Surah 66
Surah At-Tahrim (The Prohibition)
التحريم
Also written: Tahrim
Surah At-Tahrim (التحريم) is surah 66 of the 114 surahs of the Quran. It has 12 ayahs, was revealed in Medina (Medinan), and its name means “The Prohibition”.
- Number
- 66
- Ayahs
- 12
- Revelation
- Medinan
- Meaning
- The Prohibition
Names, meaning and Meccan/Medinan classification as listed in the quran-json dataset.
About Surah At-Tahrim
At-Tahrim, “The Prohibition”, is a Medinan surah that begins with the Prophet being asked why he forbade himself something God had made lawful, to please some of his wives. From this household episode it moves to universal lessons: protecting oneself and one’s family from the Fire, turning to God in sincere repentance, and the examples of four women — two who failed despite righteous husbands, and two who stood firm.
The occasion
Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report that the Prophet used to drink honey at the house of his wife Zaynab bint Jahsh, and that two of his wives arranged to remark on its smell, after which he vowed not to drink it again. Other reports connect the opening with his slave-wife Mariyah instead; commentators discuss both. 66:1–2 tell him not to forbid what God permitted and explain that oaths can be expiated. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Umar identifies the two wives addressed in 66:4 as Aisha and Hafsah.
Lessons for all believers
- Guard your family (66:6): believers are told to protect themselves and their families from a Fire fuelled by people and stones.
- Sincere repentance (66:8): tawbah nasuh, a true and wholehearted turning back to God, and the believers’ prayer that their light be perfected on the Day of Judgement.
Four women
66:10 gives the wives of Noah and Lot as examples of those whose closeness to a prophet did not save them. 66:11–12 praise the wife of Pharaoh, named in tradition as Asiyah, who asked God for a house near Him in Paradise and to be saved from Pharaoh, and Mary, daughter of ’Imran, who guarded her chastity and believed in her Lord’s words. The pairing teaches that each person answers for their own faith.
Frequently asked questions
- What did the Prophet forbid himself in Surah At-Tahrim?
- According to hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim it was honey; other reports mention his slave-wife Mariyah. Commentators discuss both.
- Which women are mentioned in Surah At-Tahrim?
- The wives of Noah and Lot as negative examples, and the wife of Pharaoh and Mary, mother of Jesus, as positive ones.
- How many verses are in Surah At-Tahrim?
- 12.
- How many ayahs are in Surah At-Tahrim?
- Surah At-Tahrim has 12 ayahs. It is surah number 66 in the Quran and is Medinan.
- Can I read Surah At-Tahrim in English or save it as a PDF?
- Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.
- Is Surah At-Tahrim the same as Surah Tahrim?
- Yes. Tahrim and At-Tahrim are different English spellings of the same surah name, التحريم.
Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.
Making a video of Surah At-Tahrim
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Surah At-Tahrim in Arabic with English meaning
Arabic: Uthmani script from The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia (quranenc.com), Uthmani script, via quran-json (CC-BY-SA 4.0), shown as in the verified dataset; open-tanween marks use the equivalent codepoints this font draws, as in the editor. English meaning: Saheeh International (tanzil.net). A translation conveys the meaning; it is not the Quran itself.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَۖ تَبۡتَغِي مَرۡضَاتَ أَزۡوَٰجِكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ ١
66:1O Prophet, why do you prohibit [yourself from] what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful
قَدۡ فَرَضَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ تَحِلَّةَ أَيۡمَٰنِكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ مَوۡلَىٰكُمۡۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٢
66:2Allah has already ordained for you [Muslims] the dissolution of your oaths. And Allah is your protector, and He is the Knowing, the Wise
وَإِذۡ أَسَرَّ ٱلنَّبِيُّ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضِ أَزۡوَٰجِهِۦ حَدِيثࣰا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتۡ بِهِۦ وَأَظۡهَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡهِ عَرَّفَ بَعۡضَهُۥ وَأَعۡرَضَ عَنۢ بَعۡضࣲۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِۦ قَالَتۡ مَنۡ أَنۢبَأَكَ هَٰذَاۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِيَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ ٣
66:3And [remember] when the Prophet confided to one of his wives a statement; and when she informed [another] of it and Allah showed it to him, he made known part of it and ignored a part. And when he informed her about it, she said, "Who told you this?" He said, "I was informed by the Knowing, the Acquainted
إِن تَتُوبَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ فَقَدۡ صَغَتۡ قُلُوبُكُمَاۖ وَإِن تَظَٰهَرَا عَلَيۡهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰهُ وَجِبۡرِيلُ وَصَٰلِحُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ ظَهِيرٌ ٤
66:4If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is best], for your hearts have deviated. But if you cooperate against him - then indeed Allah is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers and the angels, moreover, are [his] assistants
عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُۥٓ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبۡدِلَهُۥٓ أَزۡوَٰجًا خَيۡرࣰا مِّنكُنَّ مُسۡلِمَٰتࣲ مُّؤۡمِنَٰتࣲ قَٰنِتَٰتࣲ تَـٰٓئِبَٰتٍ عَٰبِدَٰتࣲ سَـٰٓئِحَٰتࣲ ثَيِّبَٰتࣲ وَأَبۡكَارࣰا ٥
66:5Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you - submitting [to Allah], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, and traveling - [ones] previously married and virgins
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ قُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيكُمۡ نَارࣰا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلۡحِجَارَةُ عَلَيۡهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظࣱ شِدَادࣱ لَّا يَعۡصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمۡ وَيَفۡعَلُونَ مَا يُؤۡمَرُونَ ٦
66:6O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَا تَعۡتَذِرُواْ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ إِنَّمَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٧
66:7O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوۡبَةࣰ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَكُمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣲ 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 شَيۡءࣲ قَدِيرࣱ ٨
66:8O you who have believed, repent to Allah 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 Allah 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
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ جَٰهِدِ ٱلۡكُفَّارَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ وَٱغۡلُظۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡۚ وَمَأۡوَىٰهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ٩
66:9O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination
ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلࣰا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱمۡرَأَتَ نُوحࣲ وَٱمۡرَأَتَ لُوطࣲۖ كَانَتَا تَحۡتَ عَبۡدَيۡنِ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا صَٰلِحَيۡنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمۡ يُغۡنِيَا عَنۡهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـࣰٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدۡخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّـٰخِلِينَ ١٠
66:10Allah 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 those prophets did not avail them from Allah at all, and it was said, "Enter the Fire with those who enter
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلࣰا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱمۡرَأَتَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِذۡ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ ٱبۡنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيۡتࣰا فِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ١١
66:11And Allah 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
وَمَرۡيَمَ ٱبۡنَتَ عِمۡرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَحۡصَنَتۡ فَرۡجَهَا فَنَفَخۡنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتۡ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتۡ مِنَ ٱلۡقَٰنِتِينَ ١٢
66:12And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient