Commentary on the Koran: Surah 66 “The Prohibition” (No. Q066)

Pickthall Translation; Bible Quotes are from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Introduction

There are three views or traditions as to the origin of this Surah from verses 1-4.

At-Tahrim takes its name as the “Banning” or “Prohibition” from a word in verse 1.

The Hadithic traditions attribute three origins to the Surah, only one of which could be true, and most probably none are true.

An important aspect of the translation and text is that according to Pickthall all the wives of the Prophet were widows except for Ayeshah and she, like they all were, was thrust on the Prophet out of necessity as widows or as with Ayeshah as a legatee from Abu Bakr who outlived him anyway.

He is noted by the Scholars, as recorded by Pickthall, as having only one son who was named Ibrahim and thus he was not the father of a son named Qasim which was his own true name. Abu Qasim is thus the misapplied name Father Qasim and not Father of Qasim.

The traditions are recorded by Pickthall as:

1. The prophet was fond of honey. One of his wives was inveigled into staying with him longer than was customary. Ayesha knew of the Prophet’s horror of unpleasant smells and with two other wives held their noses and accused him of eating the produce of a rank smelling tree, Maghafir. The Prophet allegedly said he had eaten only honey and the women said the bees had then been fed on Maghafir. The Prophet allegedly then vowed to eat no more honey.

2. Hafsah allegedly found the Prophet in her room with Marya the Coptic girl given to the Prophet by the ruler of Egypt. Marya became the mother of the only male child of the Prophet named Ibrahim. The Prophet was remarried by this stage. This conduct was on a day that custom allegedly was allocated to Ayesha. This could not have been earlier than a few years before the death of the Prophet when she was 18. Allegedly, the Prophet, moved by Hafsah’s distress vowed to shut Marya away and asked her not to tell Ayesha which she promptly did boasting of how easily she had got rid of Marya.

3. Before Al-Islam, it was alleged that women had no rights in (Paganised) Arabia, (which was not true) as the Church of God assigned Biblical rights to the women and the Jews also accorded rights under Biblical law. The women were accorded rights under the Koran in accordance with Biblical law which the traditions of the Hadith alleges they were inclined to exaggerate. Omar is recorded as remonstrating with Hafsah, his wife, about her presumption when she said his own daughter Hafsah, the wife of the Prophet, was guilty of this presumptuous behaviour.

The purpose of all three traditions was to assert polygamy to the Prophet.

Pickthall considers tradition 2 most likely and favoured by the commentators on the text but acknowledges 1 and 3 are the best authenticated and favoured by many of the great traditionists.

The Biblical text of the NT allows only one wife to an elder of the Church of God. The aspects of Polygamy are examined in the paper Polygamy in the Bible and the Koran (No. 293).

The Prophet’s position as head of the church and the state made him responsible for widows and legatees. There are no children recorded as being born to the Prophet by Ayesha. And Marya is the alleged mother of Ibrahim, the only male child of the Prophet. He was faithful to his first wife until her death. The obligation is on those who assert children to multiple wives, to identify the wives and the names of the children. Polygamy is not permitted to the elders of the Churches of God. Remarriage on death or divorce is permitted.

Ali was the Prophet’s nephew and he took over responsibility for the conduct of the faith with Hussein after the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs. There were no children recorded as being involved.

66.1. O Prophet! Why bannest thou that which Allah hath made lawful for thee, seeking to please thy wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

66.2. Allah hath made lawful for you (Muslims) absolution from your oaths (of such a kind), and Allah is your Protector. He is the Knower, the Wise.

See Deuteronomy 29:29 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 21 (No. Q021) at ayat 15 and Daniel 9:9 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 24 (No. Q024) at ayat 5.

Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.

Deuteronomy 12:32 Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

1Corinthians 7:4-5 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Numbers 30:8 But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he opposes her, then he makes void her vow that was on her, and the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself. And the LORD will forgive her.

Numbers 30:13 Any vow and any binding oath to afflict herself, her husband may establish, or her husband may make void.

Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.

Matthew 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

Psalm 121:7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

Colossians 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Refer to Daniel 2:22 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 33 (No. Q033) at ayat 55.

God knows how to deal with his prophets if they overstep his standards. They were imperfect humans after all, and they will fall now and again in their journey through life.

66.3. When the Prophet confided a fact unto one of his wives and when she afterward divulged it and Allah appraised him thereof, he made known (to her) part thereof and passed over part. And when he told it her she said: Who hath told thee? He said: The Knower, the Aware hath told me.

His wife should have kept the fact to herself as he had confided in her. Nothing is hidden from God.

Proverbs 21:23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

66.4. If ye twain turn unto Allah repentant, (ye have cause to do so) for your hearts desired (the ban); and if ye aid one another against him (Muhammad) then lo! Allah, even He, is his Protecting Friend, and Gabriel and the righteous among the believers; and furthermore the angels are his helpers.

Leviticus 5:4-6 or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; ⁵when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, ⁶he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Numbers 12:1-9 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. ²And they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it. ³Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. ⁴And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. ⁵And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. ⁶And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. ⁷Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. ⁸With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” ⁹And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed

God sided with Moses when Miriam and Aaron spoke up against him. Who were they to oppose the prophet of the Almighty?

Psalm 121:7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2Kings 6:16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

66.5. It may happen that his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your stead wives better than you, submissive (to Allah), believing, pious, penitent, devout, inclined to fasting, widows and maids.

God told David that if he wanted anything all he had to was ask God for it and God would have given him much more.

See Job 42:2 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 47 (No. Q047) at ayat 32

2Samuel 12:7-8 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. ⁸And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.

In Exodus 32: 9-10 God told Moses that he was able to raise up a nation from Moses. God is able to do all things.

Job 42:10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

66.6. O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.

66.7. (Then it will be said): O ye who disbelieve! Make no excuses for yourselves this day. Ye are only being paid for what ye used to do.

Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Psalm 103:20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!

Read Revelation 20:11-15 as quoted at ayat 15 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 17 (No. Q017) and Psalm 28:4 at ayat 13 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 24 (No. Q024).

66.8. O ye who believe! Turn unto Allah in sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your evil deeds and bring you into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, on the day when Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will run before them and on their right hands; they will say: Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us! Lo! Thou art Able to do all things.

See Isaiah 8:20 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 49 (No. Q049) at ayat 6.

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out

1Peter 3:11-12 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

See 1Peter 2:9 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 24 (No. Q024) at ayat 36 and Revelation 20:6 Commentary on Koran: Surah 30 (No. Q030) at ayat 15.

66.9. O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey's end.

1Timothy 5:20-21 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. ²¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.

They were given a chance in this life and will again be given a second chance during the 100 years of the White Throne Judgment and if they refuse to repent they will end up in the lake of fire.

66.10. Allah citeth an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, who were under two of Our righteous slaves yet betrayed them so that they (the husbands) availed them naught against Allah and it was said (unto them): Enter the Fire along with those who enter.

Noah’s wife is mentioned very briefly in the Bible but from the above record it would seem that she would have been a thorn in his flesh. Perhaps she had been compromised by the society around her. She was however saved in the ark.

The Bible states that Noah walked with God and he was blameless. Nothing is noted about the character of his wife but it is obvious from the comments here that she was regarded as not walking with God and being rebuked..

Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.

Lot’s wife could not achieve deliverance as she desired the things of this world.

Genesis 19:26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Luke 9:62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Hebrews 10:38-39 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” ³⁹But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

66.11. And Allah citeth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! Build for me a home with thee in the Garden, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his work, and deliver me from evil-doing folk;

66.12. And Mary, daughter of 'Imran, whose body was chaste, therefor We breathed therein something of Our Spirit. And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His scriptures, and was of the obedient.

The verse above states that the wife of Pharaoh was a believer.

Verse 12 of this text also refers to Mariam daughter of Imran the father of Moses (see also Surah 3). She was the sister of Moses and was given the Holy Spirit and became a prophetess of Israel as Aaron and Moses were prophets.

She must not be confused with Mariam the Mother of Christ who is referred to in the texts in Luke 1:27, 28, 35, 38, 42 and 45, Matthew. 1:18, and John 19:26,27

We are required to be at peace with our spouses.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (KJV)

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