عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّ أَزْوَاجَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ كُنَّ يَخْرُجْنَ بِاللَّيْلِ إِذَا تَبَرَّزْنَ إِلَى الْمَنَاصِعِ وَهُوَ صَعِيدٌ أَفْيَحُ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَقُولُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ احْجُبْ نِسَاءَكَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَفْعَلُ فَخَرَجَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ زَوْجُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةً مِنْ اللَّيَالِي عِشَاءً وَكَانَتْ امْرَأَةً طَوِيلَةً فَنَادَاهَا عُمَرُ أَلَا قَدْ عَرَفْنَاكِ يَا سَوْدَةُ حِرْصًا عَلَى أَنْ يُنْزَلَ الْحِجَابُ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَأُنْزِلَ الْحِجَابُ
Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go out to Manasi’ for relieving themselves; it was a spacious open field. Sayyiduna Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) kept saying to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that you should command your wives to observe veiling, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do so. One night, Sayyida Sawda bint Zam’a (may Allah be pleased with her) went out at the time of ‘Isha; she was a tall woman. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her: Beware! O Sawda! We have recognized you. His intention was that the command of veiling be revealed. Thus, the command of veiling was revealed.