Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayah 55
Quran 33:55 · The Combined Forces · Madani · Para 22 · Page 426
لَا جُنَاحَ عَلَیْهِنَّ فِیْۤ اٰبَآىِٕهِنَّ وَلَاۤ اَبْنَآىِٕهِنَّ وَلَاۤ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَاۤ اَبْنَآءِ اِخْوَانِهِنَّ وَلَاۤ اَبْنَآءِ اَخَوٰتِهِنَّ وَلَا نِسَآىِٕهِنَّ وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتْ اَیْمَانُهُنَّ ۚ وَاتَّقِیْنَ اللّٰهَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ عَلٰی كُلِّ شَیْءٍ شَهِیْدًا ۟
Transliteration
La junaha AAalayhinna fee aba-ihinnawala abna-ihinna wala ikhwanihinnawala abna-i ikhwanihinna wala abna-iakhawatihinna wala nisa-ihinna wala mamalakat aymanuhunna wattaqeena Allaha innaAllaha kana AAala kulli shay-in shaheeda
Saheeh International
There is no blame upon them [i.e., women] concerning their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or their women or those their right hands possess [i.e., slaves]. And fear Allāh. Indeed Allāh is ever, over all things, Witness.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
There is no sin on the wives of the Messenger if their fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, from lineage or breast feeding, see them and talk to them without a veil. And there is no sin on them if believing women or the servants they possess talk to them without a veil. O believing women! Be mindful of Allah in whatever He (may He be glorified) has commanded you to do and prohibited you from, because He is Watchful over what you do.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
It is no sin on them before their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their brother's sons, or the sons of their sisters, or their own (believing) women, or their (female) slaves. And (O ladies) have Taqwa of Allah. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Witness over everything (55)
Relatives before Whom a Woman does not need to observe Hijab
When Allah commands women to observe Hijab in front of men to whom they are not related, He explains who are the relatives before whom they do not need to observe Hijab. This is like the exceptions stated in Surat An-Nur, where Allah says:
وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ
(And not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husbands' fathers, or their sons, or their husbands' sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or their right hand possessions, or the Tabi'in among men who do not have desire, or small children who are not aware of the nakedness of women.)(24:31).
The Ayah contains more detail than this, which we have already discussed in the Tafsir of the Ayah and do not need to repeat here.
Ibn Jarir recorded that Ash-Sha'bi and 'Ikrimah said concerning the Ayah,
لَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فِي آبَائِهِنَّ
(It is no sin on them before their fathers...) I said, "What about the paternal uncle and the maternal uncle – why are they not mentioned?" He said: "Because they may describe her to their sons, so it is disliked for a woman to remove her covering in front of her paternal uncle or maternal uncle."
وَلَا نِسَائِهِنَّ
(or their own women,) means that they do not have to observe Hijab in front of other believing women.
وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ
(or their (female) slaves.) Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib said: "This means female slaves only." This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim.
وَاتَّقِينَ اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدًا
(And (O ladies) have Taqwa of Allah. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Witness over everything.) means, and fear Him in private and in public, for He witnesses all things and nothing is hidden from Him, so think of the One Who is always watching.