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 privacy1 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 Allāh make clear to you the verses [i.e., His ordinances]; and Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
لِيَسۡتَـٔۡذِنكُمُLet ask your permissionliyastadhinkumu
ٱلَّذِينَthose whomalladhīna
مَلَكَتۡpossessmalakat
أَيۡمَٰنُكُمۡyour right handsaymānukum
وَٱلَّذِينَand those whowa-alladhīna
لَمۡ(have) notlam
يَبۡلُغُواْreachedyablughū
ٱلۡحُلُمَpubertyl-ḥuluma
مِنكُمۡamong youminkum
ثَلَٰثَ(at) threethalātha
مَرَّٰتٖۚtimesmarrātin
مِّنbeforemin
قَبۡلِbeforeqabli
صَلَوٰةِ(the) prayerṣalati
ٱلۡفَجۡرِ(of) dawnl-fajri
وَحِينَand whenwaḥīna
تَضَعُونَyou put asidetaḍaʿūna
ثِيَابَكُمyour garmentsthiyābakum
مِّنَatmina
ٱلظَّهِيرَةِnoonl-ẓahīrati
وَمِنۢand afterwamin
بَعۡدِand afterbaʿdi
صَلَوٰةِ(the) prayerṣalati
ٱلۡعِشَآءِۚ(of) nightl-ʿishāi
ثَلَٰثُ(These) threethalāthu
عَوۡرَٰتٖ(are) times of privacyʿawrātin
لَّكُمۡۚfor youlakum
لَيۡسَNotlaysa
عَلَيۡكُمۡon youʿalaykum
وَلَاand notwalā
عَلَيۡهِمۡon themʿalayhim
جُنَاحُۢany blamejunāḥun
بَعۡدَهُنَّۚafter thatbaʿdahunna
طَوَّٰفُونَ(as) moving aboutṭawwāfūna
عَلَيۡكُمamong youʿalaykum
بَعۡضُكُمۡsome of youbaʿḍukum
عَلَىٰamongʿalā
بَعۡضٖۚothersbaʿḍin
كَذَٰلِكَThuskadhālika
يُبَيِّنُAllah makes clearyubayyinu
ٱللَّهُAllah makes clearl-lahu
لَكُمُfor youlakumu
ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِۗthe Versesl-āyāti
وَٱللَّهُand Allahwal-lahu
عَلِيمٌ(is) All-Knowerʿalīmun
حَكِيمٞAll-Wiseḥakīmun
Tafsir
O those who have faith in Allah and act upon the laws set for them! Your free immature children, male servants and female servants should seek permission from you thrice, at three times: before the morning prayer at the time of changing from nightwear into daily clothes, in the afternoon when changing clothes for the siesta and after the night prayer because it is the time when you remove your daywear and change into your nightwear. These are three times of privacy for you; they should not enter your rooms except after taking permission from you. Apart from these times, there is no harm in them entering your rooms nor you entering theirs, because you frequently have to move around one another and so it would be an inconvenience to prevent them from entering except with permission. Just as Allah has made the rulings of seeking permission clear to you, He also makes clear the verses that show the rulings He has laid down for you. Allah is ever-aware of the requirements of His servants; wise in whatever laws He passes for them.