the ḥāfiẓ said: "there is nothing in what he mentioned that proves what he claimed about it being obligatory for them. After the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), they used to perform ḥajj and ṭawāf, and the Companions and those after them would hear ḥadīth from them while they were covered in body, not in figure. It was mentioned in 'ḥajj' that Ibn Jurayj said to ʿAṭāʾ when he mentioned ʿĀʾishah's ṭawāf: Was it before or after the veil? He said: I witnessed that after the veil." And he said elsewhere after briefly mentioning the aforementioned claim (9/337): "the conclusion in refuting his statement is the abundance of reports indicating that they used to perform ḥajj and ṭawāf, and go out to the mosques during the time of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and after him." I said: the point of the ḥāfiẓ's statement: "there is nothing in what he mentioned that proves..." etc., is that it is merely an action that does not indicate the alleged obligation. This is if what the judge attributed to 'al-Muwaṭṭaʾ' is correct; for I did not find that in the 'al-Muwaṭṭaʾ' known today from the narration of Yaḥyá al-Laythī after further searching for it; and Allāh knows best. Perhaps among the evidences supporting what the ḥāfiẓ said—may Allāh have mercy on him—is the ḥadīth of Anas—may Allāh be pleased with him—regarding the reason for the revelation of the verse of the veil, which was previously mentioned. It has been narrated from him in various wordings, both briefly and in detail. I will mention one from 'Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī' (4792), with important additions from others that suit the context. He—may Allāh be pleased with him—said: I am the most knowledgeable of people about this verse—the verse of the veil: When Zaynab was given in marriage to the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), she was with him in the house. He prepared food and invited the people, and they sat talking, [and the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) was sitting, and his wife had turned her face to the wall], [and she had been given beauty], so the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) kept going out and coming back while they sat talking. Then Allāh the Exalted revealed: (O you who..
قال الحافظ: "وليس فيما ذكره دليل على ما ادعاه من فرض ذلك عليهن، وقد كن بعد النبي ﷺ يحججن ويطفن، وكان الصحابة ومن بعدهم يسمعون منهن الحديث وهن مُتَسَتِّراتُ الأبدان لا الأشخاص، وقد تقدم في "الحج " قول ابن جريج لعطاء لما ذكر له طواف عائشة: أقبل الحجاب أو بعده؟ قال: قد أدركت ذلك بعد الحجاب ". وقال في مكان آخر بعد أن ذكر الزعم المذكور باختصار (٩/٣٣٧) :"والحاصل في رد قوله؛ كثرة الأخبار الواردة أنهن كن يحججن ويطفن، ويخرجن إلى المساجد في عهد النبي ﷺ وبعده ". قلت: ووجه قول الحافظ: "وليس فيما ذكره دليل ... " إلخ: أنه مجرد فعل لا يدل على الفرضية المزعومة، وهذا إن صح ما عزاه القاضي لـ"الموطأ"؛ فإني لم أَرَ ذلك في "الموطأ" المعروف اليوم من رواية يحيى الليثي بعد مزيد البحث عنه؛ والله أعلم. ولعل من الأدلة التي تؤيد ما قاله الحافظ- ﵀: حديث أنس- ﵁ في سبب نزول آية الحجاب الذي سبقت الإشارة إليه، وقد جاء من طرق عنه بألفاظ مختصراً ومطولاً، أذكر أحدها من "صحيح البخاري " (٤٧٩٢) ، مع زيادات هامة من غيره تناسب المقام، فقال- ﵁: أنا أعلم الناس بهذه الآية ـ آية الحجاب -: لما أهديت زينب إلى رسول الله ﷺ كانت معه في البيت، صنع طعاماً ودعا القوم، فقعدوا يتحدثون، [ورسول الله ﷺ جالس، وزوجته مُوَلِّيَةٌ وجهها إلى الحائط] ، [وكانت قد أُعطيت جمالاً] ، فجعل النبي ﷺ يخرج ثم يرجع، وهم قعود يتحدثون، فأنزل الله تعالى: (يا أيها