Qur'an 66: 1
 | |
| Verse's Information | |
|---|---|
| Sura | Sura al-Tahrim |
| Verse | 1 |
| Juz' | 28 |
| Content Information | |
| Cause of Revelation | The Prophet's (s) prohibition of certain halal things upon himself |
| Place of Revelation | Medina |
| Related Verses | Verse 2 of Sura al-Tahrim, Verse 3 of Sura al-Tahrim, Verse 4 of Sura al-Tahrim, Verse 5 of Sura al-Tahrim |
Verse 1 of Sura al-Tahrim (Arabic: الآية 1 من سورة التحریم) (Qur'an 66: 1) was revealed addressing Prophet Muhammad (s) with a reproachful tone, asking him why he prohibits for himself what God has made lawful (halal) for him, in order to seek the satisfaction of his wives.
According to narrations, this verse can be related to two events: first, when the Prophet (s) prohibited himself 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 first verse of Sura al-Tahrim, the Messenger of God (s) is addressed regarding why he makes unlawful (haram) for himself what God has made lawful for him.[1] Some exegetes consider this address to be mixed with reproach,[2] while another group regards it as a sign 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 (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. These two reports exist with variations 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 displeasure to Aisha and Hafsa, and by claiming to smell an unpleasant odor (maghafir) from the Prophet, they dissuaded him from consuming honey. Following this incident, the Prophet (s) swore an oath not to eat honey anymore.[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. Upon Hafsa becoming aware and objecting, the Prophet (s), in order to please her, swore an oath that he would no longer have 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]
In Tafsir-i nimuna, the first narration is evaluated as more famous and more appropriate than other reports.[9] Allama Tabataba'i believes that these two reports do not clearly correspond with the opening verses of Sura al-Tahrim and cannot be definitively applied to the content of the verse. Nevertheless, he cites a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (a) related to the story of Mariya, quoting from Tafsir al-Qummi.[10]
Notes
- ↑ Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, vol. 10, p. 44.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, Manshūrāt al-Ismāʿīliyyān, vol. 19, p. 329.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 24, p. 273.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, Manshūrāt al-Ismāʿīliyyān, vol. 19, p. 330.
- ↑ Maʿrifat, Āmūzish-i ʿulūm-i Qurʾān, 1371 Sh, vol. 2, p. 168.
- ↑ For example, see: Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 10, p. 471; Zamakhsharī, Al-Kashshāf, 1407 AH, vol. 4, pp. 562–563; Suyūṭī, Al-Durr al-manthūr, 1404 AH, vol. 6, p. 239; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 24, p. 271.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 10, p. 471.
- ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1382 Sh, vol. 10, pp. 471–472.
- ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 24, p. 271.
- ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, 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.