I was ten years old when Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived at Medina. My mother and aunts used to urge me to serve the Prophet ﷺ regularly, and I served him for ten years. When the Prophet ﷺ died I was twenty years old, and I knew about the order of Al-Hijab (veiling of ladies) more than any other person when it was revealed. It was revealed for the first time when Messenger of Allah ﷺ had consummated his marriage with Zainab bint Jahsh. When the day dawned, the Prophet ﷺ was a bridegroom and he invited the people to a banquet, so they came, ate, and then all left except a few who remained with the Prophet ﷺ for a long time. The Prophet ﷺ got up and went out, and I too went out with him so that those people might leave too. The Prophet ﷺ proceeded and so did I, till he came to the threshold of ʿAisha's dwelling place. Then thinking that these people have left by then, he returned and so did I along with him till he entered upon Zainab and behold, they were still sitting and had not gone. So the Prophet ﷺ again went away and I went away along with him. When we reached the threshold of ʿAisha's dwelling place, he thought that they had left, and so he returned and I too, returned along with him and found those people had left. Then the Prophet ﷺ drew a curtain between me and him, and the Verses of Al-Hijab were revealed.  

أَنَّهُ كَانَ ابْنَ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ مَقْدَمَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ فَكَانَ أُمَّهَاتِي يُوَاظِبْنَنِي عَلَى خِدْمَةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَخَدَمْتُهُ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ وَتُوُفِّيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَأَنَا ابْنُ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً فَكُنْتُ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ بِشَأْنِ الْحِجَابِ حِينَ أُنْزِلَ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا أُنْزِلَ فِي مُبْتَنَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِزَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ جَحْشٍ أَصْبَحَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِهَا عَرُوسًا فَدَعَا الْقَوْمَ فَأَصَابُوا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا وَبَقِيَ رَهْطٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَطَالُوا الْمُكْثَ فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَخَرَجَ وَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ لِكَىْ يَخْرُجُوا فَمَشَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَمَشَيْتُ حَتَّى جَاءَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا دَخَلَ عَلَى زَيْنَبَ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ لَمْ يَقُومُوا فَرَجَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَضَرَبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ بِالسِّتْرِ وَأُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ  

I know (about) the Hijab (the order of veiling of women) more than anybody else. Ubai bin Kaʿb used to ask me about it. Messenger of Allah ﷺ became the bridegroom of Zainab bint Jahsh whom he married at Medina. After the sun had risen high in the sky, the Prophet ﷺ invited the people to a meal. Allah's Apostle remained sitting and some people remained sitting with him after the other guests had left. Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up and went away, and I too, followed him till he reached the door of ʿAisha's room. Then he thought that the people must have left the place by then, so he returned and I also returned with him. Behold, the people were still sitting at their places. So he went back again for the second time, and I went along with him too. When we reached the door of ʿAisha's room, he returned and I also returned with him to see that the people had left. Thereupon the Prophet ﷺ hung a curtain between me and him and the Verse regarding the order for (veiling of women) Hijab was revealed.  

أَنَا أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِالْحِجَابِ كَانَ أُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَرُوسًا بِزَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ جَحْشٍ وَكَانَ تَزَوَّجَهَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَدَعَا النَّاسَ لِلطَّعَامِ بَعْدَ ارْتِفَاعِ النَّهَارِ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَلَسَ مَعَهُ رِجَالٌ بَعْدَ مَا قَامَ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَشَى وَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ باب حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ مَكَانَهُمْ فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ باب حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَامُوا فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ سِتْرًا وَأُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ  

I was the best informed among the people pertaining to Hijab (veil and seclusion). Ubayy b. Ka'b used to ask me about it. Anas (Allah be pleased with him) thus narrated: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up in the morning as a bridegroom of Zainab bint jahsh (Allah be pleased witt her) as he had married her at Medina. He invited people to the wedding feast after the day had well risen. There sat Messenger of Allah ﷺ and there kept sitting along with him some persons after the people had stood up (for departure) ; then Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and walked on and I also walked along with him until he reached the door of the apartment of 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her). He then thought that they (those who had been sitting there after meal) had gone away. So he returned and I also returned with him, but they were still sitting at their places. So he returned for the second time and I also returned until he reached the apartment of 'A'isha. He again returned and I also returned and they had (by that time) stood up, and he hung a curtain between me and him (at the door of the apartment of Hadrat Zainab, where he had to stay), and Allah revealed the verse pertaining to veil.  

أَنَسٌ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَرُوسًا بِزَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ قَالَ وَكَانَ تَزَوَّجَهَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَدَعَا النَّاسَ لِلطَّعَامِ بَعْدَ ارْتِفَاعِ النَّهَارِ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَلَسَ مَعَهُ رِجَالٌ بَعْدَ مَا قَامَ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَشَى فَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ بَابَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ مَكَانَهُمْ فَرَجَعَ فَرَجَعْتُ الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ حُجْرَةَ عَائِشَةَ فَرَجَعَ فَرَجَعْتُ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ قَامُوا فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ بِالسِّتْرِ وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ آيَةَ الْحِجَابِ  

[Machine] Anas said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ became married to Zainab bint Jahsh in Al-Madinah. He invited people for a meal after the morning prayer. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and some men sat down after the people had stood up, until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up and left. I walked with him until he reached the door of Aisha's room. He thought that they had left, so he returned and I returned with him. Then we found the people had stood up, so he struck a screen between me and him, and the verse of Hijab was revealed."  

أَنَسٌ «أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَرُوسًا بِزَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ وَكَانَ تَزَوَّجَهَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَدَعَى النَّاسَ لِلطَّعَامِ بَعْدَ ارْتِفَاعِ النَّهَارِ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَلَسَ مَعَهُ رِجَالٌ بَعْدَ مَا قَامَ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى قَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَمَشَى وَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ بَابَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ قَامُوا فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ بِالسِّتْرِ وَنَزَلَتْ آيَةُ الْحِجَابِ»  

I know (about) the Hijab (the order of veiling of women) more than anybody else. Ubai bin Kaʿb used to ask me about it. Messenger of Allah ﷺ became the bridegroom of Zainab bint Jahsh whom he married at Medina. After the sun had risen high in the sky, the Prophet ﷺ invited the people to a meal. Allah's Apostle remained sitting and some people remained sitting with him after the other guests had left. Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up and went away, and I too, followed him till he reached the door of ʿAisha's room. Then he thought that the people must have left the place by then, so he returned and I also returned with him. Behold, the people were still sitting at their places. So he went back again for the second time, and I went along with him too. When we reached the door of ʿAisha's room, he returned and I also returned with him to see that the people had left. Thereupon the Prophet ﷺ hung a curtain between me and him and the Verse regarding the order for (veiling of women) Hijab was revealed. (Using translation from Bukhārī 5466)   

قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَرُوسًا بِزَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ وَكَانَ تَزَوَّجَهَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَدَعَا النَّاسَ لِلطَّعَامِ بَعْدَ ارْتِفَاعِ النَّهَارِ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَجَلَسَ مَعَهُ رِجَالٌ بَعْدَمَا قَامَ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى قَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَمَشَى وَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ بَابَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ وَظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ مَكَانَهُمْ فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ حُجْرَةَ عَائِشَةَ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ قَامُوا فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ السِّتْرَ وَأُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ