Umm al-Mu'minin Zaynab was the daughter of Jahsh Ibn Rabab Ibn Ya'mur al­Asadi. Her mother was Umaymah the daughter of 'Abd al-Muttalib, the paternal aunt of the Messenger of God (S) and Salam, and her nickname was Umm al-Hakam. She accepted the Messenger of God's invitation to Islam during the first days of his invitation, and she followed him to al-Madinah when he migrated there.

The Messenger of God (S) changed her name from Barrah to Zaynab and asked for her hand in marriage for Zayd Ibn Harithah. However, Zaynab did not consider Zayd to be suitable. The Prophet (S) said, "I am pleased with this marriage." Then, this Qur'anic verse was revealed:

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَي اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْراً أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلاَلاً مُّبِينًا

“And it is not for any believer, man or woman, to have the choice in their affair when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger indeed he has strayed off a manifest straying.” (Surah Al-‘Ahzab, 33:36).

So, Zaynab had no choice and in the end the Messenger of God (S) wedded them in order to break the tradition1 which existed from before the advent of Islam.

After a while Zayd decided to divorce Zaynab. The Prophet (S) advised him to keep her and not get divorced. Then the following verse was revealed:

وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَي النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَاهُ

“And (remember) when you said to him on whom Allah had conferred favour (of faith) and you (too) had conferred favour (of freedom): ‘Keep your wife (in wedlock) and be in awe of Allah’, and you concealed within your self what Allah would bring to light, and you feared the people, and Allah had a greater right that you should fear Him…………” (Surah Al-‘Ahzab, 33:37).

However, since Zayd considered it to be more beneficial to Zaynab and himself to get separated, they were divorced. In accordance to the order of God and in order to break the tradition from the time of ignorance which considered the wife of an adopted son to be prohibited for marriage,2 the Prophet (S) married Zaynab after her waiting period had finished. This was based on a command in a verse from the Qur'an:

فَلَمَّا قَضَي زَيْدٌ مّـِنْهَا وَطَراً زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لاَ يَكُونَ عَلَي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَآئِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَراً وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولاً

“………But when Zayd had accomplished his concern with her (i.e., divorced her), we joined her in marriage to you, so that there should not be a difficulty for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons when they have accomplished their concerns with them (i.e., have divorced them), and the command of Allah shall be performed.” (Surah Al-‘Ahzab, 33:37).

Zayd asked for Zaynab's hand in marriage for the Messenger of God (S). She did not answer and only said, "l will wait for God's decision." Then, she went to her place of worship until the aforementioned verse was revealed. When she heard of the revelation of this verse she did prostration. Subsequently, the Messenger of God (S) married her towards the end of the year 5 A.H. after his marriage with Umm Salamah.

Her Merits

From what has been said it may be concluded that Zaynab Bint Jahsh was a faithful woman who submitted to the will of God. She obeyed God and His Messenger against her own wishes. One of her most important merits is the fact that God wed her to the Messenger of God (S) in the heavens. For this marriage the Prophet (S) gave a feast of meat and bread and invited everyone. Anas has said, "One of the miracles which I witnessed during the ten years when I served the Prophet (S) was the day when everyone ate from that food and still food remained."

Al-Tabarsi has written, "The wedding feast which the Messenger of God (S) gave for his marriage with Zaynab was unlike all of the other wedding feasts which he gave for his other wives.3

Zaynab was in the house with the Prophet (S) when the following verse was revealed:

يَآ أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا لاَ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيّ‌ِ إِلآَّ أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ اِلَي طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَكِنْ اِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَاِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانتَشِرُوا وَلاَ مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ

“O you who believe! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet for a meal without waiting for the proper time, unless permission be granted you. But when you are invited, enter, and, when your meal is ended, then disperse; neither lingering for conversation;…” (Surah Al-‘Ahzab, 33:53).

Ibn Sa'd based on his documents quotes Zaynab Bint Umm Salamah as saying, "I heard my mother Umm Salamah say about Zaynab Bint Jahsh, 'May God send His blessings upon her...' Then she told of what had passed between her and 'A'ishah. (This story has been eliminated to avoid lengthiness.) She continued, 'Zaynab said, 'I swear to God I am not like the other wives of the Prophet (S). Their elders had them married to the Messenger of God (S); but, God married me to His Prophet and revealed this verse about me which the Muslims read, and there is no change in it."'

Umm Salamah said, "Zaynab was a good woman who fasted, prayed, and gave a great deal of charity to the indigent. The Messenger of God (S) liked her very much."4

Ibn Sa'd writes in another report, "The Messenger of God (S) gave 80 camel loads of dates and 20 camel loads of barley or wheat to Zaynab Bint Jahsh from the Battle of Khaybar.5

The Messenger of God (S) told 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, "Truly, Zaynab Bint Jahsh is awwahah'." It was asked what he meant, and he answered, "She has humility and humbleness."6

Umm'l­Mu'minin Zaynab has related eleven traditions from the Messenger of God (S) and the al-Sihah al-Sittah have written her traditions.7

Zaynab had numerous merits to the point that 'A'ishah said about her, "May God send His blessings upon Zaynab Bint Jahsh. She reached to a degree of honor which no one else had. God wed His Prophet to her in this world and Qur'an is a witness to that. At the time when all of us wives of the Messenger of God (S) were around him he said, 'From among all of you the one whose hand is more outstretched (an expression meaning being generous) will meet with me sooner and she will be my wife in heaven.' The Prophet (S) had given her the good news that she would join him before all of the rest of us.8

'A'ishah has also said, "An honorable woman who was a shelter for the orphans and indigent has passed away."9 And, she said, "There is no woman as good as her in religion, purity, and piety before God; and, I have seen no one as honest as her in speech."

Zaynab was a patient and very generous woman to the needy. She fed the indigent with her own hands. She would tan leather, sell it, and give the money in charity. She also had other talents the revenue from which she would give to the poor. Even though she had a good income she left nothing behind in inheritance when she died since she had already given it all away to the indigent.

Therefore, Zaynab Bint Jahsh is an example of a woman who is both Muslim and a good believer who (using the talents that she had) worked, and had an income for herself which she never used to show off, and it didn't cause her to become conceited. Everything she earned she gave away in the cause of God, saved nothing for herself, and didn't buy gold or ornaments for herself.

Zaynab passed away in the year 20 or 21 A.H. during the reign of 'Umar Ibn al­Khattab when she was 53 years old10 and they built a coffin for her. Ibn al-Athir has written, "She was the first woman for whom they built a coffin."11

Nonetheless, this statement is not exact because for Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’s (S) death Asma' Bint 'Umays built the first coffin in al-Madinah for her. However, because she was buried overnight people did not see it. Zaynab was the first wife of the Messenger of God (S) to join him. 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab prayed over her and buried her in the Baqi' Cemetery. During her burial 'Umar wanted to enter the grave but the wives of the Prophet (S) said, "Someone can enter who is related to her." 'Umar was embarrassed by this saying and said, "You are right."

Shaykh al-Tusi, Ibn Hanbal, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Ibn al-Athir, and Ibn Hajar have listed her among the transmitters of traditions from the Messenger of God (S)12

'Allamah Mamqani has listed her among the transmitters of traditions and has written, "From the point of view of virtues, I consider her to be at the highest level, and God knows better."13

Shaykh Mahallati says, "It appears that Zaynab Bint Jahsh is the most superior of the women and the noblest of the wives of the Prophet (S) after Lady Khadijah al-Kubra, Umm Salamah, and Maymunah.14

She has related traditions from the Messenger of God (S).15

Umm Habibah Bint Abi Sufyan, Muhammad Ibn Jahsh (her nephew), Zaynab Bint Abi Salamah, Kulthum Ibn al-Mustalaq, her servant, and Qasim Ibn Abi Bakr have written traditions from her.16

Al-Tabarani based on his documents has related from Umm Habibah Bint Abi­Sufyan from Zaynab Bint Jahsh as saying, "The Messenger of God (S) entered while he was worried, and said, 'Woe on the Arabs from the evil which is approaching. The movement of Gog and Magog is starting today. Then, he made a circle with his thumb and pointing finger. Zaynab said, 'O Messenger of God, will we be annihilated while there are pious people amongst us?' He answered, 'Yes. If evil and vice increase, you will be annihilated.'"17

Al-Tabarani has related four similar traditions with a little variation. He also relates based on his documents from Zaynab Bint Umm Salamah as saying, "I entered upon Zaynab Bint Jahsh at the time when her brother had died. She wanted some perfume and said, "I have no need for perfume, but I heard the Prophet (S) say, 'For a woman who believes in God and the Judgment Day it is not permitted for her to mourn for more than three days for the deceased unless for a husband. For a husband the mourning period is four months and ten days."'18

• 1. Before the advent of Islam, it was customary for the Arabs to marry one from a family at their own level. The Messenger of God wed Zaynab Bint Jahsh, his cousin, to Zayd, his adopted son, whom he had freed from slavery, in order to break this custom.
• 2. During the Era of Ignorance (i.e., the pre-Islamic era) an adopted person was considered to be the adopter's own son. The Holy Prophet (S) by the command of God wanted to break this tradition and render it invalid. (Majma' al-Bayan, vol. 4, p. 360; al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 8, p. 103).
• 3. Majma' al-Bayan, vol. 4, p. 361.
• 4. Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 8, p. 103.
• 5. Ibid, p. 107.
• 6. Al-Isti'ab, vol. 4, p. 1852.
• 7. A'lam al-Nisa', vol. 2, p. 61; Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 12, 420.
• 8. Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra; vol. 8, p. 108; A'lam al-Nisa', vol. 2, p. 62.
• 9. Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 8, p. 110.
• 10. Al-Isti'ab, vol. 4, p. 185.
• 11. Usd al-Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 465.
• 12. Rijal al-Tusi, p. 32; al-Jami Fi’l-'Ilal..., p. 244; al-lsti 'ab, vol. 4, p. 1849; Usd al­Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 468; Al-Isabah, vol. 4, p. 310.
• 13. Tanqih al-Maqal, vol. 3, p. 78.
• 14. Rayahin al-Shari'ah, vol. 2, p. 336.
• 15. Al-Jami 'fi'l-'Ilal..., p. 244.
• 16. Tahdhib al-Kamal, p. 184.
• 17. Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, vol. 24, p. 51; Sahih-Bukhari, vol. 9, p. 60.
• 18. Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, vol. 24, p. 53.