The Divine Verse of Al-Hijab

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).

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ ابْنَ عَشْرِ سِنِينَ مَقْدَمَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ، فَخَدَمْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَشْرًا حَيَاتَهُ، وَكُنْتُ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ بِشَأْنِ الْحِجَابِ حِينَ أُنْزِلَ، وَقَدْ كَانَ أُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ، وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا نَزَلَ فِي مُبْتَنَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِزَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ جَحْشٍ، أَصْبَحَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِهَا عَرُوسًا فَدَعَا الْقَوْمَ، فَأَصَابُوا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا، وَبَقِيَ مِنْهُمْ رَهْطٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَطَالُوا الْمُكْثَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَخَرَجَ وَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ كَىْ يَخْرُجُوا، فَمَشَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى جَاءَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ، ثُمَّ ظَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ، حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى زَيْنَبَ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقُوا، فَرَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ، حَتَّى بَلَغَ عَتَبَةَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ، فَظَنَّ أَنْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا، فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ، فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا، فَأُنْزِلَ آيَةُ الْحِجَابِ، فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ سِتْرًا.

Narrated Anas:

When the Prophet married Zainab, the people came and were offered a meal, and then they sat down (after finishing their meals) and started chatting. The Prophet showed as if he wanted to get up, but they did not get up. When he noticed that, he got up, and some of the people also got up and went away, while some others kept on sitting. When the Prophet returned to enter, he found the people still sitting, but then they got up and left. So I told the Prophet of their departure and he came and went in. I intended to go in but the Prophet put a screen between me and him, for Allah revealed:-- 'O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses..' (33.53)

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرٌ، قَالَ أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مِجْلَزٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَمَّا تَزَوَّجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ زَيْنَبَ دَخَلَ الْقَوْمُ فَطَعِمُوا، ثُمَّ جَلَسُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ فَأَخَذَ كَأَنَّهُ يَتَهَيَّأُ لِلْقِيَامِ فَلَمْ يَقُومُوا، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ قَامَ، فَلَمَّا قَامَ قَامَ مَنْ قَامَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَقَعَدَ بَقِيَّةُ الْقَوْمِ، وَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ جَاءَ لِيَدْخُلَ، فَإِذَا الْقَوْمُ جُلُوسٌ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ قَامُوا فَانْطَلَقُوا فَأَخْبَرْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَجَاءَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ، فَذَهَبْتُ أَدْخُلُ فَأَلْقَى الْحِجَابَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ، وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ} الآيَةَ. قَالَ أَبُو عَبْد اللَّهِ فِيهِ مِنْ الْفِقْهِ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْتَأْذِنْهُمْ حِينَ قَامَ وَخَرَجَ وَفِيهِ أَنَّهُ تَهَيَّأَ لِلْقِيَامِ وَهُوَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَقُومُوا