Chapter 79: Asking Permission
Narrated Anas bin Malik: that he was a boy of ten at the time when the Prophet (ﷺ) 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 Messenger (ﷺ) with Zainab bint
Jahsh. In the morning, the Prophet (ﷺ) 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 Messenger (ﷺ) and they prolonged their
stay. Allah' s Messenger (ﷺ) 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 Messenger (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) 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 (ﷺ) set a screen between me and him (his family).
Sahih al-Bukhari 6238