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