The Permissibility Of Women Going Out To Relieve Themselves

A'isha reported that Sauda (Allah he pleated with her) went out (in the fields) in order to answer the call of nature even after the time when veil had been prescribed for women. She had been a bulky lady, significant in height amongst the women, and she could not conceal herself from him who had known her. 'Umar b. Khattab saw her and said: Sauda, by Allah, you cannot conceal from us. Therefore, be careful when you go out. She ('A'isha) said: She turned back. Messenger of Allah ﷺ was at that time in my house having his evening meal and there was a bone in his hand. She (Sauda) cline and said: Allah's Messenger. I went out and 'Umar said to me so and so. She ('A'isha) reported: There came the revelation to him and then it was over;
the bone was then in his hand and he had not thrown it and he said:" Permission has been granted to you that you may go out for your needs."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ خَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بَعْدَ مَا ضُرِبَ عَلَيْهَا الْحِجَابُ لِتَقْضِيَ حَاجَتَهَا وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً جَسِيمَةً تَفْرَعُ النِّسَاءَ جِسْمًا لاَ تَخْفَى عَلَى مَنْ يَعْرِفُهَا فَرَآهَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ يَا سَوْدَةُ وَاللَّهِ مَا تَخْفَيْنَ عَلَيْنَا فَانْظُرِي كَيْفَ تَخْرُجِينَ . قَالَتْ فَانْكَفَأَتْ رَاجِعَةً وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِي وَإِنَّهُ لَيَتَعَشَّى وَفِي يَدِهِ عَرْقٌ فَدَخَلَتْ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي خَرَجْتُ فَقَالَ لِي عُمَرُ كَذَا وَكَذَا . قَالَتْ فَأُوحِيَ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ رُفِعَ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّ الْعَرْقَ فِي يَدِهِ مَا وَضَعَهُ فَقَالَ " إِنَّهُ قَدْ أُذِنَ لَكُنَّ أَنْ تَخْرُجْنَ لِحَاجَتِكُنَّ " . وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ يَفْرَعُ النِّسَاءَ جِسْمُهَا . زَادَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي حَدِيثِهِ فَقَالَ هِشَامٌ يَعْنِي الْبَرَازَ .

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of transmitters, and the words are: She (Sauda) was a woman who looked to be significant amongst the people (so far as the bulk of her) body was concerned. The rest of the hadith is the same.

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً يَفْرَعُ النَّاسَ جِسْمُهَا . قَالَ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَتَعَشَّى . وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ .

'A'isha reported that the wives of Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to go out in the cover of night when they went to open fields (in the outskirts of Medina) for easing themselves. 'Umar b Khattab used to say: Allah's Messenger, ask your ladies to observe veil, but Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not do that. So there went out Sauda, daughter of Zarn'a, the wife of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, during one of the nights when it was dark. She was a tall statured lady. 'Umar called her saying: Sauda, we recognise you. (He did this with the hope that the verses pertaining to veil would be revealed.) 'A'isha said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, then revealed the verses pertaining to veil.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ اللَّيْثِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، حَدَّثَنِي عُقَيْلُ بْنُ، خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ أَزْوَاجَ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كُنَّ يَخْرُجْنَ بِاللَّيْلِ إِذَا تَبَرَّزْنَ إِلَى الْمَنَاصِعِ وَهُوَ صَعِيدٌ أَفْيَحُ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ يَقُولُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ احْجُبْ نِسَاءَكَ . فَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُ فَخَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِي عِشَاءً وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً فَنَادَاهَا عُمَرُ أَلاَ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ . حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابَ . قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْحِجَابَ .