Al-Adab al-Mufrad

It is narrated from Ata (may Allah have mercy on him) that I asked Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): Should I also seek permission before entering upon my sister? He replied: Yes! I repeated the question and said: My two sisters are under my guardianship, and I am the one who bears their expenses, should I still seek permission before entering upon them? He said: Yes, seek permission from them as well. Do you like to see them naked? Then he recited this verse: «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِيَسْتَأْذِنْكُمُ الَّذِينَ مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ لَمْ يَبْلُغُوا الْحُلُمَ مِنْكُمْ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَحِينَ تَضَعُونَ ثِيَابَكُمْ مِنَ الظَّهِيرَةِ وَمِنْ بَعْدِ صَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ ثَلَاثُ عَوْرَاتٍ لَكُمْ» [سورہ النور: 58] "O you who believe! Let those whom your right hands possess and those among you who have not reached puberty ask your permission (before coming to you) on three occasions: before the dawn prayer, and while you put off your clothes at noon, and after the night prayer. These are three times of privacy for you." He said that they are only commanded to seek permission during these three times of privacy. The command of Allah, the Exalted, is: «وَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْأَطْفَالُ مِنْكُمُ الْحُلُمَ فَلْيَسْتَأْذِنُوا كَمَا اسْتَأْذَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ» [سورہ النور: 59] "And when your children reach puberty, let them ask permission as those before them asked permission." Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Therefore, seeking permission is obligatory. Ibn Jurayj narrated this addition: (Seeking permission is obligatory) for all people.