Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "O Prophet, why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful to you, seeking the pleasure of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful," and the reason for its revelation

The Shaykh : Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the God-fearing, and may peace and blessings be upon him, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows, on this Thursday, the twenty-ninth of the month of Jumada al-Akhirah in the year 1418, we listened to our Imam reciting Surat al-Tahrim in the Prophet's Mosque . In this noble verse, Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) says to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): . What he forbade was honey, because he (peace and blessings be upon him) had drunk honey at the home of one of the Mothers of the Believers. So Aisha and Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with them both) conspired, based on the nature and disposition of women regarding jealousy of their neighbor, to say to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Have you eaten maghafir?" Maghafir has an unpleasant smell. When they said that to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: , forbidding it to himself. So Allah revealed this verse: . The interrogative here is for reproach, as Allah reproached him: how does he forbid what Allah has made lawful for him for the sake of the pleasure of his wives, meaning some of the wives . So reflect on how Allah reproached His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) for this prohibition. Then He followed it with His saying: , meaning that Allah has forgiven him (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and shown him mercy.