Prohibition (Al-Tahreem)
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
۞ O PROPHET, WHY should you forbid (yourself) what God has made lawful for you, in order to please your wives? Yet God is forgiving and kind. 1 Allah indeed has sanctioned for you the expiation of your oaths and Allah is your Protector, and He is the Knowing the Wise. 2 And recall what time the Prophet confided a story unto one of his spouses, then she disclosed it, and Allah apprised him thereof, he made known part thereof and withheld part. Then, when he had apprised her of it, she said: who hath acquainted thee therewith! He said the Knower, the Aware hath acquainted me. 3 Would that you two (wives of the Prophet) had turned to God in repentance. Your hearts have sinned. If you conspire with each other against him, know that God is his Guardian. Gabriel, the righteous (ones) among the believers and the angels will all support him. 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 O YOU who have attained to faith! Ward off from yourselves and those who are close to you that fire [of the hereafter] whose fuel is human beings and stones: [lording] over it are angelic powers awesome [and] severe, who do not disobey God in whatever He has commanded them, but [always] do what they are bidden to do. 6 'O you unbelievers, do not excuse yourselves today; you are only being recompensed for what you were doing.' 7