It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Sayyida Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyida Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) sent a dish of dates and clarified butter as a gift to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a stone bowl. Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: Go and invite whoever you meet. So people began to enter and eat. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his blessed hand on the food, supplicated for blessing upon it, and recited over it whatever Allah willed. Meanwhile, I did not leave anyone but invited him. The people ate, were satisfied, and left, but some of them remained inside and continued chatting. Now, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) felt shy to say anything to them, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) went out of the house and left them inside. Then Allah the Exalted revealed this command: {یَا أَ یُّہَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوْا بُیُوتَ النَّبِیِّ … … لِقُلُوبِکُمْ وَقُلُوبِہِنَّ}

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that on the morning when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) consummated his marriage with Sayyidah Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her) and held the wedding feast (walimah), I invited people to participate in it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) satisfied the people with bread and meat. Then he returned as he would return to the chambers of his wives. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) greeted them with peace, and they prayed for him. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned towards his house, and I was with him. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reached the house, there were still two men in a corner talking to each other. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them, he turned back. When those two men saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), they quickly left the house. Now, I do not know whether I informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of their departure or he was informed. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned towards his house and hung a curtain between himself and me, and the verse of the curtain (hijab) was revealed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: When the verse of veiling was revealed, I came to enter your house as I used to enter before, but this time the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Dear son! Step back (now the command of veiling has come).

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go out to Manasi’ for relieving themselves; it was a spacious open field. Sayyiduna Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) kept saying to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that you should command your wives to observe veiling, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do so. One night, Sayyida Sawda bint Zam’a (may Allah be pleased with her) went out at the time of ‘Isha; she was a tall woman. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her: Beware! O Sawda! We have recognized you. His intention was that the command of veiling be revealed. Thus, the command of veiling was revealed.