He was ten years old when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Madinah. My mothers kept urging me to serve the Prophet ﷺ, so I served him for ten years. The Prophet ﷺ passed away when I was twenty, and I was the most knowledgeable of people regarding the matter of the veil when it was revealed.The first occasion of its revelation was at the wedding feast of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with Zaynab bint Jahsh. The Prophet ﷺ woke up that morning as a bridegroom with her and invited the people. They came and ate, then left, but a small group of them remained sitting with the Prophet ﷺ for a long time.The Prophet ﷺ got up and went out, and I went out with him so that they might leave. He walked, and I walked with him, until he reached the threshold of Ayesha's chamber. Then, thinking they had left, he returned, and I returned with him. But when he entered upon Zaynab, there they were, still seated, having not risen.So the Prophet ﷺ went out again, and I went out with him, until he reached the threshold of Ayesha's chamber. Thinking they had now left, he returned, and I returned with him, and this time they had indeed gone. Then the Prophet ﷺ drew a curtain between him and me, and the verse of the veil was revealed.
حدثنا يحيى بن بكير قال حدثني الليث عن عقيل عن ابن شهاب قال أخبرني
أنه كان ابن عشر سنين مقدم رسول الله ﷺ المدينة فكان أمهاتي يواظبنني على خدمة النبي ﷺ فخدمته عشر سنين وتوفي النبي ﷺ وأنا ابن عشرين سنة فكنت أعلم الناس بشأن الحجاب حين أنزل وكان أول ما أنزل في مبتنى رسول الله ﷺ بزينب بنت جحش أصبح النبي ﷺ بها عروسا فدعا القوم فأصابوا من الطعام ثم خرجوا وبقي رهط منهم عند النبي ﷺ فأطالوا المكث فقام النبي ﷺ فخرج وخرجت معه لكي يخرجوا فمشى النبي ﷺ ومشيت حتى جاء عتبة حجرة عائشة ثم ظن أنهم خرجوا فرجع ورجعت معه حتى إذا دخل على زينب فإذا هم جلوس لم يقوموا فرجع النبي ﷺ ورجعت معه حتى إذا بلغ عتبة حجرة عائشة وظن أنهم خرجوا فرجع ورجعت معه فإذا هم قد خرجوا فضرب النبي ﷺ بيني وبينه بالستر وأنزل الحجاب