Anas b. Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was the best informed among the people pertaining to Hijab (veil and seclusion). Ubayy b. Ka’b used to ask me about it. Anas (Allah be pleased with him) thus narrated: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) got up in the morning as a bridegroom of Zainab bint jahsh (Allah be pleased witt her) as he had married her at Medina. He invited people to the wedding feast after the day had well risen. There sat Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and there kept sitting along with him some persons after the people had stood up (for departure) ; then Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) stood up and walked on and I also walked along with him until he reached the door of the apartment of ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her). He then thought that they (those who had been sitting there after meal) had gone away. So he returned and I also returned with him, but they were still sitting at their places. So he returned for the second time and I also returned until he reached the apartment of ‘A’isha. He again returned and I also returned and they had (by that time) stood up, and he hung a curtain between me and him (at the door of the apartment of Hadrat Zainab, where he had to stay), and Allah revealed the verse pertaining to veil.
Hadith In Arabic Text :
وحدثني عمرو الناقد، حدثنا يعقوب بن إبراهيم بن سعد، حدثنا أبي، عن صالح، قال ابن شهاب إن أنس بن مالك قال أنا أعلم الناس، بالحجاب لقد كان أبى بن كعب يسألني عنه . قال أنس أصبح رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عروسا بزينب بنت جحش – قال – وكان تزوجها بالمدينة فدعا الناس للطعام بعد ارتفاع النهار فجلس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وجلس معه رجال بعد ما قام القوم حتى قام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فمشى فمشيت معه حتى بلغ باب حجرة عائشة ثم ظن أنهم قد خرجوا فرجع ورجعت معه فإذا هم جلوس مكانهم فرجع فرجعت الثانية حتى بلغ حجرة عائشة فرجع فرجعت فإذا هم قد قاموا فضرب بيني وبينه بالستر وأنزل الله آية الحجاب.
Chapter : The Book of Marriage – كتاب النكاح