that he was a boy of ten at the time when the Prophet ﷺ emigrated to Medina. He added: I served Allah's Apostle for ten years (the last part of his life time) and I know more than the people about the occasion whereupon the order of Al-Hijab was revealed (to the Prophet). Ubai b n Kaʿb used to ask me about it. It was revealed (for the first time) during the marriage of Messenger of Allah ﷺ with Zainab bint Jahsh. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ was a bride-groom of her and he Invited the people, who took their meals and went away, but a group of them remained with Messenger of Allah ﷺ and they prolonged their stay. Messenger of Allah ﷺ got up and went out, and I too, went out along with him till he came to the lintel of ʿAisha's dwelling place. Messenger of Allah ﷺ thought that those people had left by then, so he returned, and I too, returned with him till he entered upon Zainab and found that they were still sitting there and had not yet gone. The Prophet ﷺ went out again, and so did I with him till he reached the lintel of ʿAisha's dwelling place, and then he thought that those people must have left by then, so he returned, and so did I with him, and found those people had gone. At that time the Divine Verse of Al-Hijab was revealed, and the Prophet ﷺ set a screen between me and him (his family).  

أَنَّهُ كَانَ ابْنَ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ مَقْدَمَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ فَخَدَمْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَشْرًا حَيَاتَهُ وَكُنْتُ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ بِشَأْنِ الْحِجَابِ حِينَ أُنْزِلَ وَقَدْ كَانَ أُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا نَزَلَ فِي مُبْتَنَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِزَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ جَحْشٍ أَصْبَحَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِهَا عَرُوسًا فَدَعَا الْقَوْمَ فَأَصَابُوا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا وَبَقِيَ مِنْهُمْ رَهْطٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَطَالُوا الْمُكْثَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَخَرَجَ وَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ كَىْ يَخْرُجُوا فَمَشَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى جَاءَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى زَيْنَبَ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقُوا فَرَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ فَظَنَّ أَنْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَأُنْزِلَ آيَةُ الْحِجَابِ فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ سِتْرًا  

When the Prophet ﷺ married Zainab, the people came and were offered a meal, and then they sat down (after finishing their meals) and started chatting. The Prophet ﷺ showed as if he wanted to get up, but they did not get up. When he noticed that, he got up, and some of the people also got up and went away, while some others kept on sitting. When the Prophet ﷺ returned to enter, he found the people still sitting, but then they got up and left. So I told the Prophet ﷺ of their departure and he came and went in. I intended to go in but the Prophet ﷺ put a screen between me and him, for Allah revealed:-- 'O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses..' (33.53)  

لَمَّا تَزَوَّجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ زَيْنَبَ دَخَلَ الْقَوْمُ فَطَعِمُوا ثُمَّ جَلَسُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ فَأَخَذَ كَأَنَّهُ يَتَهَيَّأُ لِلْقِيَامِ فَلَمْ يَقُومُوا فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ قَامَ فَلَمَّا قَامَ قَامَ مَنْ قَامَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَقَعَدَ بَقِيَّةُ الْقَوْمِ وَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ جَاءَ لِيَدْخُلَ فَإِذَا الْقَوْمُ جُلُوسٌ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ قَامُوا فَانْطَلَقُوا فَأَخْبَرْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَجَاءَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ فَذَهَبْتُ أَدْخُلُ فَأَلْقَى الْحِجَابَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ} الآيَةَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد اللَّهِ فِيهِ مِنْ الْفِقْهِ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْتَأْذِنْهُمْ حِينَ قَامَ وَخَرَجَ وَفِيهِ أَنَّهُ تَهَيَّأَ لِلْقِيَامِ وَهُوَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَقُومُوا  

(the wife of the Prophet) ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab used to say to Messenger of Allah ﷺ "Let your wives be veiled" But he did not do so. The wives of the Prophet ﷺ used to go out to answer the call of nature at night only at Al-Manasi.' Once Sauda, the daughter of Zamʿa went out and she was a tall woman. ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab saw her while he was in a gathering, and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda!" He (ʿUmar) said so as he was anxious for some Divine orders regarding the veil (the veiling of women.) So Allah revealed the Verse of veiling. (Al-Hijab; a complete body cover excluding the eyes). (See Hadith No. 148, Vol. 1)  

أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ؓ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتْ كَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ يَقُولُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ احْجُبْ نِسَاءَكَ قَالَتْ فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ وَكَانَ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَخْرُجْنَ لَيْلاً إِلَى لَيْلٍ قِبَلَ الْمَنَاصِعِ خَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً فَرَآهَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ وَهْوَ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ فَقَالَ عَرَفْتُكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يُنْزَلَ الْحِجَابُ قَالَتْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ آيَةَ الْحِجَابِ