Prohibition (Al-Tahreem)
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ O Prophet! Why holdest thou to be forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to thee? Thou seekest to please thy consorts. But Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 1 Surely Allah hath ordained for you absolution from your oaths; and Allah is your Patron and He is the Knower, the Wise. 2 And lo! [It so happened that] the Prophet told something in confidence to one of his wives; and when she thereupon divulged it, and God made this known to him, he acquainted [others] with some of it and passed over some of it. And as soon as he let her know it, she asked, "Who has told thee this?" - [to which] he replied, "The All-Knowing, the All-Aware has told me." 3 [Say, O Prophet:] "Would that you two turn unto God in repentance, for the hearts of both of you have swerved [from what is right]! And if you uphold each other against him [who is God's message-bearer, know that] God Himself is his Protector, and [that,] therefore, Gabriel, and all the righteous among the believers and all the [other] angels will come to his aid." 4 Were he to divorce you, his Lord might well replace you with better wives -- submissive [to God], believing, pious, penitent, devout in worship, given to fasting -- previously married and virgins. 5 Believers, guard yourselves and your families against the Fire the fuel of which is people and stones, over which there are harsh, and stern angels who never disobey Allah in that which He orders and do what they are ordered. 6 Disbelievers (will be told on the Day of Judgment), "Do not make any excuses on this day; you are only receiving recompense for what you have done". 7