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Zaynab bint Jahsh

Zaynab bint Jahsh was Muhammad’s seventh wife.^[1]

Her original name had been Barrah (“virtuous”) but Muhammad renamed her Zaynab,^[2] which literally means “father’s ornament”, but is also the name of a flower.

Background

Her father was Jahsh ibn Riyab of the Asad ibn Khuzayma tribe. The Asad ibn Khuzayma were a Bedouin tribe from eastern Arabia.^[3] Jahsh's father Riyab immigrated to Mecca in search of the settled lifestyle and requested an alliance with the Quraysh. The Asad clan offered him an alliance "and he gladly joined them as hali." Later it was said that the Asad were "a wretched branch of the Quraysh". Riyab then broke this alliance and formed one with the Umayya. The Umayyads were the most powerful clan in Mecca. Kister.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content Zaynab was regarded as an honorary Umayyad.

Her mother was Umama bint Abdulmuttalib ibn Hashim, who was Muhammad’s aunt,^[4] so Muhammad had known her all her life.

Zaynab was an early convert to Islam and she was among those who emigrated to Medina.^[5]

Zaynab was born c. 590 in Mecca.

She had five siblings.

Abu Ahmed, the eldest, was a blind poet. "He could find his way around Mecca without a guide." He married Abu Sufyan's daughter.

Abdullah was the second. He married Zaynab b Khuzayma (who later married Mohammed). He also married Fatima b Abi XXXXX, by whom he had one son. He died at Uhud on 22 March 625.

Ubaydullah ("little Abdullah") was the third. He was a spiritual seeker. He married Abu Sufyan's daughter. She was born c. 594, so he was presumably this age or a little older.

The birth-order of the daughters is not known.

Habiba (also known as Umm Habib) married the wealthy merchant Abdulrahman ibn Awf. He was one of the earliest converts to Islam. Habiba was childless. She had a bleeding disorder.

Hamna was probably the youngest child. Her two husbands were born in 594 and 595, so she was probably not older than this. She married Masood ibn Umayr, who died at Uhud in March 625. She was almost immediately remarried to Talha ibn Ubaydullah.

First Marriage

The name of her first husband is not known (or even if she married more than once), but he appears to have been a Quraysh of respectable status. They apparently had a son, Al-Hakam,^[6] but nothing is known of this child, so he probably died in infancy.

This marriage was possibly where Zaynab learned her leather-crafting skills.

They probably had a child, Al-Hakam, and he probably died in infancy.

She converted to Islam under the influence of her brother Abdullah when she was aged 20-22.

Zaynab was a widow by the time she emigrated to Medina under the protection of her brother Abdullah. This was in late 620 or 621, when she was about 30. The known emigrants include no obvious candidate for her husband.

Second Marriage

Zayd's Background

"The Prophet having witnessed this, took Zayd out to the Hijr and said, “O all those who are present, witness that Zayd becomes my son, with mutual rights of inheritance.” When Zayd’s father and paternal uncle saw this, they were satisfied and went away. ... Zayd b Harithah was thus called Zayd b Muhammad until God revealed Islam."^[7]

Zayd had two wives. The first was Baraka, an ex-slave about 15 years older than himself who had always been plain. She was the mother of his son Usama, born c. 611. His second wife, Umm Mubashshir, was from Medina, so they could not have been married for much more than two years. She owned a date-orchard but was childless.

Circumstances of the Marriage

Before and after marrying Zayd, Zaynab lived with her brother, apparently happily. Zaynab and her brother Abdullah did not want her to marry Zayd.^[8]

Islam teaches that a woman should not be forced into marriage.^[9]

Zaynab was “a perfect-looking woman,” fair-skinned and shapely.^[10] The Orientalist descriptions of her "fine black hair" and "sensual flesh" are imaginary, though not implausible. She was small.

Zaynab said she didn’t want to marry Zayd "because I am the widow of a Quraysh." She probably meant that, as an ex-slave, he was not good enough for her aristocratic aspirations. Zayd already had two wives, one of whom had borne him a son, so Zaynab was forced to accept the position of third wife.

Nobody asked Baraka or Umm Mubashshir if they wanted Zaynab as a co-wife.

“It is not for any believer, man or woman, when God and His Messenger have decreed a matter, to have the choice in the affair. Whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has gone astray into manifest error. When you said to him whom Allah had blessed and you had favoured, ‘Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah,’ and you were concealing within yourself what Allah should reveal, fearing other men; and Allah has better right for you to fear him. So when Zayd had accomplished what he would of her, then We gave her in marriage to you, so that there should not be any fault in the believers, touching the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished what they would of them; and Allah’s commandment must be performed. There is no fault in the prophet, touching what Allah had ordained for him.”^[11] "This was revealed regarding Abdullah b Jahsh and his sister Zaynab, whose hand the Prophet had asked for in marriage, but meaning on behalf of Zayd b Haritha. They were loathe to this when they found out, for they had thought that the Prophet wanted to marry her himself. But afterwards they consented because of the verse. Thus the Prophet gave her in marriage to Zayd."^[12]

In other words, in the eternally existing uncreated Qur’an in heaven, Zaynab’s duty to marry Zayd was mentioned.

Abdullah was killed at the Battle of Uhud on 22 March 625.^[13] This may be the real reason that Zaynab agreed to marry Zayd, i.e., Abdullah had been both her material and her psychological protector, and without his support, she gave in to the pressure. However, the exact date of her marriage to Zayd is not recorded.

Zaynab of Jahsh had a brother who died before her.^[14] This cannot be Abu Ahmed, who outlived her; but it is unlikely that she made any fuss over Ubaydullah, who had been disowned as an apostate, and whom by the time of his death she had not seen for twelve years. So it probably refers to the death of Abdullah at Uhud.

The Wedding

Zaynab married Zayd.^[15]

"But you had hidden in your heart what God was to disclose, He was to manifest of your love for her and of that should Zayd part with her you would marry her, and you feared people, would say, ‘He has married his son’s wife!’, though God is worthier that you should fear Him, in all things, so take her in marriage and do not be concerned with what people say."^[16]

Third Marriage

Circumstances of the Marriage

Muhammad came to visit Zayd. A gust of wind blew aside the hairskin curtain that served as his front door, giving Muhammad a full view of Zaynab dressed only in her shift. She pulled on an over-gown, advising Muhammad that Zayd was not at home but he was welcome to visit. Muhammad stood still, staring at Zaynab's movements, and repeating to himself, “Praise be to Allah, who turns around hearts!”^[17]

"In this year the Messenger married Zaynab b Jahsh. Allah’s Messenger came to the house of Zayd b Muhammad. Perhaps the Messenger missed him at that moment. Zaynab, Zayd’s wife, rose to meet him. Because she was dressed only in a shift, the Holy Prophet turned away from her. She said: “He is not here. Come in, you are as dear to me as my father and mother!” Muhammad refused to enter. Zaynab had dressed in haste when she heard that the Prophet was at her door. She jumped up eagerly and excited the admiration of Allah’s Messenger, so that he turned away murmuring something that could scarcely be understood. However, he did say overtly, “Glory be to Allah Almighty, who causes hearts to turn!”^[18] When Zayd came home, his wife told him that the Messenger of God had come to his house. Zayd said, “Why didn’t you ask him to come in?” She replied, “I asked him, but he refused.” “Did you hear him say anything?” he asked. She replied, “As he turned away, I heard him say: ‘Glory be to God the Almighty! Glory be to God, who causes hearts to turn!’” So Zayd went to Muhammad. “Prophet, I have heard that you came to my house. Why didn’t you go in? Perhaps Zaynab has excited your admiration, so I will leave her.”^[19] Zayd left her, and she became free. While the Messenger of Allah was talking with Ayesha, a fainting overcame him. When he was released from it, he smiled and said, “Who will go to Zaynab to tell her the good news? Allah has married her to me.” Then the Holy Prophet recited [Qur’an 33] to the end of the passage. Ayesha said, “I became very uneasy because of what we heard about her beauty and another thing, the loftiest of matters – what Allah had done for her by personally giving her to him in marriage. I said that she would boast of it over us.”^[20]

His secret desire for his daughter-in-law is mentioned in the Qur’an: “Thou didst hide in thy mind what Allah was about to reveal.”^[21] Ayesha said it was proof of Muhammad’s honesty that he did not delete this embarrassing verse from the Qur’an altogether.^[22]

"Behold! Thou didst say to one who had received the grace of Allah and thy favour: “Retain thou thy wife, and fear Allah.” But thou didst hide in thy heart that which Allah was about to make manifest: thou didst fear the people, but it is more fitting that thou shouldst fear Allah. Then when Zayd had dissolved with her, with the necessities, We joined her in marriage to thee: in order that there may be no difficulty to the Believers in marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have dissolved with the necessities with them. And Allah’s command must be fulfilled.^[23]

Zayd offered to divorce Zaynab so that Muhammad could marry her. Muhammad discouraged this.^[24]

"Anas reported. Zayd b Haritha came to the Prophet complaining about his wife. The Prophet kept on saying (to him), “Be afraid of Allah and keep your wife.” Ayesha said, “If Allah’s Apostle were to conceal anything [of the Quran] he would have concealed this Verse.” Zaynab used to boast before the wives of the Prophet and used to say, “You were given in marriage by your families, while I was married by Allah from over seven Heavens.” And Thabit recited, “The Verse: ‘But (O Muhammad) you did hide in your heart that which Allah was about to make manifest, you did fear the people,’ [Q33.37] was revealed in connection with Zaynab and Zayd b Haritha.”^[25]

"Narrated Anas. Zayd bin Haritha came to the Prophet complaining about his wife. The Prophet kept on saying (to him), “Be afraid of Allah and keep your wife.” Aisha said, “If Allah’s Apostle were to conceal anything (of the Quran) he would have concealed this Verse.” Zaynab used to boast before the wives of the Prophet and used to say, “You were given in marriage by your families, while I was married (to the Prophet) by Allah from over seven Heavens.” And Thabit recited, “The Verse:-- ‘But (O Muhammad) you did hide in your heart that which Allah was about to make manifest, you did fear the people,’ (33.37) was revealed in connection with Zaynab and Zayd bin Haritha.”^[26]

"Al-Zamakhshari, on the other hand, treats other aspects in his analysis of the story. [Aisha's hadith as above follows.] Muslim writers have added nothing to the list of apologies that al-Zamakhshari (A.D. 1144) and al-Razi (A.D. 1209) presented, as they use the same arguments trying to interpret this story, and even defend it." CITATION MISSING.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content

Zaynab became aloof and haughty to Zayd, making remarks about his lowly birth and ugly face and shutting him out of the bedroom.^[27]

"When the exalted Allah said, “Thou didst say to one who had received the grace of Allah and thy favour: ‘Retain thou (in wedlock) thy wife, and fear Allah.’ But thou didst hide in thy heart that which Allah was about to make manifest: thou didst fear the people, but it is more fitting that thou shouldst fear Allah” this was said by Allah as chastisement to His prophet. For when He said, “one who had received the grace of Allah and thy favour” this was in reference to Zayd son of Haritha who had been set free by the apostle of Allah – prayers and peace be upon him. "When the Exalted Allah said, “Retain thou (in wedlock) thy wife, and fear Allah” this was concerning Zaynab the daughter of Jahsh whom the Prophet had seen in her robes and was enamoured by her. Thus when Allah saw what was stirring in His prophet’s soul, he placed hatred in the heart of Zayd towards Zaynab, that he might depart from her. When Zayd mentioned his intention to separate from Zaynab to the prophet, the prophet told him, “Retain thou thy wife” even though the Prophet desired that they separate so that he could marry her..."^[28]

Zayd divorced Zaynab.^[29]

"Several things point to the lack of truth in this story. First, it is unlikely that the prophet was suddenly struck by Zaynab’s beauty. Zaynab was his cousin. He had known her since childhood. Why would she suddenly appear striking after she was already married to another? Perhaps it was because Mohammed had up until that point only seen Zaynab’s face, but in this instance, he saw her uncovered flesh below the neck? Second, the prophet had arranged for her to get married to Zayd. If there was to be an attraction why did the prophet not encourage her to marry none but himself?" CITATION MISSING. It was presumably because Mohammed had not yet seen Zaynab naked and therefore was not thinking of her in that way. Tabari’s version of the story admits that Mohammed had experienced a change of heart. "Third, the fact of the matter was that Zayd’s marriage proved to be an unhappy one." This is not in any way relevant to whether or not Mohammed became attracted to Zaynab. He was attracted to her because he saw her undressed, not because her husband was unhappy.

Muslim Apologist Gives Reasons why it was Right for Mohammed to Marry Zaynab "First, the prophet was responsible for arranging Zaynab’s marriage to Zayd. In a sense, then, he was also indirectly responsible for the unhappiness she felt in her marriage." A true prophet would have known in advance that Zaynab and Zayd would be unhappy together. In fact, Mohammed did not need to be a prophet to know that the marriage would probably be unhappy. A quite ordinary man is capable of understanding that when a woman says, “I don’t want to marry Zayd,” what she means is, “I don’t want to marry Zayd.” Mohammed certainly was responsible for Zaynab’s unhappiness because he ignored her objections and pressured her into the marriage anyway. But surely the correct response was to apologise and allow her a divorce? Mohammed did not do this. Zayd said three times that he too wanted a divorce, yet Mohammed discouraged divorce and urged him three times to keep his wife. The idea that Zaynab could be “compensated” for one bad marriage by being remarried to the person who had caused the situation was naïve and shallow, to say nothing of conceited. "Her marriage to the prophet now provided her the honour she felt she deserved..." The “honour” that Zaynab craved was related to her snobbish disparaging of “low-class” people. This was not a desire that deserved to be indulged. "... and exonerated the prophet." No, it did not exonerate him. He did not consider the feelings of his existing wives. He did not consider that he would now have five wives when other Muslims were only allowed four. His method of relieving Zaynab’s pain was to cause a new pain to a different group of people. And no sooner did he marry Zaynab than he also tried to marry Ghaziya and Rayhana! One wonders if that was truly what Zaynab had had in mind. A real solution to the problem would have been to instruct Zayd to be faithful to Baraka and Umm Mubashshir om now on, to promise his existing wives that he would never add to their number, and to let Zaynab choose herself a new husband from among the many bachelors. "The prophet’s marriage to the divorced wife of Zayd was a practical demonstration that the adopted relationship was not equal to a real blood-relationship." Even if we allow that Mohammed disliked adoption, a “practical demonstration” was hardly necessary. A simple announcement that “adoption is abolished” would have been sufficient to advise the umma that adoption was abolished.^[30]

Difficulties with the Marriage

Limit of Four Wives. When men with more than four wives became Muslims, Muhammad made them divorce the extras, although they were allowed to choose which four they would keep. "Al-Harith b Qays al-Asadi recalled: “I embraced Islam while I had eight wives. So I mentioned it to Mohammed, who said: “Select four of them.”"^[31] "When Ghaylan b Salama al-Thaqafi and his ten wives all accepted Islam, Mohammed told him to keep four and divorce the rest."^[32]

"Kulayni has narrated through correct chains of narrators from Imam Jaafar Sadiq that people asked him about the exegesis of the following verses: “O Prophet! surely We have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who fled with you; and a believing woman if she gave herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desired to marry her – specially for you, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to you; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”"^[33]

Zaynab entered the household as Mohammed’s fifth concurrent wife, while other Muslims were only allowed four each. Having pledged not to divorce Sawda, Muhammad produced a new revelation from Allah that allowed him to marry as many women as he liked.^[34]

Incest. The Arabs considered a daughter-in-law almost as taboo as a biological daughter. So Allah sent down another revelation that abolished adoption, therefore ruling that Zayd had never been his son and Zaynab had never been his daughter-in-law.^[35]

Allah sent another revelation to explain that an adopted son was not a real son and that he approved of Mohammed’s marrying Zaynab.^[36] Later apologists have said that this marriage was necessary to demonstrate that adoption was now abolished. Apparently they assume most Muslims would not believe this if they did not witness a live demonstration. But this was never mentioned at the time as a reason for the marriage.

Adoption was permanently abolished from Islam. Adopted children still have limited inheritance rights under Islam compared with biological children.

“Nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons in fact” was revealed concerning Zayd bin Haritha, the freed servant of the Prophet. The Prophet had adopted him before prophethood, and he was known as Zayd bin Muhammad. Allah wanted to put an end to this naming and attribution ... This is a command which abrogates the state of affairs that existed at the beginning of Islam, when it was permitted to call adopted sons after the man who adopted them. Then Allah commanded that they should be given back the names of their real fathers, and states that this was more fair and just.^[37]

Muhammad Husain Haikal says, “As to Zaynab bint Jahsh, who has been wrapped up by orientalists and missionaries in an imaginary picture of romance and infatuation, true history judges that [Muhammad’s act with] her was one of the glorious deeds of Muhammad. Being the perfect example of faith, he applied to her the Hadith that says, ‘Man’s faith is not made perfect till he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.’ It is enough to destroy the story that it was he who betrothed her to his adopted son, Zayd.” The scholar Haikal does not fail to add that “we could have spared him all these sayings by saying, ‘Let it be true!’ Why would this detract from the greatness, message, and prophethood of Muhammad? The laws that bind [ordinary] people have no power over the luminaries, so how much more the messengers and prophets! Hasn’t Moses seen a dispute between two men; one was from his sect and the other from the enemy’s sect, so he thrust the enemy and killed, committing an unlawful murder? So Moses broke the law, and was not subject to it. Yet this did not detract from his prophethood or message, and did not diminish his greatness. The way Jesus broke the law [of nature] was even greater than Moses, and thus with Muhammad and the rest of the prophets. For his condition is not bordered by a certain limit of power or desire, he rather went beyond the laws of nature by his birth and life!”

Reasons for Third Marriage

Divine Mandate. On the same day Zaynab’s waiting-period ended, Muhammad fell into a prophetic trance, then announced to Ayesha: “Someone must go to tell Zaynab the good news! Allah from above has just married her to me!” Ayesha was “distressed by both immediate and potential troubles, having heard of Zaynab’s beauty.”^[38]

Zayd was dispatched as messenger. He found Zaynab kneading bread, and her face was so radiant that he could not look at her while he delivered Allah’s message.^[39]

Anas reported. When the iddah of Zaynab was over, Allah’s Messenger said to Zayd to make a mention to her about him. Zayd went on until he came to her and she was fermenting her flour. He (Zayd) said: As I saw her I felt in my heart an idea of her greatness so much so that I could not see towards her (simply for the fact) that Allah’s Messenger had made a mention of her. So I turned my back towards her, and I turned upon my heels, and said: Zaynab, Allah’s Messenger has sent (me) with a message to you. She said: I do not do anything until I solicit the will of my Lord. So she stood at her place of worship and the (verse of) the Qur’an (pertaining to her marriage) was revealed, and Allah’s Messenger came to her without permission…^[40]

The Qur’an refers to her story: “So when Zayd had done as he wished in divorcing her, We married her to you.”^[41]

There was social criticism.^[42]

"The prophet gave to [Zayd] in marriage Zaynab bint Jahsh ibn Riyab al-Asadiyyah, whose mother was Umaymah bint Abdulmuttalib ibn Hashim. Zayd later divorced her, and the Prophet married her. The Munafiqun made this a topic of their conversation and reviled the Prophet, saying, “Muhammad prohibits [marriage] with wives of one’s own son, but he married the wife of his son Zayd.” As a result of this God revealed the following verse: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, nay, he is the messenger of God and the seal of the prophets ...”, etc. God also revealed this verse, “Call them by their fathers’ names,” so from that day onward [Zayd] was called Zayd ibn Harithah, and [other] adopted sons were named after their [real] fathers."^[43]

Need to Abolish Adoption. "The strangeness of the matter lies in the fact that the scholar Haikal presents Muhammad’s giving Zaynab in marriage to Zayd as a cogent argument to refute the claims of his opponents who hold that the matter was merely romance and infatuation! It is unbelievable that Haikal has no knowledge of the fact that “the heart of the Prophet was deeply moved by her after her marriage with Zayd”(22) which is found in trustworthy Islamic reference books. Al-Sabuni, however, excludes any love affair or romance from this marriage, as he says, “How can a man give a virgin woman to [another] person, and then desire her after she is deflowered?”(23) Al-Sabuni attacks the fraudulent “orientalists” and “missionaries” who claimed that God reproved Muhammad for his hidden desire for Zaynab. Yet, these “slanders” of the orientalist and missionaries have already been listed in Tabaqat Ibn Sa`d and al-Tabari’s works, as they have been quoted in the books that were written after them. Ibn Sa`d and al-Tabari were neither the enemies of Islam nor “fraudulent orientalists”. They did not know that Muhammad only married her to cancel and abolish the act of adoption.(24) This argument was not known at all at the time of al-Tabari!"

"We used not to call Zayd bin Haritha the freed slave of Allah’s Apostle except Zayd bin Muhammad till the Qur’anic Verse was revealed: “Call them by their fathers. That is more than just in the Sight of Allah.” (Q33:5)"^[44]

Need to Save Zaynab's Reputation.

Need to Recompense Zaynab.

Passion. “This may be regarded as one of the Prophet's love-stories.”Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content "There only remains Ibn Kathir (A.D. 1373) among the old expositors who rejects the oldest traditions about the incident that took place between Muhammad and Zaynab. He does that without resorting to any modification or justification to his claim. He says, “Ibn Jarir and Ibn Hatim related many stories in this regard which we discard on the grounds of being incorrect.” Ibn Kathir, however, who contests the accuracy of those stories claiming that they are incorrect, finds no fault in citing a late tradition that says: “‘You kept to yourself what God had disclosed’ means that God told you, Muhammad, that Zaynab will be one of your wives and therefore you said to him ‘Hold on to your wife.’""CITATION MISSING.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content

The Wedding

"He married Zaynab ibn Jahsh ibn Riyab al-Asadiya. Her brother Abu Ahmed married her to him, and the apostle gave her 400 dirhams. She had been previously married to Zayd ibn Haritha, the freed slave of the apostle, and it was about her that God sent down: 'So when Zayd had done as he wished in divorcing her, We married her to you.'"^[45]

Muhammad married Zaynab in late March 627 when he was 55 and she was about 37.^[46]

Muhammad hosted for Zaynab the most lavish wedding banquet that he ever gave: he slaughtered a sheep and served a huge dish of date pudding. Seventy guests ate until they were stuffed and there was food left over.^[47]

For the wedding feast, Mohammed sacrificed a sheep and then commanded his servant, Anas, to invite the people to partake of it. After they had eaten, two men remained there after the meal chatting. The Messenger of Allah went out and said goodnight to his other wives and then came back and the two men were still there chatting, keeping Mohammed away from Zaynab’s bedchamber. The next day Allah sent a revelation that Muslims were not allowed to interrupt Mohammed at dinner time. Q33:53. O you who believe! Do not go into the Prophet’s rooms except after being given permission to come and eat, not waiting for the food to be prepared, However, when you are called, then go in and when you have eaten, then disperse, and do not remain wanting to chat together. If you do that, it causes injury to the Prophet though he is too reticent to tell you. But Allah is not reticent with the truth.

Two of the wedding guests sat around talking long after Muhammad gestured that the party was over. Allah sent down a revelation: “O Believers! Do not come to dinner in the Prophet’s houses without an invitation; do not arrive before the meal is ready, and do not sit around talking after you have eaten. This annoys the Prophet; he is too shy to ask you to leave, but Allah is not shy of telling the truth...”^[48]

Subsequent Career of Zayd

Zayd married Umm Kulthum bint Uqba al-Umayyiya, a woman even more aristocratic than Zaynab and twenty years younger. Muhammad ordered this marriage. She bore him his son Zayd and his daughter Ruqayya. Given the short duration of the marriage, they were probably twins. Some say he divorced her.

Zayd married Fakhita Durra bint Abi Lahab al-Hashimiya. He soon afterwards divorced her.

Zayd married Hind bint Al-Awwam al-Asadiya.

Zayd commanded the Muslim army at the Battle of Muta in 629 and was among the first to be killed there.

The Order of the Veil

When the guests at Zaynab’s wedding banquet finally left, Muhammad entered her house, but before his faithful page Anas had time to set foot across the threshold, Muhammad abruptly drew the curtain and proclaimed a revelation.^[49]

There must always be a curtain between Muhammad’s wives and all other men. If the women left the house, they must wear veils.^[50]

At this time Allah also sent down the revelation that no unrelated male could talk to Mohammed’s wives unless there was a curtain between them; Muslim women could not leave the house without their husbands’ permission, and they must wear a veil whenever they did go outdoors. When you ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a screen. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. It is not for you to cause injury to the Messenger of Allah nor ever to marry his wives after him. To do that would be something dreadful in the sight of Allah. Whether you make something known or conceal it, Allah has knowledge of all things. There is no blame on them regarding their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or their sisters’ sons or their women or those their right hands own. Have fear of Allah. Allah is witness over everything. Allah and His angels pray blessings of the Prophet. O you who believe! Pray blessings on him and ask for peace for him. (Q33:54-56)

Slaves were not sufficiently human to be separated from unrelated persons, but that changed if they were manumitted.

Nasa'i 100. Abu Abdullah Silim Sabalin reported. Aisha liked my honesty and hired me, and she showed me how the Messenger of Allah used to perform wudu. She rinsed her mouth, sniffed water into her nose and blew it out three times, and washed her face three times. Then she washed her right hand three times and her left hand three times. Then she put her hand on the front of her head and wiped her head once, front to back. Then she rubbed her ears with her hands, then she passed her hands over her cheeks. I came to her as a slave with a contract of manumission, and she did not hide herself from me. She would sit before me and talk to me, until I came to her one day and said: “Pray for blessing for me, O Mother of the Believers.” She said: “Why is that?” I said: “Allah has set me free.” She said: “May Allah bless you.” Then she lowered the veil in front of me, and I never saw her again after that day.

Omar went to spy on the outdoor toilets and he easily recognised Sawda because she was so tall. He shouted: “Caught you, Sawda! Anyone can recognise you – think of a new way to hide yourself when you go out.” Sawda complained to Muhammad, who produced a new revelation that gave his wives permission to go to the toilet.^[51]

Only women, close relatives and slaves might penetrate the curtain.^[52]

Muhammad warned the whole congregation that Allah did not accept the prayers of an unveiled woman.^[53]

Muslim men were warned not to harass the respectable veiled women whom they might meet around town: the implication was that unveiled women were fair game.^[54]

The final part of this revelation was that none of Mohammed’s widows would ever be allowed to remarry. Talha said: “Muhammad has made his women unlawful to us, and he marries our women. If Muhammad dies, I will also do what he does with our women.” At that moment this verse was revealed by the Almighty Allah: “And it does not behove you that you should give trouble to the Apostle of Allah, nor that you should marry his wives after him ever; surely this is grievous in the sight of Allah.”

Relationship with Muhammad

Mohammed had a private unit constructed following each wedding. This was a terrace of single-storey units that led to the courtyard of the mosque. On the upper end of one of these units a unique room, called a mashruba, was constructed, an upper storey that was accessible through a date-branch ladder. This was the room in which Zaynab processed leather. Omar speaks of three leather pieces and material used for adorning leather hanging on the walls of this room. It is mentioned in multiple narrations that Zaynab continued in this line of work after marrying Mohammed. Umm Salama also processed leather; however, it is not known whether she continued working after her marriage to Mohammed. There are numerous narrations about Zaynab’s work. She would spend her entire earnings on the needy, divorced and orphaned.

Zaynab was second to Ayesha in Muhammad's affection.^[55] Aisha said: “I think that after myself, the most beloved of his wives were Zaynab and Umm Salama.”

She was quick-tempered and devastatingly honest, but she was also quick to recover her good mood.^[56]

She had creative flair and had always earned her living as a tanner, leather-worker, bead-piercer and dressmaker.^[57] Umm Salama said: “The Prophet appreciated Zaynab bint Jahsh and spoke of her often; she was truly a righteous woman. She would fast much and wake up for night prayers. She was skillful and she would disburse the earnings from her work entirely to the needy.” In another narration it is said that: “Zaynab was a handcrafts artist; she would process leather, sew and spend in charity in the way of Allah.”

She sold her products and giving away all the profits to charity.^[58]

Jabir reported that Allah’s Messenger saw a woman, and so he came to his wife, Zaynab, as she was tanning a leather, and had sexual intercourse with her. He then went to his Companions and told them: “The woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil, so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.”^[59]

Muhammad looked through Zaynab's workroom door and frowned with disapproval when he saw that she was dyeing her clothes with red ochre. Zaynab understood the message, so she rinsed the garments until all the redness had run out.^[60]

Ibn Saad makes a curious reference to “Zaynab b Jahsh, whom people instigated and deprived from having relations with the Prophet.” The “instigation” is not expanded; it possibly refers to her quarrel with Mohammed over Safiya. We wonder who “instigated” her?

Zaynab had no children.

Co-Wives

Zaynab used to boast in front of her co-wives: “Your marriages were contracted by your families, but mine was contracted by Allah in the seven Heavens. I am closer kin to the Prophet than any of you, and my clan is the noblest of all the Quraysh.”^[61]

"Zaynab bint Jahsh was married to Mohammed’s adopted son, until Mohammed spoke the Sura that she was to divorce his son and marry Mohammed. Zaynab “used to boast before the other wives of the Prophet and used to say, ‘Allah married me (to the Prophet) in the Heavens.’”"^[62]

Hind’s stepmother was Zaynab’s aunt.^[63]

Aisha, Hafsah and Sawdah were a team, and so were Hind and Zaynab.^[64]

When the Muslims wanted to give a gift of luxury food to their Prophet, they would wait until Aisha’s rostered day and bring the present to her room. In a condition of scarcity, this favouritism was resented, and the wives sent Hind to plead that such gifts be shared out equally among all of them. Muhammad told Hind not to bother him about it, and she had to apologise for offending him. The wives then sent in Fatima, to whom Muhammad frankly admitted that Aisha was his favourite, so she ought to love Aisha too. Next the wives sent Zaynab, who spoke bluntly and directly before launching a barrage of verbal abuse at Aisha. Aisha retaliated with such deadly malice that in the end Zaynab was utterly silenced. Muhammad was proud of Aisha and declared: “She is truly the daughter of Abu Bakr!”^[65]

Muhammad did not believe that "equity" meant equal distributions of material goods. He made no attempt to distribute the food equally.

Abu Dawud 3:4880. Zaynab [verbally] abused Ayesha, so Mohammed told Ayesha to abuse her. “...The Apostle of Allah came upon me [Ayesha] while Zaynab bint Jahsh was with us. He began to do something with his hand. I signalled to him until I made him understand about her. So he stopped. Zaynab came on and began to abuse Ayesha. She prevented her, but she did not stop. So he (the Prophet) said to Ayesha: ‘Abuse her.’ Then she abused her and dominated her. Zaynab then went to Ali and said: ‘Ayesha abused you and did...’ (such and such). Then Fatima came (to the Prophet) and he said to her: ‘She is favourite of your father, by the Lord of the Kaaba!’ She then returned and said to them: ‘I said to him such and such, and he said to me such and such.’ Then Ali came to the Prophet and spoke to him about that.”^[66]

This is what we learn from the Perfect Example for Humanity.

1. It was all right to love one wife more than the others.

2. It was all right to give one wife more food than the others.

3. It was all right for the wives to divide into two factions and compete against one another. (Umm Salamah and Zaynab were step-cousins and would have been friends from childhood. Aisha chose her allies for their low-threat factor: she knew that Muhammad did not love Sawdah and that Safiyah did not love Muhammad.)

4. It was not all right for Umm Salamah to ask Muhammad to use his scales and treat them fairly. She had to apologise for suggesting it.

5. It was all right for Fatima to be part of the domestic politics in terms of female/female relationships.

6. It was not all right for Fatima to disagree with her father. Once he was involved, she had to agree with him.

7. It was all right for the wives to abuse one another verbally. Muhammad cheered when Aisha won.1234567 (talk) 03:23, 14 June 2012 (PDT)

When Aisha was accused of adultery, Muhammad asked Zaynab if she knew anything incriminating against Aisha. Zaynab told Muhammad: “I will not lie. I have not heard or seen anything bad about Aisha. By Allah, I know only good about her.”

Zaynab's sister was flogged.^[67]

Aisha afterwards respected Zaynab.^[68]

Zaynab played her cards cleverly: if Ayesha was found innocent, she would be grateful to Zaynab; and if Ayesha was condemned, nobody would accuse Zaynab of having engineered her demise.

Muhammad's favourite wives were Aisha, Zaynab, Hind and Hafsah, in that order.^[69]

"Aisha reported. The Prophet used to practice itikaf [retreat] in the last ten days of Ramadan and I used to pitch a tent for him, and after offering the morning prayer, he used to enter the tent. Hafsa asked my permission to pitch a tent for herself and I allowed her and she pitched her tent. When Zaynab bint Jahsh saw it, she pitched another tent. In the morning the Prophet noticed the tents. He said, ‘What is this?” He was told of the whole situation. Then the Prophet said, “Do you think that they intended to do righteousness by doing this?” He therefore abandoned the retreat in that month and practiced retreat for ten days in the month of Shawwal." CITATION MISSING.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content [Possibly 5ff February 628 but more likely 24ff January 629 or 3ff January 631 or 23ff December 631; not January 630 (because busy conquering Mecca).]

Islam

She was fervent in prayer. "It is related by Anas ibn Malik that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered the mosque and found a rope hanging down between two of the pillars, and so he said, “What is this?” He was told, “It is for Zaynab. She prays, and when she loses concentration or feels tired, she holds onto it.” At this time the Prophet said, “Untie it. Pray as long as you feel fresh, but when you lose concentration or become tired, you should stop.”" IBN KATHIR. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content

She was loyal to her family.

She was generous in charity. "Zaynab bint Jahsh was very generous to the poor, and indeed the Prophet said, when speaking of her to his other wives, “She is the most generous among you.”"

Widowhood

[When Muhammad was dying] Aisha narrated that the Prophet said to his wives, “The one who has the longest hands among you will meet me again the soonest.” Ayesha added, “They use to measure each other’s hands to see whose as longest, and it was the hand of Zaynab that was the longest, because she used to work by hand and give away (what she earned) in charity.” The Messenger of Allah said to Omar, “Zaynab bint Jahsh is one who is full of prayer.” A man said, “Messenger of Allah, what is that?” He said, “The one who is humble and earnest in prayer.” Ayesha also said that Zaynab, “I have never seen a woman so pure as Zaynab, so God-fearing, so truthful, so attentive to family ties, so generous, so self-sacrificing in everyday life, so charitable, and thus so close to Allah, the Exalted.”

Zaynab was about 42 when Muhammad died.

"When Omar was caliph (634-644), great wealth came to the Muslims as a result of their victories in fighting the Persians. The immense treasures of Chosroes, the Persian Emperor, fell into their hands, and when Omar sent Zaynab a pile of gold as her share of the treasure, she called her servant and told her to take a handful of it to so-and-so, naming one of the poor people of Medina. One after another, she named all the poor people whom she knew, until they had all received a share of the treasure. Then she told her maidservant to see what was left. All that remained of the large pile of gold was eighty dinars ($4000), and this she accepted as her share, thanking Allah for it; but, because she believed so much money was a temptation, she asked Allah that she would never witness such a large distribution of wealth again. By the time a year had passed, when Omar again came to distribute money amongst those wives of the Prophet who were still alive, her prayer had been granted, for she had already passed away. She was the first to demise among his widows."

Death

Zaynab died in summer 641, "thus fulfilling the Prophet’s indication that she would be the first of his wives to die after him."

"Zaynab bint Jahsh died when she was 53 years old."^[70]

Umar led her funeral, and her brother Abu Ahmed carried her into her grave. She was buried in the Celestial Cemetery.

Aisha wept when she heard the news, saying, “Zaynab was a good woman.” This reaction surprised the community, suggesting that it was widely known that the pair had never been friends.

See Also

References