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Zainab was her name, while Umm al-Hakam was her title. She was from the Quraishite clan of Asad bin Khuzaima and a daughter of Umaima bint Abdul Muttalib, who was one of the Prophet’s aunts. Thus she was a cousin of the Noble Prophet (Blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
She enjoyed the rare honour of being among those great souls who were first to respond to the newly emerging Faith of Islam. In the 13th year after the conferment of the Prophethood of our Noble Prophet (Blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), she migrated to Madinah with her family.
Zaid bin Haritha was a freed slave and the adopted son of the Noble Prophet (Blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Since he was very dear to the Noble Prophet and the ‘apple of his eye’, the Noble Prophet married Zainab to him.
Ibn Saad says that because of certain reasons. Zainab did not like the alliance and even before the solemnization of her marriage with Zaid, she said to the Prophet. “O Prophet! I don’t wish to be joined in marriage to Zaid.” But the Prophet thought that the alliance would ultimately work and would turn out to be good for them. Therefore, according to his wish, Zainab was married to Zaid. But the couple couldn’t make their marriage a success and, after about one year, Zaid complained to the Prophet: “O Prophet! Zainab behaves rudely with me. I want to divorce her.”
The Prophet explained to him that divorce is not desirable in the sight of Allah. On this occasion the following verse was revealed:
"Behold! You did say to one who had received the grace of Allah and your favour: “Retain you wife (in wedlock), and fear Allah.” (33: 37)
The couple was, however, not able to put up together and eventually the divorce followed.
When Zainab completed her waiting period after the divorce (iddah), the Prophet wanted to send to her his proposal for marriage. But the traces of the practices of the Days of Ignorance still survived among the Arabs. They considered the adopted son as their real biological one and regarded them as sons born to them. Zaid was the Prophet’s adopted son and was known as such among the people, who called him Zaid bin Muhammad.
In view of the objections of the common people, in general, and the apprehended scandal mongering by the hypocries, in particular, the Prophet hesitated to propose to Zainab. But Allah wanted to completely abolish all practices of the Days of Ignorance among the Muslim community. He (Allah Almighty) ,therefore, revealed the following verse:
“But you did hide in your heart that which Allah was about to make manifest: you did fear people, but it is more fitting that you should fear Allah.” (33: 37)
Allah warned the objectors and scandalmongers in stern and unequivocal terms:
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the seal of the Prophets.”
After this Allah ordered:
“Call them by after their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah. But if you know not their father’s names (then they are) your brothers in faith, or your friends. But there is no blame on you if you make a mistake therein: (what counts is) the intention of your hearts: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (33: 6)
There was now no obstacle left in the way of the fulfillment of Allah’s command. The Prophet entrusted Zaid, the very man who was so beloved to him and was previously Zainab’s husband, to convey his proposal to Zainab. Zaid went to Zainab’s place and said: “Zainab, the Prophet wants to marry you.” Zainab replied, “I shall pray Allah for His Guidance in this matter.” Saying this, she started praying. In the meantime Allah revealed the following verse to the Prophet:
“Then when Zaid dissolved (his marriage) with her, We joined in marriage to you, in order that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in (the matter of) marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have dissolved (their marriage) with them. And Allah’s command must be fulfilled.” (33: 37)
Thus, Allah Himself solemnized the marriage of Zainab to the Prophet through His revelation. After this, the Prophet went to Zainab’s house and entered without asking for her permission.
Zainab’s marriage was marked by many unique features. Some of them are:
The traditions of ignorance, that considered the adopted son as the real one was completely abolished with her marriage to the Noble Prophet.
The People were commanded not to attribute the parentage of any one to any person other than his real father. Allah himself married Zainab to the Prophet through a revelation. A very sumptuous banquet was given by the Noble Prophet on this occasion, which consisted of lamb’s meat, bread and a dessert sent by Umm Saleem. A large number of people partook of the feast.
The verse regarding the veil (Hijab) was revealed on this occasion. These were the unique features that prompted Zainab to claim a status equal to that of Lady Ayesha.
Zainab was a deeply religious, pious, devout and generous lady. The Prophet himself would mention such of her rare qualities as her extreme fear of Allah and the Hereafter. Ayesha used to say about her: “I have never seen a woman, as devout a worshipper as Zainab”.
Ibn Saad narrates that once the Prophet said to his wives:
“Among you, the one with the longest arms will be the first to meet me.”
By long arms, the Prophet meant generosity. Zainab was very munificent and magnanimous. Later her death proved the truth of the Prophet’s prediction, as she was the first among his wives to die after the Prophet. Zainab used to earn her living herself. She knew the art of leather tanning, and whatever she earned from it, she would give it away in the cause of Allah.
Omar bin al-Khattab had, during his caliphate, earmarked her allowance at 12000 dirhams. She used to distribute it among the poor and the needy. Once, after receiving the yearly allowance and distributing it among her poor relatives and distitutes, she prayed: “O Allah! Don’t give me this money again, for it turns out to be a trial for me.”
When Omar came to know about this, he said: “Zainab is really a very generous lady.”
Zainab died at the age of 53 years, in the 20th Hijra year. Her death caused great bereavement among the poor and the destitute of Madinah, because she was their patron and protectress.
After her death, she didn’t leave any heirloom other than her house. She had given everything away in the cause of Allah during her lifetime. Before her death, she made a will that her body be lifted on the coffin of the Prophet. Her will was fulfilled. It was a scorching hot day, so Omar bin al-Khattab had got a tent erected at the graveyard.
The funeral prayer was led by Omar bin al-Khattab himself; Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Jahsh, Osama bin Zaid, Abdullah bin Ahmad and Muhammad bin Talha lowered her coffin into the grave. On her death, Ayesha said: “That extremely virtuous and extraordinary lady has gone, leaving the destitute and widows hapless.
Zainab has narrated eleven sayings of the Prophet, in whose chain of narrators are Umm Habiba and Zainab bint Abi Salamah.
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