Search
Sections
< All Topics
Print

01. Hazrat Zainab Binte Rasool Allah ﷺ

ZAYNAB BINT RASOOLALLAH ﷺ

 

She was the oldest daughter of the Prophet. She was born after Qasim. When Zaynab was born, Allah’s Messenger was thirty years old – ten years before he was given Prophethood.


Her Marriage

 

When Zaynab was old enough for marriage, her cousin (son of her maternal aunt), Abu al-‘As ibn Rabee’ came forward, asking for her hand in marriage. He was very close to his aunt Khadeejah who treated him like her own son and showed love and compassion to him.

Abu al-‘As came forward and asked for Zaynab’s hand in marriage. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ received him well and listened to him attentively but he requested that he be allowed to ask the concerned person.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ visited his daughter Zaynab and told her, “Daughter, your cousin, Abu al-‘ As ibn Rabee’ is interested in you.”

Zaynab kept quiet out of shyness, and she did not utter a word. Her face became red … but beatings of her pure heart and her shutting of her eyes were the best answer.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled and did not repeat the question. He then went back to Abu al-‘As and gave him a congratulatory handshake and supplicated for blessings.

At their matrimonial home, Zaynab and her husband, Abu al ‘As enjoyed an extreme happiness and mutual love.

Abu al-‘As, being a trader and a well-placed person among his people, travelled a lot. He would be away in Syria for days and nights making his wife suffer the agony of separation.

One day, when Abu al-‘As was on one of his journeys, a great event happened: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was called to Prophethood and was commissioned to deliver a divine message. As did her mother and her sisters, she also followed her father and embraced Islam.

When her husband came back from his journey, she told him of what had happened while he was away. He also heard the same news from the people.


The Separation

 

Abu al-‘ As told his beloved wife, Zaynab, “By Allah, I have nothing against your father and nothing is dearer to me than following the same path with you, my dear. But I hate that people should say that I have disappointed my clan by disbelieving in the deities of my ancestors in order to please my wife. Can you please excuse me?” They then embraced each other. Suddenly, they separated as if a barrier had been erected between them.

On that night, none of them slept. Neither did they sleep on subsequent nights. The atmosphere of their household was filled with anxiety, sorrow and caution.

It should be noted here that this decision of Abu al-‘As to follow the path of his people was a product of haughtiness of the time of ignorance that had prevailed over many others like him. This arrogance was caused by tribalism and utter superciliousness.

When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Madinah, an envoy came and accompanied Zaynab’s two sisters, Umm Kulthoom and Fatima to Madeenah. Zaynab remained in her husband’s house waiting for Allah’s decision concerning her situation.

As Abul’as did not leave idolaters at first; he was caught as prisoner of war in the Battle of Badr, and when he was saved, he promised to send Zaynab to Madinah.

He told his wife, “Zaynab, I come here to bid you farewell.” And he told her of the pledge he had sworn to his father that he would sent her to him.

Zaynab reluctantly departed Makkah and bade Abu al-‘ As an emotional farewell.Zaynab went to Madinah but her husband, Abul ‘As, stayed in Makkah.

Abul ‘As was captured again as prisoner by Muslims but was freed because of Zaynab’s protection. When Abul ‘As was saved from being prisoner once again, and felt that he could attain security in Madeenah and that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had provided refuge and shelter to him, and he experienced the quality of magnanimity and truthfulness that Islam possessed, he realised that the blind state of ignorance in which he was living had misled for a long time.

When he realised all this, he wanted to enter into the fold of this pure religion willingly, not out of coercion. He wanted to proclaim his acceptance of Islam, but he confided it to himself that he would not allow his proclamation of Islam to be attributed to any influence or pressure. He would not want anyone in Makkah to claim that he accepted Islam for the love of this life and fear of death or anything.

He resolved to proclaim his Islam in the assemblies of Makkah and in front of all and sundry.

There was other issue that attracted his concern: He had properties of people in his trust. If he remained in Madeenah and announced his Islam there, people would say that he wanted to escape from giving the trusts to whom they were due. And this is what his sense of honour would not permit.

Therefore, he returned to Makkah, returned the trusts to whom they were due and then proclaimed his Islam in the assembly of Quraysh and in the presence of many people. He did so in a dignified and honoured manner. After that, he went to Madeenah as a Muslim and an immigrant.

He migrated to Madinah. As he became a Muslim, their marriage (his with Zaynab) was renewed. Abul ‘As behaved well toward Zaynab. For this reason, he earned the appreciation of the Prophet.

After reuniting with her husband, Zaynab could not live long, because of the complications of haemorrhage which she had been suffering from since her migration.

Abu al-‘ As shed hot tears because of her death and drove those who were around him to tears.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came with eyes, full of tears and a heart full of sorrow. Zaynab’s death reminded him of the death of his wife, Khadeejah.

He told the women, who gathered around Zaynab’s corpse, “Wash her three times and use the camphor in the third wash.”

He performed funeral prayers on her and followed her final resting place.

May Allah be pleased with Zaynab, the Prophet’s daughter! May He reward her with Paradise for her patience, endurance and struggle!



Source:
https://learn-islam.org/

 

 

 

Table of Contents