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Surah: At-Tahrim (1)
At-Tahrim — The Honey Incident or Maria's Story
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَآ أَحَلَّ ٱللَّهُ لَكَ
— التحريم الآية 1
Occasion of Revelation (Sahih — Agreed Upon):
Two authentic agreed-upon narrations, both possibly combined:
Narration 1 (Bukhari & Muslim): The Prophet ﷺ would stay with a wife and drink honey there. Aisha and Hafsa agreed to each tell him: "I smell mughafer on you" (a foul-smelling plant). The Prophet ﷺ swore off honey to please them. So was revealed: "O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you?"
Narration 2 (Muslim): The Prophet ﷺ made Maria Al-Qibtiyyah unlawful to himself in Hafsa's house to please her, then confided in Hafsa who disclosed the secret — the verses addressed this.
Significance:
Two authentic agreed-upon narrations, both possibly combined:
Narration 1 (Bukhari & Muslim): The Prophet ﷺ would stay with a wife and drink honey there. Aisha and Hafsa agreed to each tell him: "I smell mughafer on you" (a foul-smelling plant). The Prophet ﷺ swore off honey to please them. So was revealed: "O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you?"
Narration 2 (Muslim): The Prophet ﷺ made Maria Al-Qibtiyyah unlawful to himself in Hafsa's house to please her, then confided in Hafsa who disclosed the secret — the verses addressed this.
Significance:
- Allah directly corrects the Prophet for something done to please his wives
- No one may forbid upon himself what Allah made lawful — without an oath expiation
- "Allah has ordained for you the dissolution of your oaths" — expiation is the lawful exit from oaths
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari (5266), Sahih Muslim (1474) — Agreed Upon
Test Yourself
What legal ruling does "Why do you forbid what Allah made lawful" establish?
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