The surah opens with the Almighty Creator of the universe intervening in a highly localized, embarrassing domestic dispute between Muhammad and his wives, stripping the text of any claim to universal, eternal moral instruction.
Surah 66:1:
O Prophet, why do you prohibit from what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
According to the premier Islamic commentaries (Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Sahih al-Bukhari 5267), this verse was "revealed" because Muhammad's wives (Aisha and Hafsa) caught him in a lie or became jealous. One major historical account records that they pressured him because he spent extra time drinking honey at the house of another wife; the other major account records that Hafsa caught Muhammad having relations with his Coptic slave-girl, Maria, on Hafsa's designated day in her own bed.
To appease them, Muhammad swore an oath to never touch Maria (or the honey) again. Critics point out that an "eternal tablet in heaven" contains verses engineered strictly to release Muhammad from a clumsy domestic oath so he could resume relations with his slave-girl or drink honey, proving the text acted as a running commentary for his immediate personal desires.