O You Who Believe

59)

"O you who have believed, let those whom your right hands possess and those who have not [yet] reached puberty among you ask permission of you [before entering] at three times: before the dawn prayer and when you put aside your clothing [for rest] at noon and after the night prayer. [These are] three times of privacy for you. There is no blame upon you nor upon them beyond these [periods], for they continually circulate among you – some of you, among others. Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise."

[Al-Nur 24:58]

The commandments for social life are being told here.

These Ayat include a discussion of how people who are closely related should seek permission to enter upon one another. What was mentioned earlier in the Surah had to do with how unrelated people should seek permission to enter upon one another. Allah commanded the believers to ensure that their servants and their children who have not yet reached puberty should seek permission at three times: the first is before the Fajr prayer, because people are asleep in their beds at that time.

In the afternoon i.e at the time of rest, because a man may be in a state of undress with his wife at that time.

The third is after Isha prayer because this is the time for sleep. Servants and children are commanded not to enter upon household members at these times, because it is feared that a man may be in an intimate situation with his wife and so on.

The verse means to say that these are your times of privacy when you are either alone or with your wives in a state when it is not proper for your children and servants to come in to see you unannounced. Therefore, they should be instructed that they must take your permission before coming in to see you in your places of privacy at these three times.

At times other than these three, there is no restriction on the entry of minor children and slaves in your private rooms without permission. If on such an occasion you are not properly dressed and they enter without permission, you will have no right to take them to task. For in that case, it will be your own folly to have kept yourself in an improper state at a time when you should have been properly dressed for the day’s business. They (slaves and children under puberty) have been given permission to enter suddenly, because they are those who go around in the house, i.e., to serve you etc., and as such they may be forgiven for things that others will not be forgiven.

However, if they enter without permission during the times of privacy, the blame will lie with them provided they have been taught the necessary etiquette.

This is the reason for the general permission for children and slaves to come without permission at other times than those mentioned above. This throws light on a fundamental fiqh principle that every religious injunction is based on some wisdom or good reason, whether it has been explained or not.

This command is, like other commands, necessary but people do not do this. A'ishah (RA) said, "I asked Ash-Sha'bi about the Ayah. He said, 'It has not been abrogated.' I said: 'But the people do not do that.' He said, 'May Allah help them.''' 

The next verse explains the continuation of this rule that when the children reach puberty, then they have to ask for permission before entering at all times of the day and not just three times.

The verse after this one states that those women who have reached an age where they cannot hope for children or cannot hope for marriage, they can remove their outer covering i.e they do not have to cover themselves with cloaks like others do.

These three verses are linked because Allah talks about a person's life at home, etiquettes and manners regarding the children and slaves.

At the end of the main verse, Allah says that His orders and commands are clear through His verses and behind each command is a hidden wisdom. These commandments are mainly for the purpose of purifying the hearts and preventing them from being malign. Allah is the Creator and He knows what can cause evil to rise in a person's heart hence through this wisdom, He protects us from evil.

Things we learnt:

> The slaves and children under puberty should ask for permission before entering at three times of a day; one before Fajr prayer, two in the afternoon when a person is resting and three after Isha prayer.

> On times other than this, the slaves and children can come and go freely and it is the person's responsibility to be properly dressed around that time and it is not to be blamed upon slaves or children if they witness something in these time (i.e times other than the three mentioned times).

> Children who reach puberty must ask permission at all times ofthe day before entering.

> Ladies who cannot give birth i.e have outgrown the age of giving birth can remove their outer covering if they don't have any desire of marriage (or don't wish to impress someone).

> These commandments regarding a person's personal life cleanse the hearts and Allah is the most Wise and Knowing. Hence behind His every order, their is wisdom.

May Allah guide us to the right path.
Ameen.
Wama alayna illal balaghul mubeen.