سورة التحريم

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Before the birth of his son Ibrahim, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was alone with [his slave-woman] Mariya the Copt, and Aisha became aware of it. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ordered her to keep it hidden [and not tell anyone], and he made Mariya the Copt forbidden to himself. Then Aisha told Hafsa about it, and Allah revealed [these verses]: يا أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ ما أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکَ تَبْتَغِی مَرْضاتَ أَزْواجِکَ وَ اللهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِیمٌ [O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Zurara said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about a man who says to his wife: "You are forbidden to me." He said: "If I had authority over him, I would strike his head and say to him: Allah has made her lawful for you; what has made her forbidden to you? He has done nothing but tell a lie, and has claimed that what Allah has made lawful for him is forbidden. So no divorce is incurred upon him, nor kaffara (expiation)." I then said: "But Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: يَا أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکَ [O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you] — He made kaffara obligatory for it?" He said: "He only forbade upon himself his Coptic slave-girl, Mariya, and swore an oath that he would not approach her, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) made the kaffara obligatory on himself because of the oath — this kaffara was not for making something forbidden."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Qays said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): يَا أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکَ تَبْتَغِی مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِکَ وَ اللهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِیمٌ، قَدْ فَرَضَ اللهُ لَکُمْ تَحِلَّةَ أَیْمَانِکُمْ [O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you, seeking to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Allah has already ordained for you the dissolution of your oaths]. So He made it an oath, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) gave its kaffara." I said: "With what did he give the kaffara?" He said: "He fed ten poor people; for each poor person a mudd (a measure)." I said: "If someone wishes the kaffara to be clothing, what is the standard?" He said: "A garment which covers his private parts."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about a man who had sworn: "If I ever drink any grape-drink, whether lawful or unlawful, my wife shall be separated from me by divorce and all my slaves shall be freed." His Eminence said: "As for the unlawful, he must never approach it — whether he has sworn or not. And as for the lawful grape-drink, nothing is upon him, for it is not for him to forbid what Allah has made lawful, since Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says to His Messenger: يا أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ ما أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکَ [O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you]. So an oath is not valid in forbidding a lawful thing, nor in making a forbidden thing lawful, nor in severing kinship ties."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Ja'far narrates from his brother Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) and says: I asked him about this statement: "A man says to his wife, 'You are forbidden to me.'" He said: "This is a form of oath and he must pay its expiation. Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family): يَا أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکَ تَبْتَغِی مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِکَ وَ اللهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِیمٌ قَدْ فَرَضَ اللهُ لَکُمْ تَحِلَّةَ أَیْمَانِکُمْ وَ اللهُ مَوْلَاکُمْ [O Prophet! Why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Allah has already ordained for you the dissolution of your oaths, and Allah is your Protector]. He made this an oath. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) paid its expiation." I asked: "How much expiation does he give for the oath?" He said: "Feeding ten poor persons." I asked: "How much food should be given to each poor person?" He said: "Ten sirs, ten sirs."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ibn Sayyar narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that regarding the statement of Allah the Exalted: يَا أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ لَکَ تَبْتَغِی مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِکَ [O Prophet! Why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives], he said: A'isha and Hafsa came to know of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) presence with Mariya, so the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "By Allah! I will not go near her again," and Allah commanded him to give the expiation for his oath.