Nature has provided man immense means of sustenance. These fulfill our daily needs and even taste and there are substitutes available in abundance in case one doesn't suit our taste. Yet despite the abundant availability, there are few eatables that are forbidden by Allah for He alone knows what wisdom lies behind such restrictions and prohibitions.
For example, pork is not only made unlawful in other Divine religions, but in Islam too. We share herein under quote a verse from Al-Qurʾān Sürah al-Naḥl (The Honey Bee) verse 115:
اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيۡكُمُ الۡمَيۡتَةَ وَ الدَّمَ وَلَحۡمَ الۡخِنۡزِيۡرِ وَمَاۤ اُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖۚ فَمَنِ اضۡطُرَّ غَيۡرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ
(16:115) Allah has forbidden you only carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine; also any animal over which the name of any other than Allah has been pronounced. But whoever eats of them under compelling necessity - neither desiring it nor exceeding the limit of absolute necessity - surely for such action Allah is Much Forgiving, Most Merciful.
* Read details in our earlier post: Why eyebrows are raised when Muslims label some food as Halāl (Lawful) and Harām (Unlawful)
Other than these eatables mentioned above, rest all crops, fruits and their derivatives like honey and oil are made Halal (permissible) for Muslims. Yet some believers make certain Halal things Haram over them in order to appease someone, even one's family. We share herein under the very first verse from Surah At-Taḥrīm التحريم (The Prohibition) in which even Prophet Muhammad ﷺ under a peculiar situation vowed not to take honey to appease his wives and was instantly admonished by Allah for never making a Halal thing Haram, thus overrising obedience of Allah over love of people.
Let us read the verse below and then its explanation with reference to context and its implications for us today.
The Verse:
يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّبِىُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَاۤ اَحَلَّ اللّٰهُ لَـكَۚ تَبۡتَغِىۡ مَرۡضَاتَ اَزۡوَاجِكَؕ وَاللّٰهُ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ
(66:1) O Prophet, why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you? Is it to please your wives? Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Compassionate.
Sürah At-Tahrīm (66:1) is a powerful and deeply personal verse addressed to the Prophet ﷺ, yet it carries universal guidance.
Context of Revelation (Asbāb al-Nuzūl)
Classical scholars (like Ibn Kathīr and others) mention two closely related reports explaining this verse:
- The Honey Incident
- The Prophet ﷺ used to visit his wife Zaynab bint Jahsh, where he would drink honey. Some of his other wives (notably Aisha bint Abi Bakr and Hafsa bint Umar) felt a bit of natural jealousy and agreed to say that his breath had an unpleasant smell (maghāfīr).
- Out of consideration, the Prophet ﷺ said he would stop drinking honey—making something lawful effectively “forbidden” upon himself.
- The Incident of Māriyah Another narration relates to Māriyah al-Qibtiyya, where the Prophet ﷺ, to please one of his wives, vowed to abstain from her.
The detail of these incidents have been highlighted in detail which can be read from our earlier post on the Exegesis / Tafsir of Sürah At-Tahrīm. Herein under we only explain the Divine commandment of admonishment for making Halal things Haram.
Key Insight on Context
Regardless of which specific incident is preferred, the core issue is the same: The Prophet ﷺ restricted something Allah made lawful, out of a noble intention—to please his family, thus overriding obedience to Allah.
Core Message of the Verse
- Even Good Intentions Have Limits
- The Prophet ﷺ acted out of kindness and sensitivity. But Allah corrected him: "You cannot declare something unlawful, even for emotional or relational reasons, that Allah has made lawful.
- This shows: Divine law is above personal compromise.
- Balance Between Relationships and Principles Although Islam acknowledges Love, Emotional sensitivity, and Family harmony, yet it sets a boundary: Do not compromise what Allah has permitted or commanded to please people
- Allah’s Gentle Correction
- Notice the tone for it does not harshly condemn the act for it ends with “Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” That is the act is disliked, yet Allah is forgiving and merciful.
- This teaches: Even the best of people can make small judgment errors—and Allah corrects with mercy.
- That is, although the act of making a lawful thing unlawful only in order to please your wives was an act unbecoming of your high and responsible office, yet it was no sin, which might have entailed a punishment. Therefore, Allah has only pointed it out to you and corrected it, and has forgiven you for this error.
Implications for Us Today
- Don’t Make Halal into Haram
- A very common mistake most of us still make by declaring permissible things as “bad” or “sinful” without evidence - that is cultural or emotional biases overriding Sharīʿah.
- Example: Forbidding yourself (or others) from lawful things out of guilt, pressure, or image
- Avoid People-Pleasing at the Cost of Truth
- This verse directly addresses a subtle weakness: Living to please people instead of pleasing Allah
- Today this appears as: (1) Compromising religious values for social acceptance, (2) Altering truth to avoid conflict, and (3) Suppressing what is right to maintain relationships.
- This is specially true for Muslims living in non Muslim countries who make many a compromises so as not to look "fundamentalist" to the non Muslim community. for example not observing Hijab in order to be singled out or observing religious matters openly.
- Emotional Intelligence with Boundaries Islam does not reject sensitivity like The Prophet ﷺ caring deeply about his wives’ feelings. But kindness must not override divine guidance
- Self-Imposed Restrictions in Religion
- This verse warns against unnecessary strictness like Inventing personal rules and treating them like religion, making life harder than Allah intended.
- This connects with a broader principle: Islam is a religion of balance—not self-imposed hardship.
A Deeper Spiritual Reflection
This verse exposes a hidden spiritual test and asks: Whose approval matters most in your life? The People?, Family?, Society?, or Allah?
Even the Prophet ﷺ was gently reminded: Do not let love for people subtly override obedience to Allah.
That is not eating pork or drinking is not something that one should be ashamed of in societies where these are allowed and eaten and drink openly. These can be avoided by polite rejection with no discussions or arguments.
One-Line Takeaway: “Never compromise what Allah has made lawful or true in order to please others—even with the best intentions.”
The reproach in the verse above is mild but effective. It is not proper for a believer to prohibit himself something that God has made lawful. The Prophet had not imposed a legal prohibition on himself - he only decided to refrain. This gentle reproach makes it clear that it is not right to deliberately deprive oneself of what God has made lawful in order to appease someone else. The comment at the end of the verse is: 'God is much-forgiving, ever merciful,' suggests that such deliberate action would require questioning unless it was overlooked by an act of God's forgiveness and grace.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Islam - frequently asked Q & A for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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