The Marriage of Zainab Bint Jahsh, The Revelation of (the verse of) Hijab, and confirmation of the importance of the wedding feast.

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the 'Iddah of Zainab was over, Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Zaid to make a mention to her about him. Zaid went on until he came to her and she was fermenting her flour. He (Zaid) said: As I saw her I felt in my heart an idea of her greatness so much so that I could not see towards her (simply for the fact) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had made a mention of her. So I turned my back towards her. and I turned upon my heels, and said: Zainab, Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent (me) with a message to you. She said: I do not do anything until I solicit the will of my Lord. So she stood at her place of worship and the (verse of) the Qur'an (pertaining to her marriage) were revealed, and Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to her without permission. He (the narrator) said: I saw that Messenger of Allah ﷺ served us bread and meat until it was broad day light and the people went away, but some persons who were busy in con- versation stayed on in the house after the meal. Messenger of Allah ﷺ also went out and I also followed him, and he began to visit the apartments of his wives greeting them (with the words): As-Salamu 'alaikum, and they would say: Allah's Messenger, how did you find your family (hadrat Zainab)? He (the narrator) stated: I do not know whether I had informed him that the people had gone out or he (the Holy Prophet) informed me (about that). He moved on until he entered the apartment, and I also went and wanted to enter (the apartment) along with him, but he threw a curtain between me and him, as (the verfes pertaining to seclusion) had been revealed, and people were instructed in what they had been instructed. Ibn Rafii had made this addition in his narration:" O you who believe, enter not the houses of the Prophet unless permission is given to you for a meal, not waiting for its cooking being finished..." to the words"... Allah forbears not from the truth."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ، هَاشِمُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ قَالاَ جَمِيعًا حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، وَهَذَا حَدِيثُ بَهْزٍ قَالَ لَمَّا انْقَضَتْ عِدَّةُ زَيْنَبَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِزَيْدٍ " فَاذْكُرْهَا عَلَىَّ " . قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ زَيْدٌ حَتَّى أَتَاهَا وَهْىَ تُخَمِّرُ عَجِينَهَا قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهَا عَظُمَتْ فِي صَدْرِي حَتَّى مَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَنْظُرَ إِلَيْهَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَكَرَهَا فَوَلَّيْتُهَا ظَهْرِي وَنَكَصْتُ عَلَى عَقِبِي فَقُلْتُ يَا زَيْنَبُ أَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَذْكُرُكِ . قَالَتْ مَا أَنَا بِصَانِعَةٍ شَيْئًا حَتَّى أُوَامِرَ رَبِّي . فَقَامَتْ إِلَى مَسْجِدِهَا وَنَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ وَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا بِغَيْرِ إِذْنٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَطْعَمَنَا الْخُبْزَ وَاللَّحْمَ حِينَ امْتَدَّ النَّهَارُ فَخَرَجَ النَّاسُ وَبَقِيَ رِجَالٌ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ فِي الْبَيْتِ بَعْدَ الطَّعَامِ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَاتَّبَعْتُهُ فَجَعَلَ يَتَتَبَّعُ حُجَرَ نِسَائِهِ يُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَيَقُلْنَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ وَجَدْتَ أَهْلَكَ قَالَ فَمَا أَدْرِي أَنَا أَخْبَرْتُهُ أَنَّ الْقَوْمَ خَرَجُوا أَوْ أَخْبَرَنِي - قَالَ - فَانْطَلَقَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ الْبَيْتَ فَذَهَبْتُ أَدْخُلُ مَعَهُ فَأَلْقَى السِّتْرَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ وَنَزَلَ الْحِجَابُ قَالَ وَوُعِظَ الْقَوْمُ بِمَا وُعِظُوا بِهِ . زَادَ ابْنُ رَافِعٍ فِي حَدِيثِهِ { لاَ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ { وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ}

Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: I did not see Messenger of Allah ﷺ giving a wedding feast (on the marriage) of any one (of his wives) as he did in the case of (his marriage with) Zainab, for then he sacrificed a goat (on this occasion).

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الزَّهْرَانِيُّ، وَأَبُو كَامِلٍ فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ - عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، - وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي كَامِلٍ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسًا، - قَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوْلَمَ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ - وَقَالَ أَبُو كَامِلٍ عَلَى شَىْءٍ - مِنْ نِسَائِهِ مَا أَوْلَمَ عَلَى زَيْنَبَ فَإِنَّهُ ذَبَحَ شَاةً .

Anas b. Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave no better wedding feast than the one he did (on the occasion of his marriage with) Zainab. Thabit al-Bunani (one of the narrators) said: What did he serve in the wedding feast? He (Anas) said: He fed them bread and meat (so lavishly) that they (the guests) abandoned it (of their own accord after having taken them to their hearts' content).

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَبَّادِ بْنِ جَبَلَةَ بْنِ أَبِي رَوَّادٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ - حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ مَا أَوْلَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ نِسَائِهِ أَكْثَرَ أَوْ أَفْضَلَ مِمَّا أَوْلَمَ عَلَى زَيْنَبَ . فَقَالَ ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ بِمَا أَوْلَمَ قَالَ أَطْعَمَهُمْ خُبْزًا وَلَحْمًا حَتَّى تَرَكُوهُ .

Anas b. Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reported: When Allah's Apostle ﷺ married Zainab bint jahsh, he invited people (to the wedding feast) and they ate food. They then sat there and entered into conversation. He (the Holy Prophet) made a stir as if he was preparing to stand up, but (the persons busy in talking) did not stand up. When he (the Holy Prophet) saw it, he stood up and when he did so, some other persons stood up. 'Asim and Abd al-A'la in their narrations made this addition: Three (persons) sat there, and Allah's Apostle ﷺ came there to enter (the apartment) but he found the people sitting there. Then they stood up and went away. He said: Then I came and informed Allah's Apostle ﷺ that they had gone away. He (the Holy Prophet) then came there until he entered (the apartment). I also went and was about to enter, when he hung a curtain between me and him (and it was on this occasion that) Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, revealed this verse:" O you who believe, enter not the houses of the Prophet unless permission is given to you for a meal, not waiting for its cooking being finished to the (words)" Surely this is serious in the sight of Allah" (xxxiii. 53).

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَبِيبٍ الْحَارِثِيُّ، وَعَاصِمُ بْنُ النَّضْرِ التَّيْمِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ مُعْتَمِرٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ حَبِيبٍ - حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مِجْلَزٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا تَزَوَّجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ جَحْشٍ دَعَا الْقَوْمَ فَطَعِمُوا ثُمَّ جَلَسُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ - قَالَ - فَأَخَذَ كَأَنَّهُ يَتَهَيَّأُ لِلْقِيَامِ فَلَمْ يَقُومُوا فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ قَامَ فَلَمَّا قَامَ قَامَ مَنْ قَامَ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ . زَادَ عَاصِمٌ وَابْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى فِي حَدِيثِهِمَا قَالَ فَقَعَدَ ثَلاَثَةٌ وَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ جَاءَ لِيَدْخُلَ فَإِذَا الْقَوْمُ جُلُوسٌ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ قَامُوا فَانْطَلَقُوا - قَالَ - فَجِئْتُ فَأَخْبَرْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَنَّهُمْ قَدِ انْطَلَقُوا - قَالَ - فَجَاءَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ فَذَهَبْتُ أَدْخُلُ فَأَلْقَى الْحِجَابَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ - قَالَ - وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ { إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمًا} .

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 ﷺ 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 Messenger of Allah ﷺ and there kept sitting along with him some persons after the people had stood up (for departure) ;
then Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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.

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ إِنَّ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ قَالَ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ، بِالْحِجَابِ لَقَدْ كَانَ أُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ . قَالَ أَنَسٌ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَرُوسًا بِزَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ - قَالَ - وَكَانَ تَزَوَّجَهَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَدَعَا النَّاسَ لِلطَّعَامِ بَعْدَ ارْتِفَاعِ النَّهَارِ فَجَلَسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَجَلَسَ مَعَهُ رِجَالٌ بَعْدَ مَا قَامَ الْقَوْمُ حَتَّى قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَشَى فَمَشَيْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ بَابَ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ ثُمَّ ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعْتُ مَعَهُ فَإِذَا هُمْ جُلُوسٌ مَكَانَهُمْ فَرَجَعَ فَرَجَعْتُ الثَّانِيَةَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ حُجْرَةَ عَائِشَةَ فَرَجَعَ فَرَجَعْتُ فَإِذَا هُمْ قَدْ قَامُوا فَضَرَبَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ بِالسِّتْرِ وَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ آيَةَ الْحِجَابِ.

Anas b. Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ contracted marriage and he went to his wife. My mother Umm Sulaim prepared hais and placed it in an earthen vessel and said: Anas, take it to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and say: My mother has sent that to you and she offers greetings to you, and says that it is a humble gift for you on our behalf, Messenger of Allah. So I went along with it to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: My mother offers you salutations, and says that it is a humble gift for you on our behalf. He said: Place it here, and then said: Go and invite on my behalf so and so and anyone whom you meet, and he even named some persons. He (Anas) said: I invited whom he had named and whom I met. I (one of the narrators) said: I said to Anas: How many (persons) were there? He (Anas) said: They were about three hundred persons. Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ (said to me): Anas, bring that earthen vessel. They (the guests) then began to enter until the courtyard and the apartment were fully packed. Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Make a circle of ten (guests), and every person should eat from that nearest to him. They began to eat, until they ate to their fill. A group went out (after eating the food), and another group came in until all of them had eaten. He (the Holy Prophet) said to me: Anas, lift it (the earthen vessel), so I lifted it, but I could not assess whether it had more (food) when I placed it (before Allah's Messenger) or when I lifted it (after the people had been served out of it). A group among them (the guests) began to talk in the house of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting and his wife had been sitting with her face turned towards the wall. It was troublesome for Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out and greeted his wives. He then returned. When they (the guests) saw that Messenger of Allah ﷺ had returned they thought that it (their overstay) was something troublesome for him. He (the narrator) said: They hastened towards the door and all of them went out. And there came Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he hung a curtain and went in, and I was sitting in his apartment and he did not stay but for a short while. He then came to me and these verses were revealed. Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and recited them to the people:" O you who believe, enter not the houses of the Prophet unless permission is given to you for a meal, not waiting for its cooking being finished-but when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken food, disperse not seeking to listen to talk. Surely this gives the Prophet trouble", to the end of verse (xxxiii. 53). (Al-Ja'd said that Anas [b. Malik] stated: I am the first amongst the people to hear these verses), and henceforth the wives of the Apostle ﷺ began to observe seclusion (al-hijab).

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ سُلَيْمَانَ - عَنِ الْجَعْدِ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ تَزَوَّجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَدَخَلَ بِأَهْلِهِ - قَالَ - فَصَنَعَتْ أُمِّي أُمُّ سُلَيْمٍ حَيْسًا فَجَعَلَتْهُ فِي تَوْرٍ فَقَالَتْ يَا أَنَسُ اذْهَبْ بِهَذَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْ بَعَثَتْ بِهَذَا إِلَيْكَ أُمِّي وَهْىَ تُقْرِئُكَ السَّلاَمَ وَتَقُولُ إِنَّ هَذَا لَكَ مِنَّا قَلِيلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - قَالَ - فَذَهَبْتُ بِهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ أُمِّي تُقْرِئُكَ السَّلاَمَ وَتَقُولُ إِنَّ هَذَا لَكَ مِنَّا قَلِيلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَقَالَ " ضَعْهُ - ثُمَّ قَالَ - اذْهَبْ فَادْعُ لِي فُلاَنًا وَفُلاَنًا وَفُلاَنًا وَمَنْ لَقِيتَ " . وَسَمَّى رِجَالاً - قَالَ - فَدَعَوْتُ مَنْ سَمَّى وَمَنْ لَقِيتُ . قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَنَسٍ عَدَدَ كَمْ كَانُوا قَالَ زُهَاءَ ثَلاَثِمِائَةٍ . وَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " يَا أَنَسُ هَاتِ التَّوْرَ " . قَالَ فَدَخَلُوا حَتَّى امْتَلأَتِ الصُّفَّةُ وَالْحُجْرَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " لِيَتَحَلَّقْ عَشَرَةٌ عَشَرَةٌ وَلْيَأْكُلْ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ مِمَّا يَلِيهِ " . قَالَ فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا - قَالَ - فَخَرَجَتْ طَائِفَةٌ وَدَخَلَتْ طَائِفَةٌ حَتَّى أَكَلُوا كُلُّهُمْ . فَقَالَ لِي " يَا أَنَسُ ارْفَعْ " . قَالَ فَرَفَعْتُ فَمَا أَدْرِي حِينَ وَضَعْتُ كَانَ أَكْثَرَ أَمْ حِينَ رَفَعْتُ - قَالَ - وَجَلَسَ طَوَائِفُ مِنْهُمْ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ فِي بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَالِسٌ وَزَوْجَتُهُ مُوَلِّيَةٌ وَجْهَهَا إِلَى الْحَائِطِ فَثَقُلُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى نِسَائِهِ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ رَجَعَ ظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ثَقُلُوا عَلَيْهِ - قَالَ - فَابْتَدَرُوا الْبَابَ فَخَرَجُوا كُلُّهُمْ وَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ َتَّى أَرْخَى السِّتْرَ وَدَخَلَ وَأَنَا جَالِسٌ فِي الْحُجْرَةِ فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ إِلاَّ يَسِيرًا حَتَّى خَرَجَ عَلَىَّ . وَأُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَرَأَهُنَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانْتَشِرُوا وَلاَ مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ} إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ . قَالَ الْجَعْدُ قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَنَا أَحْدَثُ النَّاسِ عَهْدًا بِهَذِهِ الآيَاتِ وَحُجِبْنَ نِسَاءُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ .