Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "I was ten years old when he (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, and my mother used to urge me to serve him (peace and blessings be upon him). I served him (peace and blessings be upon him) for ten years in Madinah, and when he (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away I was twenty years old. I know better than the people when the verse of hijab was revealed. The first verse revealed about it was when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her). He (peace and blessings be upon him) began the morning in the state of being about to marry her, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) invited the people to a meal. They came to eat; then some left, and some stayed on for a long time. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out, and I went out with him so that those people would also leave. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) walked, and I walked with him until they reached the room of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) thought that they would have left, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) came back, and I came back with him, until he went in to Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her), and those people were still sitting; they had not gone. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned back, and I turned back with him (peace and blessings be upon him), until he (peace and blessings be upon him) reached the room of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). He (peace and blessings be upon him) thought that perhaps they had left, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned and I returned with him (peace and blessings be upon him), and they had gone. He (peace and blessings be upon him) drew a curtain between me and himself, and then the verse of hijab was revealed."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13502
Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her), he invited the people. They ate, then sat down talking. He (peace and blessings be upon him) began to make ready to stand up, but they did not stand. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw that, he stood up, and some of the people stood up, but three men remained seated. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to go inside, and the people were still sitting. Then they got up and left. I came to go inside, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) let down the curtain between me and himself. Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: "O you who believe, do not enter the houses of the Prophet unless permission is given to you for a meal, without waiting for its preparation; but when you are invited, then enter, and when you have eaten, disperse" [Surah Al-Ahzab: 53] up to: "Indeed, that would be an enormity in the sight of Allah." [Surah Al-Ahzab: 53]
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13503
Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) says: My Lord agreed with me in three matters. I said: "If only we took the Station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer," and Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "And take the Station of Ibrahim as a place of prayer" [Surah Al-Baqarah: 125]. I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Both righteous and wicked people come in to you. Would that you (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them) to observe hijab," and Allah Almighty revealed the verse of hijab. And he said: News reached me of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)'s displeasure with some of the pure wives (may Allah be pleased with them). I went to them and said: "Desist, or else Allah Almighty will give him (peace and blessings be upon him) in exchange wives better than you," until I came to the last of the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them), and Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Umar! Is there not enough in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to admonish his wives, that you must admonish them?" So I held back, and Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you, would give him in exchange wives better than you." [Surah At-Tahrim: 5]
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13504
It is narrated from Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go out at night to an open place to relieve themselves, and Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) would say to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Command (your wives) to observe hijab," but he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do so. One night, at the time of Isha, Sawdah bint Zam'ah (may Allah be pleased with her) went out. Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) called out and said: "O Sawdah! I have recognised you." He did this hoping that a command concerning hijab would be revealed. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Then the verse of hijab was revealed.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13505
Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: After the verse of hijab had been revealed, Sayyidah Sawdah (may Allah be pleased with her) went out for some need of hers. She was a large woman and could not be hidden from anyone who knew her. Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) saw her and said: "By Allah! O Sawdah, you cannot hide from us, so consider how you go out." The narrator says: She turned back at once. the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was in my room having his evening meal, and there was a bone in his (peace and blessings be upon him) hand. As soon as she came in, Sayyidah Sawdah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! I went out to relieve myself and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said such-and-such things to me." Then revelation came down upon him (peace and blessings be upon him), and a little later, when that state ended, the bone was still in his (peace and blessings be upon him) hand; he (peace and blessings be upon him) had not put it down. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Permission has been given to you to go out to relieve yourselves."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13507
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: May Allah have mercy on the women of the Muhajirun who emigrated first. When this verse was revealed: "And let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms" [Surah al-Nur: 31], they tore their wrappers and made head-coverings out of them.
In another narration, Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When this verse was revealed: "And let them draw their head-coverings over their bosoms" [Surah al-Nur: 31], the women took their waist-wrappers, tore them from the edges and covered their heads with them.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / 13508