“Believers! At three times let those whom you possess and those of your children who have not yet reached puberty, ask leave of you before entering your quarters: before the Morning Prayer, and when you take off your clothes at noon, and after the Night Prayer. These are the three times of privacy for you.”
(Al-Qur’ān – 24:58)
In the opinion of the majority of Qur’ānic commentators and jurists, the expression al-ladhīna malakat aymānukum stands for one’s slaves, regardless of whether they are male or female. The injunction pertains to both adult and minor slaves. In the same way it is improper for one’s minor children to invade one’s privacy.
This aayat of the Qur’ān says that there are three times of ‘awrāt for you’. In Arabic, ‘awrah (pl. ‘awrāt) means the place that is vulnerable or insecure. The word also means an object whose exposure is embarrassing or disagreeable. It also denotes something that is unprotected. All these nuances are interrelated and are variously intended in the aayat to one extent or another.
The purpose of the statement is to emphasise that even minor children and slaves should not enter the private chambers of their parents/masters for there are certain times when people are either all alone or with their spouses.
It is inappropriate even for children or servants to enter someone’s private chambers unannounced because they might observe them in an embarrassing state. Hence, it was laid down that at the three times of privacy mentioned in the aayat even children and servants should seek permission before entering.