Sawdah went out after the verse of hijab had been revealed to attend to a need. She was a large woman, easily recognized by anyone who knew her. Umar bin Khattab saw her and said, "Sawdah, by Allah, you are not hidden from us. Consider carefully how you go out."She turned back at once. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in my house at the time, eating his dinner with a bone in his hand. She came in and said, "Messenger of Allah, I went out for some need of mine, and Umar said such and such to me."Then Allah sent revelation to him, and when it lifted from him, the bone was still in his hand, he had not set it down. He said, "Permission has been granted for you to go out for your needs."
خرجت سودة بعدما ضرب الحجاب لحاجتها، وكانت امرأة جسيمة، لا تخفى على من يعرفها، فرآها عمر بن الخطاب، فقال: يا سودة أما والله ما تخفين علينا، فانظري كيف تخرجين. قالت: فانكفأت راجعة ورسول الله ﷺ في بيتي، وإنه ليتعشى وفي يده عرق، فدخلت فقالت: يا رسول الله، إني خرجت لبعض حاجتي، فقال لي عمر: كذا وكذا. قالت: فأوحى الله إليه، ثم رفع عنه، وإن العرق في يده ما وضعه، فقال: إنه قد أذن لكن أن تخرجن لحاجتكن.
Bukhari narrated it in the Tafsir (4795), and Muslim narrated it in the Salam (2170-17), both through routes from Abu Usama, from Hisham, from his father, from Ayesha, and he related it as mentioned. This is Bukhari's wording, and Muslim's wording is similar, containing, "She was a woman who surpassed other women in stature."In another wording, "The wives of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to go out at night when they needed to relieve themselves, to the Manasi, which was an open, spacious area. Umar bin Khattab used to say to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 'Have your wives covered.' But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not do so. Then one night Sawda bint Zama, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, went out for the evening need. She was a tall woman, so Umar called out to her, 'We have recognized you, Sawda,' hoping that the verse of hijab would be revealed. Then Allah revealed the verse of hijab."Bukhari narrated it in the Wudu (146), and Muslim narrated it in the Salam (2170-18), both through the route of Layth, who said, "Aqeel bin Khalid narrated to me, from Ibn Shihab, from Urwa bin Zubayr, from Ayesha," and he related it as mentioned.