His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

"O you who have believed, let those whom your right hands possess and those who have not yet reached puberty among you ask permission three times before the dawn prayer and when you put off your garments for the midday (rest) and after the evening prayer. Three times of privacy for you. There is no blame upon you or upon them after those times. They are circulating among you. Some of you are to others. Thus Allah makes clear the verses to you, and Allah is Knowing and Wise."

Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, said: "Those whom your right hands possess" refers specifically to men. Abu Abdur-Rahman Al-Sulami said: It refers specifically to women. The way of men is to ask permission at all times. Al-Zahrawi narrated from Abu Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and similar to that. It was said: Men and women are all included, and this was preferred by Al-Tabari. The majority of people read: "al-hulum" with a Dhamma on the letter 'lam'. Al-Hasan ibn Abi Al-Hasan read: "al-hulm" with a Sukoon on the letter 'lam'. Abu Amr used to prefer it.

And this verse is definitive. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said: People have neglected it. Likewise, people have neglected His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you." [Al-Hujurat: 13] Yet people insisted that the most noble is the one of the best lineage.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And this statement about the neglect of [the people] is a reprimand and a warning, as the right obligation was not adhered to. Otherwise, what Allah, exalted and majestic is He, said is the belief in that among the scholars written in their works, meaning that nobility is righteousness. As for the matter of seeking permission, changing the structures and curtains has sufficed for much of the seeking of permission, and it has placed it on another level. And where are the doors of the houses today from the places of sleep? Al-Mahdawi mentioned from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that he said: The practice of this verse was obligatory when there were no locks or doors. If the situation were to return, the obligation would return.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

So it is now obligatory in many of the dwellings of the Muslims in the deserts and wildernesses and the like.

And the meaning of the verse according to a group of scholars is that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, has instructed His servants that the servants - when they are without shame - and the children who have not reached puberty, except that they have understood the meanings of uncovering and similar matters, should seek permission from their families during these three times. These are the times that the custom of people necessitates uncovering and remaining naked in their beds. They are: in the morning, because at that time people are naked in their beds, and the sleeping person may uncover himself. So whoever walks in and enters and exits, the ruling is that he should seek permission so that he does not see what must be concealed. Likewise, at the time of qailulah - which is the afternoon - because the day becomes apparent if it rises and its heat intensifies. And after the evening prayer, because it is the time for undressing for sleep and changing the bedding. As for other than these times, which are a state of uncovering, the common practice of people is to be cautious and careful. So there is no harm in entering this category without permission; for they are those who come and go, and people have no choice in that. Ibn Abi Abla read: 'tawafin' with a ya, and Al-Hasan said: If a man has his servant with him, then there is no need for permission even during these three times. And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: 'some of you are upon others' is a substitute for His saying: 'tawafin' and 'three nakednesses' is in the accusative case because they were not commanded to seek permission three times; rather, they were commanded to seek permission at three locations. Thus, the two instances in 'three' are clear.

The majority of the seven reciters read: 'three nakednesses' with 'three' in the nominative case, and so it is upon beginning. Hamzah, Al-Kisai, and Abu Bakr from Asim read: 'three nakednesses' with 'three' in the accusative case. This is in substitution for the circumstance in His saying: 'three times'. And this substitution is only valid with the understanding of: three times of nakedness, so the added word was omitted and the word to which it is added took its place. 'Nakednesses' is the plural of 'awrah', and it is correct for it to come in the form of 'fa'alat' with the opening of the 'ain', like 'jafnah' and 'jafnat', and similar to that. They have also made the 'ain' silent in the defective form like 'baydah' and 'baydat', 'jawbah' and 'jawbat', and similar to that, because its opening would lead to its defect, so it was not opened for that reason.