The wives of the Prophet ﷺ used to go to Al-Manasi, a vast open place (near Baqiʿ at Medina) to answer the call of nature at night. ʿUmar used to say to the Prophet ﷺ "Let your wives be veiled," but Allah's Apostle did not do so. One night Sauda bint Zamʿa the wife of the Prophet ﷺ went out at ʿIsha' time and she was a tall lady. ʿUmar addressed her and said, "I have recognized you, O Sauda." He said so, as he desired eagerly that the verses of Al-Hijab (the observing of veils by the Muslim women) may be revealed. So Allah revealed the verses of "Al-Hijab" (A complete body cover excluding the eyes).  

أَنَّ أَزْوَاجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كُنَّ يَخْرُجْنَ بِاللَّيْلِ إِذَا تَبَرَّزْنَ إِلَى الْمَنَاصِعِ وَهُوَ صَعِيدٌ أَفْيَحُ فَكَانَ عُمَرُ يَقُولُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ احْجُبْ نِسَاءَكَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُ فَخَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِي عِشَاءً وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً فَنَادَاهَا عُمَرُ أَلاَ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يَنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ آيَةَ الْحِجَابِ  

(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  

[Machine] 'Omar bin Al-Khattab used to say to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Cover your wives." She (one of the wives) said, "But the wives of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ go out at night to the Al-Manasi (the places of relieving oneself).” So, Saudah bint Zam'ah, a tall woman, went out and 'Umar recognized her while he was in the mosque. He said, "I have recognized you, O Saudah, because of your keenness for the veil to be revealed." Allah ﷻ then revealed the verse of the veil.'  

كَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ يَقُولُ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺاحْجُبْ نِسَاءَكَ قَالَتْ فَلَمْ يَفْعَلْ قَالَتْ وَكَانَ أَزْوَاجُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يَخْرُجْنَ لَيْلًا إِلَى لَيْلٍ قِبَلَ الْمَنَاصِعِ فَخَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ وَكَانَتْ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً فَرَآهَا عُمَرُ وَهُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ قَدْ عَرَفْتُكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يُنْزَلَ الْحِجَابُ قَالَتْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ الْحِجَابَ  

Messenger of Allah, ask your ladies to observe veil, but Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not do that. So there went out Sauda, daughter of Zarn'a, the wife of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, during one of the nights when it was dark. She was a tall statured lady. 'Umar called her saying: Sauda, we recognise you. (He did this with the hope that the verses pertaining to veil would be revealed.) 'A'isha said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, then revealed the verses pertaining to veil. (Using translation from Muslim 2170d)  

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 عِشَاءً وَكَانَتْ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً فَنَادَاهَا عُمَرُ أَلَا قَدْ عَرَفْنَاكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يُنْزَلَ الْحِجَابُ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَأُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ  

[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