His saying, exalted is He: "If you reveal something or conceal it, then indeed Allah is All-Knowing of everything." "There is no sin upon them in their fathers, nor their sons, nor their brothers, nor the sons of their brothers, nor the sons of their sisters, nor their women, nor what their right hands possess. And fear Allah; indeed Allah is All-Witnessing of everything."

His saying, exalted is He: "If you reveal something or conceal it"... is a warning and reproach and a threat to those who previously hinted at it in the preceding verse, concerning whom it was indicated by His saying: "That is purer for your hearts and their hearts" [Al-Ahzab: 53], and those referred to in His saying: "And it is not for you to harm the Messenger of Allah" [Al-Ahzab: 53]. It was said to them in this verse: Indeed Allah knows what you conceal of these beliefs and disliked thoughts, and He will reward you for them. Then He, blessed and exalted, mentioned the permissibility regarding those related by kinship; for the conditions of humanity necessitate the involvement of those mentioned, and their frequent presence, and the safety of oneself from matters of intimacy; due to what souls avoid from those who are forbidden. Among these are the fathers, children, brothers, and their sons and the sons of their sisters.

And His saying, exalted is He: "And nor their women" includes the sisters and mothers and all other relatives and those connected to them from the permissible. This is the saying of a group of scholars, and their statement is supported by this specific addition in the saying: "their women." Ibn Zayd and others said: He intended all believing women, and the specification of the addition is only in faith.

And His saying: "Or what their right hands possess" [An-Nur: 31] a group said: it is from the female slaves but not from the male slaves. Another group said: it is from both male and female slaves. Then this group differed, so one faction said: what they possess from the male slaves but not from those who are owned by others. Another faction said: rather from all slaves, whether they are in their possession or in the possession of others. And the mukatab (a slave who has a contract to buy his freedom) if he has what he can pay, then the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, commanded to observe hijab before him, and Umm Salamah did this with her mukatab Nabhan, as mentioned by Al-Zahrawi.

And one group said: the uncles are included in the fathers. And Ash-Shabi and Ikrimah said: He did not mention them due to the possibility that they may be pure for their children. Likewise, the maternal uncles, and they disliked that a woman should remove her hijab in front of her uncle or maternal uncle.

The interpreters differed regarding the meaning of the lifting of the sin in this verse. Qatadah said: it is the hijab, meaning: it is permitted for these categories to enter upon women without hijab and to see them. Mujahid said: that is regarding lifting the jilbab and revealing adornment.

And when Allah, exalted is He, mentioned the concession for these categories, and the permissibility was established, He then commanded them with piety as a continuation of the statement, and this is in the utmost eloquence and brevity, as if He said: "Restrict yourselves to this and fear Allah in it, that you do not transgress to other than it." Then He threatened, blessed and exalted, with His saying: "Indeed Allah is All-Witnessing of everything."