'Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, says: "O you who have believed, do not enter the houses of the Prophet unless you are given permission for a meal, not waiting for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter; and when you have eaten, disperse, and do not linger for conversation. Indeed, that would annoy the Prophet, and he would be shy of you. But Allah is not shy of the truth. And if you ask [his wives] for anything, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah a great sin." This verse contains two stories: one is the etiquette regarding food and sitting, and the second is regarding the veil. As for the first, the majority of the commentators say that its reason was that when the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, married Zaynab bint Jahsh and held a feast for her, he invited people. When they had eaten, a group remained in a corner of the house, and it became heavy upon the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, to have them there. So he went out to signal for them to leave, and he passed by the chambers of his wives. Then he returned and found them in their place, and Zaynab was in the house with them. When he entered and saw them, he turned back, and they left at that. Anas said: 'I informed him of their departure, so he came. When he reached the chamber, he lowered the curtain between me and him and entered, and the verse was revealed because of that.' And Qatadah and Muqatil said - in the book of Al-Thalabi - that this reason occurred in the house of Umm Salamah, but the first is more famous. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'It was revealed about some of the believers who used to wait for the food of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and they would enter upon him before the food was served until they were full, then they would eat and not leave.' And Ismail ibn Abi Hakim said: 'This is etiquette that Allah, the Exalted, taught to the heavy ones.' And Ibn Abi Aisha in the book of Al-Thalabi said: 'It is enough for you from the heavy ones that the Sharia did not accommodate them.' As for the verse of the veil, Anas ibn Malik and a group said: 'Its reason was the matter of sitting in the house of Zaynab, the story mentioned earlier.' And a group said: 'Rather, it was in the house of Umm Salamah.' And Mujahid said: 'The verse of the veil was revealed because of that.' And Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, and a group said: 'The reason for the veil was the words of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and that he spoke to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, repeatedly about veiling his wives. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, would not do so, and Umar continued to insist. One night, Sawdah went out for her need - and she was a tall woman among the women - and Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, called out to her: 'We recognize you, O Sawdah' - being keen on the veil. And Zaynab bint Jahsh said to him: 'We are astonished at you, O son of Al-Khattab, you are jealous for us while revelation descends in our houses?' Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, continued to insist until the verse of the veil was revealed." Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'I agreed with my Lord in three matters: one of them is the veil, the standing of Ibrahim, and "Perhaps your Lord, if He divorces you" [At-Tahreem: 5].' The hadith.

The custom of the people was that when they had food or a feast, whoever wished would arrive early at the house of the invitation. They would wait for the cooking of the food and its readiness while engaging in conversation and companionship. Likewise, when they finished, they would sit in the same manner. So Allah, the Exalted, prohibited the believers from such behavior in the house of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. This prohibition included all believers, and the people adhered to the etiquette that Allah, the Exalted, prescribed for them in this matter. He forbade them from entering except with permission at the time of eating, not before, to wait for the food to be ready.

And "nadhireen" means: waiting. And "ināhu" is the source of "anā al-shay'u ya'ni" when it is completed and the time has come. From this is the saying of the poet:

The decree of death has been fulfilled for him on a day, That is when every pregnant one completes her term.

The majority read with a fathah on the noon of "ināhu," while Hamzah and Al-Kisai inclined it.

Then He affirmed the prohibition and limited the time of entry to when permission is given. Then He commanded after the food that they disperse and spread out.

And His saying, "And do not be seeking to converse," is an addition to His saying, "Not waiting." And "ghayru" is in the accusative case as a condition for the kaf and mim in "lakum" meaning: not waiting and not seeking to converse. Ibn Abi Abla read: "ghayri" with a kasrah on the ra. Its permissibility is based on the interpretation of: not waiting for its time, you are. Al-A'mash read: "ināhu" in the plural of "anā" with a lengthening after the noon. A group read: "fa-yas'tahyi" by pronouncing the broken ya before the silent letter, and a group read: "fa-yas'tahi" with the ya being silent without a broken ya before it. His saying, "And Allah does not feel shy" means: He does not refrain from saying the truth. And since this occurs from humans due to the reason of shyness, He negated from Allah, the Exalted, the reason that necessitates this in humans.

And His saying, "And when you ask them for something"—this verse is the verse of hijab. And "the request" is general for all that can be asked for according to the customs of living and neighborliness from utensils and other necessities for religion and this world. "That is purer for your hearts and their hearts" refers to the thoughts that arise in women regarding men.

His saying, "And it is not for you to harm the Messenger of Allah"—this verse was narrated to have been revealed because "some of the companions said: 'If the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, were to die, Aisha would marry.' This reached the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and he was hurt by it." Thus, Ibn Abbas referred to him as "some of the companions." And Makki reported from Ma'mar that he said: "It is Talhah ibn Ubaydullah."

Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

To Allah belongs the praise, Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them. And this, in my view, is not correct regarding Talhah. Allah will protect him from it. It has been narrated that a man from the hypocrites said when the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, married Umm Salamah after Abu Salamah, and Hafsah after Khunais ibn Hudhafah, 'What is with Muhammad marrying our women? By Allah, if he were to die, we would delay the arrows on his women.' So the verse was revealed regarding this. And Allah prohibited the marriage of his wives after him and made for them the ruling of mothers. And when the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, passed away and the Arabs apostatized, then they returned. Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl married Qatīlah, the daughter of al-Ash'ath ibn Qays, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, had married her but had not consummated the marriage with her. This was difficult for Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, and he was anxious about it. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: 'Take it easy, she is not one of his women. He did not choose her nor did he place a veil upon her. She was separated from him when she returned with her people.' So Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, calmed down. Umar went on to say that he would not attend the funeral of Zaynab bint Jahsh except with a male relative from her family, considering the veil. Asma bint Umays informed him about covering her in the bier with a canopy, and she told him that she had seen this in the land of Abyssinia, so he did it. It has been narrated that this was done at the funeral of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him.