39. The Book of Greetings
٣٩۔ كتاب السلام
Sauda (the wife of the Prophet) went out to answer the call of nature after it was made obligatory (for all the Muslims ladies) to observe the veil. She had a large frame and everybody who knew her before could recognize her. So ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab saw her and said, "O Sauda! By Allah, you cannot hide yourself from us, so think of a way by which you should not be recognized on going out. Sauda returned while Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in my house taking his supper and a bone covered with meat was in his hand. She entered and said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I went out to answer the call of nature and ʿUmar said to me so-and-so." Then Allah inspired him (the Prophet) and when the state of inspiration was over and the bone was still in his hand as he had not put in down, he said (to Sauda), "You (women) have been allowed to go out for your needs."
يَا سَوْدَةُ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا تَخْفَيْنَ عَلَيْنَا فَانْظُرِي كَيْفَ تَخْرُجِينَ قَالَتْ فَانْكَفَأَتْ رَاجِعَةً وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِي وَإِنَّهُ لَيَتَعَشَّى وَفِي يَدِهِ عَرْقٌ فَدَخَلَتْ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي خَرَجْتُ لِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِي فَقَالَ لِي عُمَرُ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَتْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ رُفِعَ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّ الْعَرْقَ فِي يَدِهِ مَا وَضَعَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أُذِنَ لَكُنَّ أَنْ تَخْرُجْنَ لِحَاجَتِكُنَّ