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 قَالَت طَّآئِفَةٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَـٰٓأَهْلَ يَثْرِبَ لَا مُقَامَ لَكُمْ فَٱرْجِعُوا۟ ۚ وَيَسْتَـْٔذِنُ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ بُيُوتَنَا عَوْرَةٌ وَمَا هِىَ بِعَوْرَةٍ ۖ إِن يُرِيدُونَ إِلَّا فِرَارًا
And when a faction of them said, "O people of Yathrib, there is no stability for you [here], so return [home]." And a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying, "Indeed, our houses are exposed [i.e., unprotected]," while they were not exposed. They did not intend except to flee.
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًا مُّبِينًا
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allāh and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allāh and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ ٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ وَٱلْمُنَـٰفِقِينَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا
O Prophet, fear Allāh and do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Indeed, Allāh is ever Knowing and Wise.
وَإِذْ يَقُولُ ٱلْمُنَـٰفِقُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ مَّا وَعَدَنَا ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ إِلَّا غُرُورًا
And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, "Allāh and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion,"