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