i believes that the reproach in this verse is directed at some of the Prophet's wives who caused this decision, because in verse 4 of this same sura, two of them are advised to repent.[4]
The place of revelation of this verse is considered to be Medina.[5]
Occasion of Revelation
Exegetes have narrated two accounts regarding the occasion of revelation of this verse. Variations of these two reports are found in both Shi'a and Sunni exegetical books.[6]
The Prophet's Abstention from Honey
According to some narrations, the Prophet (s) used to stay longer in the houses of some of his wives because of his fondness for honey. This caused Aisha and Hafsa to become displeased, and by claiming to smell an unpleasant odor from the Prophet (s), they dissuaded him from consuming honey. Following this incident, the Prophet (s) vowed not to consume honey again.[7]
The Prophet's Abstention from Relations with Mariya
According to other narrations, the Prophet (s) was intimate with Mariya al-Qibtiyya in Hafsa's house during her absence. After Hafsa became aware of the matter and objected, the Prophet (s), in order to please her, vowed to abstain from relations with Mariya and asked Hafsa not to disclose the matter. However, Hafsa shared the secret with Aisha and other wives, which led to the revelation of these verses.[8]
Tafsir-i nimuna regards the first report as more widely known and more consistent with the context than the other reports.[9] Allama Tabataba'i believes that these two reports do not clearly correspond to the opening verses of Qur'an 66 and cannot be definitively identified as their occasion of revelation. Nevertheless, citing Tafsir al-Qummi, he transmits a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a) concerning the account of Mariya.[10]
Notes
- ↑ Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān, vol. 10, p. 44.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 19, p. 329.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 24, p. 273.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 19, p. 330.
- ↑ Maʿrifat, Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān, vol. 2, p. 168.
- ↑ For example, see: Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, p. 471; Zamakhsharī, al-Kashshāf, vol. 4, pp. 562–563; Suyūṭī, al-Durr al-manthūr, vol. 6, p. 239; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 24, p. 271.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, p. 471.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, pp. 471–472.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 24, p. 271.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 19, p. 337.
References
- Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna. Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1st ed, 1374 Sh.
- Maʿrifat, Muḥammad Hādī. Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān. Qom, Markaz-i Chāp wa Nashr-i Sāzmān-i Tablīghāt-i Islāmī, 1st ed, 1371 Sh.
- Suyūṭī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. Al-Durr al-manthūr fī l-tafsīr bi-l-maʾthūr. Qom, Kitābkhāna-yi ʿUmūmī-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Āyatullāh Marʿashī Najafī, 1st ed, 1404 AH.
- Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn. Al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Qom, Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 5th ed, 1417 AH.
- Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Tehran, Nāṣir Khusraw, 3rd ed, 1382 Sh.
- Ṭūsī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-. Al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d.
- Zamakhsharī, Maḥmūd al-. Al-Kashshāf ʿan ḥaqāʾiq ghawāmiḍ al-tanzīl. Beirut, Dār al-Kitāb al-ʿArabī, 3rd ed, 1407 AH.
