Themes and purpose:

This Madinan surah serves as a lesson in domestic ethics and legal authority. Its core purpose is to correct the Prophet (ﷺ) for forbidding what Allah made lawful, to establish the law of expiation for oaths, and to issue a severe warning to the Prophet’s wives against internal division, using the fates of the wives of Nūḥ and Lūṭ as a dramatic parable.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by consensus.

Context: There are two domestic incidents narrated to provide context for this surah. The first concerns the Prophet (ﷺ) consuming honey at the house of one wife (likely Zaynab bint Jaḥsh), leading ʿĀ’ishah and Ḥafṣah to conspire against him by claiming he had bad breath. The Prophet (ﷺ) then vowed to forbid himself honey to appease them.

A second report, weaker in transmission, mentions the Prophet (ﷺ) forbidding himself his concubine, Māriyah, after Ḥafṣah found them together.

Chronology: It is counted as the 105th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt and before al-Jumuʿah.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah's established name is "Sūrat al-Taḥrīm" (The Prohibition), due to the question posed in the opening ayah. It has also been called "Sūrat al-Nabī" (The Prophet), and in longer form: "Sūrat Yā ayyuhā al-Nabiyyu lima tuḥarrim".

Ayah Count: 12 āyāt by unanimous agreement.

Surah Overview:

Legal Correction: Correcting the Prophet (ﷺ) for prohibiting what Allah made lawful and establishing the law of expiation for oaths. [1-2]
Divine Knowledge: Affirming that Allah informs His Messenger (ﷺ) of all hidden matters. [3]
Warning the Wives: Warning the Prophet's wives (particularly those involved in that incident) against internal conspiracy and threatening them with divorce if they persist in causing him distress. [3-5]
Family Responsibility: Commanding the believers to protect themselves and their families from the Hellfire. [6]
Ethical standards: Commanding sincere repentance and warning against multiplying difficulties for one's spouse. [8, 7]
The Parable of the Wives: Using the wives (who disbelieved) of Nūḥ and Lūṭ and the wife of Pharaoh (Āsiyah, who believed despite her husbands' disbelief), and the perfect woman Maryam, as parables. [10-12]