I thus took it to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and said, “My mother conveys salaam to you, and she said, ‘O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! This is a small gift for you from our side!’”

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then instructed me to place the dish down, after which he took the names of certain Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) saying, “Go and call for me so-and-so, and so-and-so, and whoever else you meet.” I thus went out and called the people whom Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had mentioned by name, and also called whoever else I met. The total number of the people I called was close to three hundred.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then told me to bring the utensil with the hays, and the people began to enter, until the room was full.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then instructed the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) to sit in groups of ten and take turns to eat. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also told the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) that each person should eat from the side of the platter that was closest to him. In this manner, the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) ate to their fill. As one group completed eating, another group entered and took their place, until everyone had eaten.

After everyone had eaten, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) instructed me to pick up the utensil. On picking it up, it still contained so much of food that I was not sure whether it contained more food when I had initially placed it down, or whether it contained more food now, when I was picking it up.

Thereafter, a few people remained seated in the home of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), engaged in conversation with one another. While they were in conversation, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was also seated and his respected wife was in one corner, away from the men, facing the wall (out of hayaa for the men).

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was waiting for these few people to leave so that he may spend time with his respected wife, but these people did not realize. Hence, their remaining seated caused Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to feel uncomfortable, and hence he left his home and went to make salaam to his other respected wives.

When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) thereafter returned to his home, and the people seated inside saw him return, they realized that he was waiting for them to leave. Hence, on realizing, they woke up and departed.

It was at that time that the verse of hijaab was revealed:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَدۡخُلُوۡا بُیُوۡتَ النَّبِیِّ  اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یُّؤۡذَنَ لَکُمۡ  اِلٰی طَعَامٍ غَیۡرَ نٰظِرِیۡنَ  اِنٰىہُ ۙ وَ لٰکِنۡ  اِذَا دُعِیۡتُمۡ فَادۡخُلُوۡا فَاِذَا طَعِمۡتُمۡ فَانۡتَشِرُوۡا وَ لَا مُسۡتَاۡنِسِیۡنَ لِحَدِیۡثٍ ؕ اِنَّ ذٰلِکُمۡ کَانَ یُؤۡذِی النَّبِیَّ فَیَسۡتَحۡیٖ مِنۡکُمۡ ۫ وَ اللّٰہُ  لَا یَسۡتَحۡیٖ مِنَ الۡحَقِّ ؕ وَ اِذَا سَاَلۡتُمُوۡہُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَسۡـَٔلُوۡہُنَّ مِنۡ وَّرَآءِ  حِجَابٍ ؕ ذٰلِکُمۡ  اَطۡہَرُ  لِقُلُوۡبِکُمۡ  وَ قُلُوۡبِہِنَّ ؕ وَ مَا کَانَ لَکُمۡ اَنۡ تُؤۡذُوۡا رَسُوۡلَ اللّٰہِ وَ لَاۤ  اَنۡ تَنۡکِحُوۡۤا  اَزۡوَاجَہٗ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہٖۤ  اَبَدًا ؕ اِنَّ ذٰلِکُمۡ  کَانَ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ  عَظِیۡمًا ﴿۵۳﴾

 O you who believe! Do not enter the houses of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), except when you are permitted for a meal, not (arriving so early as) to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, then enter, and once you have eaten, then (leave and) disperse, and (do) not (sit for long) wanting to remain for conversation. This (conduct of yours of remaining engaged in conversation in his home for some while after the meal) hurts Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), but he feels shy of (telling) you (about it, as it relates to his personal self), but Allah is not shy of the truth (i.e. of openly correcting you). And when you ask anything from them (the blessed wives of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)), ask them from behind a curtain. That is better for the purity of your hearts and their hearts. It is not allowed for you that you hurt Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), nor that you ever marry his wives after him. Indeed, it would be a very great sin in the sight of Allah. (Surah Ahzaab v. 53)

Thereafter, when Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) entered his home, and I went forward to enter with him, he lowered the curtain between me and him (and prevented me from entering the home). Shortly thereafter, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came out and recited these verses to the people.

Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) also mentioned, “I was the first person to come to know of these verses, and it was then that the respected wives of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) (and the other women of the ummah) went into hijaab.”

(Saheeh Muslim #1428)

يٰأَيُّهَا الَّذينَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا تَدْخُلُوْا بُيُوْتَ النَّبِىِّ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلىٰ طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نٰظِريْنَ إِنىٰهُ وَلٰكِن إِذَا دُعِيْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوْا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانْتَشِرُوْا وَلَا مُسْتَأْٔنِسِيْنَ لِحَدِيْثٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذٰلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِى النَّبِىَّ فَيَسْتَحْيۦ مِنْكُم ۖ وَاللهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيۦ مِنَ الْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوْهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَسْـَٔلُوْهُنَّ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ۚ ذٰلِكُم أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوْبِكُمْ وَقُلوْبِهِنَّ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْذُوْا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ وَلَا أَنْ تَنْكِحُوْا أَزوَاجَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا ۚ إِنَّ ذٰلِكُم كَانَ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَظِيْمًا