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. (Using translation from Bukhārī 5166)   

عَشْرِ سِنِينَ مَقْدِمَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ قَالَ وَكَانَ أُمَّهَاتِي يُوَاظِبْنَنِي عَلَى خِدْمَةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَخَدَمْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَنَا ابْنُ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً فَكُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِشَأْنِ الْحِجَابِ حِينَ أُنْزِلَ وَكَانَ أَوَّلُ مَا أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ أُنْزِلَ فِي مُبْتَنَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِزَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ ؓ فَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَرُوسًا بِهَا فَدَعَا الْقَوْمَ فَأَصَابُوا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا ثُمَّ بَقِيَ رَهْطٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَطَالُوا الْمُكْثَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَخَرَجَ وَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ لِكَيْ يَخْرُجُوا فَمَشَى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى جَاءَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ؓ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى زَيْنَبَ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ لَمْ يَقُومُوا فَرَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ حُجْرَةَ عَائِشَةَ فَظَنَّ أَنْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ خَرَجُوا فَضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ الْحِجَابَ وَأُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ  

When Allah's Apostle ﷺ married Zainab bint jahsh, he invited people (to the wedding feast) and they ate food. They then sat there and entered into conversation. He (the Holy Prophet) made a stir as if he was preparing to stand up, but (the persons busy in talking) did not stand up. When he (the Holy Prophet) saw it, he stood up and when he did so, some other persons stood up. 'Asim and Abd al-A'la in their narrations made this addition: Three (persons) sat there, and Allah's Apostle ﷺ came there to enter (the apartment) but he found the people sitting there. Then they stood up and went away. He said: Then I came and informed Allah's Apostle ﷺ that they had gone away. He (the Holy Prophet) then came there until he entered (the apartment). I also went and was about to enter, when he hung a curtain between me and him (and it was on this occasion that) Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, revealed this verse:" O you who believe, enter not the houses of the Prophet unless permission is given to you for a meal, not waiting for its cooking being finished to the (words)" Surely this is serious in the sight of Allah" (xxxiii. 53). (Using translation from Muslim 1428e)   

لَمَّا تَزَوَّجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ جَحْشٍ دَعَا الْقَوْمَ فَطَعِمُوا ثُمَّ جَلَسُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ يَتَهَيَّأُ لِلْقِيَامِ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَقُومُوا قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ قَامَ وَقَامَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَقَعَدَ ثَلَاثَةٌ وَأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ جَاءَ لِيَدْخُلَ فَإِذَا الْقَوْمُ جُلُوسٌ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ قَامُوا فَانْطَلَقُوا فَجِئْتُ لِأَدْخُلَ فَأَلْقَى الْحِجَابَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ قَالَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانْتَشِرُوا} [الأحزاب 53] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَظِيمًا} [الأحزاب 53]  

I agreed with my Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, in three matters - or my Lord agreed with me in three matters, I said: O Messenger of Allah, why don't you take the Maqarn of Ibraheem as a place of prayer? Then Allah revealed the verse: ʿAnd take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibraheem (Abraham) [or the stone on which Ibraheem (Abraham) stood while he was building the Ka'bah) as a place of prayerʿ (al Baqarah 2:125). And I said: Why don't you tell the Mothers of the Believers to observe hijab, for both righteous people and evildoers enter upon you? Then the verse of hijab was revealed. And I heard something about the Mothers of the Believers, so I talked to them and told them: You should stop bothering the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , or Allah will replace you with wives who are better than you and are Muslims. Then I came to one of the Mothers of the Believers and she said: O 'Umar, is it the case that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ cannot admonish his wives so that you come and admonish them? So I stopped, then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, revealed the verse: “It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you Muslims (who submit to Allah), believers, obedient (to Allah)...ʿ [at­-Tahreerm 66:5) (Using translation from Aḥmad 160)   

قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ وَافَقَنِي رَبِّي فِي ثَلَاثٍ قُلْتُ لَوِ اتَّخَذْنَا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى} [البقرة 125] وَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْكَ الْبَرُّ وَالْفَاجِرُ فَلَوْ حَجَبْتَ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ آيَةَ الْحِجَابِ قَالَ وَبَلَغَنِي شَيْءٌ كَانَ بَيْنَ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَبَيْنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَاسْتَقْرَيْتُهُنَّ أَقُولُ لَتَكُفُّنَّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَوْ لَيُبْدِلَنَّهُ اللهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِنْكُنَّ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ عَلَى آخِرِ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ يَا عُمَرُ أَمَا فِي رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مَا يَعِظُ نِسَاءَهُ حَتَّى تَعِظَهُنَّ؟ فَأَمْسَكْتُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِنْكُنَّ} [التحريم 5] الْآيَةَ  

[Machine] The Prophet's wife said, "The wives of the Prophet used to go out at night to relieve themselves in the open fields, and it was a very distant plain. Umar bin Al-Khattab used to say to the Prophet, 'Let your wives be veiled,' but the Prophet would not do that. So Suda, the wife of the Prophet's companion Zeid bin Haritha, went out at night for a meal and Umar called out to her, 'We recognize you, O Suda, to ensure that the veil is lowered.' Aisha said, 'So the veil was revealed.' Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz told us, Bashr bin Ahmad Al-Isfariyini informed me from his book, Dawud bin Al-Husayn, who is Al-Khisrojardi, reported from Abdul Malik bin Shuayb bin Layth, who narrated from my grandfather, who said: Oqail bin Khalid mentioned a similar incident and added that she was a tall woman, so Umar called out to her, 'We recognize you.'"  

زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّ أَزْوَاجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كُنَّ يَخْرُجْنَ بِاللَّيْلِ إِذَا تَبَرَّزْنَ إِلَى الْمَنَاصِعِ وَهُوَ صَعِيدٌ أَفْيَحُ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ يَقُولُ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ احْجُبْ نِسَاءَكَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُ فَخَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِي عِشَاءَ فَنَادَاهَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ؛ حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يَنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ؓ فَأُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ 13506 أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أَخْبَرَنِي بِشْرُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْإِسْفِرَايِينِيُّ مِنْ أَصْلِ كِتَابِهِ ثنا دَاوُدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ هُوَ الْخِسْرَوْجِرْدِيُّ نا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ اللَّيْثِ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ جَدِّي قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُقَيْلُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ فَذَكَرَهُ بِمِثْلِهِ وَزَادَ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً فَنَادَاهَا عُمَرُ أَلَا قَدْ عَرَفْنَاكِ  

[Machine] She turned back, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in my house, and he was having dinner, and in his hand was a bone. She entered and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have come out." 'Umar said something to her, and Allah revealed to him (the Prophet) something. Then the Prophet was lifted up and the bone was dropped from his hand. He said, "You have been given permission to go out for your needs." Hisham said, meaning defecation.  

فَانْكَفَأَتْ رَاجِعَةً وَرَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِي وَإِنَّهُ لَيَتَعَشَّى وَفِي يَدِهِ عَرْقٌ فَدَخَلَتْ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي خَرَجْتُ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَأَوْحَى اللهُ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ رُفِعَ عَنْهُ وَأَنَّ الْعَرْقَ فِي يَدِهِ مَا وَضَعَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أُذِنَ لَكُنَّ أَنْ تَخْرُجْنَ لِحَوَائِجِكُنَّ قَالَ هِشَامٌ يَعْنِي الْبُرَازَ  

[Machine] Allah instructed the believing women of the early emigrants, when Allah revealed the verse {let them draw their veils over their bosoms} [Quran 24:31], to split their gowns and cover themselves with it.  

اللهُ نِسَاءَ الْمُهَاجِرَاتِ الْأُوَلَ لَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ} [النور 31] شَقَقْنَ مُرُوطَهُنَّ فَاخْتَمَرْنَ بِهِ