Prohibition (Al-Tahreem)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
۞ O Prophet! Why bannest thou that which Allah hath made lawful for thee, seeking to please thy wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. 1 God has already ordained that you be absolved of such oaths. God is your patron. He is the All Knowing, the Wise One. 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 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 It may be that if he divorces you his Lord will give him in your place better wives than yourselves, women who have surrendered, believing, obedient, penitent worshippers and given to fasting; who were (previously) married, and virgins too. 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 who disbelieve! do not urge excuses today; you shall be rewarded only according to what you did. 7