Surah 33 Al-Ahzaab — Ayah 55
لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فِىٓ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ وَلَآ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبْنَآءِ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبْنَآءِ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ وَلَا نِسَآئِهِنَّ وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُنَّ ۗ وَٱتَّقِينَ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدًا
There is no blame upon 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. And fear Allah. Indeed Allah is ever, over all things, Witness.
lā junāḥa ʿalayhinna fī ābāihinna walā abnāihinna walā ikh'wānihinna walā abnāi ikh'wānihinna walā abnāi akhawātihinna walā nisāihinna walā mā malakat aymānuhunna wa-ittaqīna l-laha inna l-laha kāna ʿalā kulli shayin shahīdan
Word by word
- لَّا lā (There is) no
- جُنَاحَ junāḥa blame
- عَلَيْهِنَّ ʿalayhinna upon them
- فِىٓ fī concerning
- ءَابَآئِهِنَّ ābāihinna their fathers
- وَلَآ walā and not
- أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ abnāihinna their sons
- وَلَآ walā and not
- إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ ikh'wānihinna their brothers
- وَلَآ walā and not
- أَبْنَآءِ abnāi sons
- إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ ikh'wānihinna (of) their brothers
- وَلَآ walā and not
- أَبْنَآءِ abnāi sons
- أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ akhawātihinna (of) their sisters
- وَلَا walā and not
- نِسَآئِهِنَّ nisāihinna their women
- وَلَا walā and not
- مَا mā what
- مَلَكَتْ malakat they rightfully possess
- أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ ۗ aymānuhunna they rightfully possess
- وَٱتَّقِينَ wa-ittaqīna And fear
- ٱللَّهَ ۚ l-laha Allah
- إِنَّ inna Indeed
- ٱللَّهَ l-laha Allah
- كَانَ kāna is
- عَلَىٰ ʿalā over
- كُلِّ kulli all
- شَىْءٍۢ shayin things
- شَهِيدًا shahīdan a Witness
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
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:
(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,
(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."
(or their own women,) means that they do not have to observe Hijab in front of other believing women.
(or their (female) slaves.) Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said: "This means female slaves only." This was recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim.
(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.