Quran Universe
33:55

لَّا جُنَاحَ عَلَيۡهِنَّ فِيٓ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبۡنَآئِهِنَّ وَلَآ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبۡنَآءِ إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ وَلَآ أَبۡنَآءِ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ وَلَا نِسَآئِهِنَّ وَلَا مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُنَّۗ وَٱتَّقِينَ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ شَهِيدًا

La junaha AAalayhinna fee abaihinna wala abnaihinna wala ikhwanihinna wala abnai ikhwanihinna wala abnai akhawatihinna wala nisaihinna wala ma malakat aymanuhunna waittaqeena Allaha inna Allaha kana AAala kulli shayin shaheedan

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.

Word by word
  1. لَّا(There is) no
  2. جُنَاحَblame
  3. عَلَيۡهِنَّupon them
  4. فِيٓconcerning
  5. ءَابَآئِهِنَّtheir fathers
  6. وَلَآand not
  7. أَبۡنَآئِهِنَّtheir sons
  8. وَلَآand not
  9. إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّtheir brothers
  10. وَلَآand not
  11. أَبۡنَآءِsons
  12. إِخۡوَٰنِهِنَّ(of) their brothers
  13. وَلَآand not
  14. أَبۡنَآءِsons
  15. أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ(of) their sisters
  16. وَلَاand not
  17. نِسَآئِهِنَّtheir women
  18. وَلَاand not
  19. مَاwhat
  20. مَلَكَتۡthey rightfully possess
  21. أَيۡمَٰنُهُنَّۗthey rightfully possess
  22. وَٱتَّقِينَAnd fear
  23. ٱللَّهَۚAllah
  24. إِنَّIndeed
  25. ٱللَّهَAllah
  26. كَانَis
  27. عَلَىٰover
  28. كُلِّall
  29. شَيۡءٖthings
  30. شَهِيدًاa Witness
Al-Ahzab · 33:55Madinah

With close family there is ease, and Allah still watches.

The circle where the screen is lifted

The close circle
fathers, sonsbrothers, nephews
their womenand household
no blame, but
fear AllahWitness over everything
At home
home means anything goes
ease with taqwaHe is Witness here too

After the command of the screen, Allah names the close relatives before whom the wives of the Prophet ﷺ were free of it. Ibn Kathir links it to the similar list in Surat An-Nur. The verse ends with have taqwa of Allah, for He witnesses everything, in private as in public.

At home you finally relax. Shoes off, guard down. That is a mercy. But home is also where you snap at your mother or scroll what you would never scroll in public. Ease at home and awareness of Allah can live together.

At home with family I can let go of everything.

Home is a place of ease, and Allah is still Witness there.

Try this

Be as gentle with your family tonight as you would be with a guest.

Related24:31
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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.