لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ ٱلنِّسَآءُ مِنۢ بَعْدُ وَلَآ أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رَّقِيبًا 52
Translations
Not lawful to you, [O Muḥammad], are [any additional] women after [this], nor [is it] for you to exchange them for [other] wives, even if their beauty were to please you, except what your right hand possesses. And ever is Allāh, over all things, an Observer.
Transliteration
Lā yaḥillu laka al-nisāʾu min baʿdu wa-lā an tabaddala bihinna min azwāj wa-law aʿjabaka ḥusnuhunna illā mā malakat yamīnuka wa-kāna Allāhu ʿalā kulli shayʾin raqībā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah restricts the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from marrying additional women beyond those he had already married, and forbids him from divorcing his current wives to replace them with others, even if he found other women more beautiful—with the exception of captives of war (those whom his right hand possessed). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi note this was a special restriction for the Prophet alone, establishing limits on his marriages as a sign of honor and to prevent discord among his wives. The ayah concludes with a reminder that Allah is observing all matters, emphasizing divine oversight of even the Prophet's personal conduct.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period during the context of the Battle of the Confederates (Ahzāb), when the Prophet's household faced threats and tensions arose regarding his marriages. The restriction appears to have been revealed to address marital complexities and to establish clear boundaries, preventing further additions to his household that could create discord, while also distinguishing between his wives and captives of war.
Related Hadiths
Aʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet's wives became jealous of her, leading to verses of revelation about his marriages (Sahih Bukhari). Additionally, the hadith in Sunan Ibn Mājah describes the Prophet saying he had been given permission for plural marriage unlike other men, but this ayah subsequently restricted even his practice.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even the most honored individual is subject to divine law and boundaries, reminding believers that restrictions from Allah serve purposes of wisdom and justice. It emphasizes that commitment to one's covenants—particularly in marriage—is a fundamental Islamic value that supersedes personal desires, and that Allah's awareness of all our actions calls us to integrity in our most intimate affairs.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مِيثَـٰقَهُمْ وَمِنكَ وَمِن نُّوحٍ وَإِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ ۖ وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُم مِّيثَـٰقًا غَلِيظًا
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus, the son of Mary; and We took from them a solemn covenant
۞ تُرْجِى مَن تَشَآءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُـْٔوِىٓ إِلَيْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ وَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَن تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ وَلَا يَحْزَنَّ وَيَرْضَيْنَ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْتَهُنَّ كُلُّهُنَّ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَلِيمًا
You, [O Muḥammad], may put aside whom you will of them or take to yourself whom you will. And any that you desire of those [wives] from whom you had [temporarily] separated - there is no blame upon you [in returning her]. That is more suitable that they should be content and not grieve and that they should be satisfied with what you have given them - all of them. And Allāh knows what is in your hearts. And ever is Allāh Knowing and Forbearing.
وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّآ أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَآءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا ٱلسَّبِيلَا۠
And they will say, "Our Lord, indeed we obeyed our masters and our dignitaries, and they led us astray from the [right] way.
قُلْ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَعْصِمُكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ سُوٓءًا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ رَحْمَةً ۚ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا
Say, "Who is it that can protect you from Allāh if He intends for you an ill or intends for you a mercy?" And they will not find for themselves besides Allāh any protector or any helper.