حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَی بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ عَنْ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِکٍ أَنَّهُ کَانَ ابْنَ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ مَقْدَمَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَخَدَمْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَشْرًا حَيَاتَهُ وَکُنْتُ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ بِشَأْنِ الْحِجَابِ حِينَ أُنْزِلَ وَقَدْ کَانَ أُبَيُّ بْنُ کَعْبٍ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ وَکَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا نَزَلَ فِي مُبْتَنَی رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِزَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ أَصْبَحَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِهَا عَرُوسًا فَدَعَا الْقَوْمَ فَأَصَابُوا مِنْ الطَّعَامِ ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا وَبَقِيَ مِنْهُمْ رَهْطٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَطَالُوا الْمُکْثَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَخَرَجَ وَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ کَيْ يَخْرُجُوا فَمَشَی رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّی جَائَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّی دَخَلَ عَلَی زَيْنَبَ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقُوا فَرَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّی بَلَغَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ فَظَنَّ أَنْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَأُنْزِلَ آيَةُ الْحِجَابِ فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ سِتْرًا
صحیح بخاری · Hadith 6238
Narrated Anas bin Malik: that he was a boy of ten at the time when the Prophet 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 Ka`b used to ask me about it. It was revealed (for the first time) during the marriage of Allah's Apostle with Zainab bint Jahsh. In the morning, the Prophet 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 Allah's Apostle and they prolonged their stay. Allah's Apostle got up and went out, and I too, went out along with him till he came to the lintel of `Aisha's dwelling place. Allah's Apostle 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 went out again, and so did I with him till he reached the lintel of `Aisha'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 set a screen between me and him (his family).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020