Marriage of Zainab bint Jahash (ra) – 5 A.H. — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 2
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Marriage of Zainab bint Jahash (ra) – 5 A.H..
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: IX – Repeated Treachery of the Jews, Compilation and Sequence of the Holy Qur’an, Marriage of Hadrat Zainab (ra), the Great Calumny and Mischief of the Hypocrites
Pages: Book pp. 406–411 (PDF pp. 430–435)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Famine in Makkah and Compassion of the Holy Prophet (sa) Towards the Quraish] | Next: [Revelation of Injunctions Regarding Pardah] »
Historical Account
family and a close relative of the Holy Prophetsa, while Zaidra was merely a freed slave and not her equal. Even in his own heart, Zaidra felt that his position was lesser than that of Zainabra. This feeling slowly and gradually became stronger making their marital life unpleasant, making husband and wife indisposed to one another. When this upsetting situation grew out of hand, Zaid bin Ḥārithahra presented himself before the Holy Prophetsa of his own accord, and complaining about the treatment of Zainabra, sought permission to divorce her. In another narration it is related that he complained that, “Zainab uses harsh tongue, and therefore, I wish to divorce her.” Naturally, the Holy Prophetsa was grieved upon hearing the state of affairs, and he restrained Zaidra from giving a divorce. Perhaps feeling that Zaidra could do more to fulfill his end, the Holy Prophetsa exhorted him saying, “Fear God, and settle your differences however you may.” These words of the Holy Prophetsa have been recorded by the Holy Qur’ān as well in the following words:
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tauḥīd, Bābu Wa Kāna ‘Arshuhū ‘Alal-Mā’i, Ḥadīth No. 7420]
[Fatḥul-Bārī Sharḥu Ṣaḥīḥil-Bukhārī, By Al-Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 8, p. 672, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Aḥzāb, Bābu Wa Tukhfī Fī Nafsika Mallāhu….., Ḥadīth No. 4787, Qadīmī Kutub Khānah, Ārām Bāgh, Karachi]
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tauḥīd, Bābu Wa Kāna ‘Arshuhū ‘Alal-Mā’i, Ḥadīth No. 7420 * Fatḥul-Bārī Sharḥu Ṣaḥīḥil-Bukhārī, By Al-Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 8, p. 672, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Aḥzāb, Bābu Wa Tukhfī Fī Nafsika Mallāhu….., Ḥadīth No. 4787, Qadīmī Kutub Khānah, Ārām Bāgh, Karachi * Lubābun-Nuqūli Fī Asbābin-Nuzūl, Imām Jalāluddīn As-Suyūṭī, p. 191, Sūratul-Aḥzāb, Under Verse]
“Do not divorce your wife, and fear God.”
[Al-Aḥzāb (33:38)]
The reason for this advice of the Holy Prophetsa was that firstly, in principle, the Holy Prophetsa disliked divorce. On one occasion, the Holy Prophetsa stated:
ُاَبْغَضُ الْحَ لَالِ اِلَی اللّٰهِ عَزَّ وَجَ لَّ الطَّلَاق
“Of all lawful things, divorce is most undesirable in the sight of God.”
[Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābuṭ-Ṭalāq, Bābu Fī Karāhiyyatiṭ-Ṭalāq, Ḥadīth No. 2178]
For this reason, it has only been permitted as a last resort. Secondly, as related by Imām Zainul-‘Ābidīn ‘Alī bin Ḥusainra, the son of Imām Ḥusainra (and Imām Zuhrī has declared this narration as being authentic), since the Holy Prophetsa knew by way of divine revelation that Zaid bin Ḥārithahra would ultimately divorce Zainabra, and then she would subsequently come into a matrimonial bond with the Holy Prophetsa, feeling that he had a personal connection in the matter, the Holy Prophetsa wished to remain absolutely unrelated and neutral. Moreover, from his own perspective, it was the utmost desire of the Holy Prophetsa that he should have no part in the dissolution of the marriage of Zaidra and Zainabra, and that they should continue living together for as long as possible. It was under this consideration that the Holy Prophetsa emphatically exhorted Zaidra not to give a divorce, fear God, and settle the differences between husband and wife in any way possible. Furthermore, the Holy Prophetsa also apprehended that if Zainabra was to marry the Holy Prophetsa after having separated from Zaidra, people would raise the allegation that the Holy Prophetsa had married the divorcee of his foster-son, and people would be put to trial. As such, Allāh the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’ān:
[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 4, p. 410, Zainab bint Jaḥsh Ummul-Mu’minīn, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Fatḥul-Bārī Sharḥu Ṣaḥīḥil-Bukhārī, By Al-Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 8, p. 672, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Aḥzāb, Bābu Wa Tukhfī Fī Nafsika Mallāhu….., Ḥadīth No. 4787, Qadīmī Kutub Khānah, Ārām Bāgh, Karachi]
“O Prophet! You had concealed in your heart what God was going to bring to light, and you were afraid on account of the people, whereas God has far greater right to be feared.”
[Al-Aḥzāb (33:38)]
In any case, the Holy Prophetsa admonished Zaidra to fear Allāh and held him back from giving a divorce. In light of this exhortation, Zaidra bowed his head in submission and silently returned. However, it was difficult for these distant personalities to come together, and what was not meant to be, remained as such. After some time, Zaidra gave a divorce. When the ‘Iddat of Zainabra had elapsed, the Holy Prophetsa received revelation again with respect
to her marriage, which instructed that the Holy Prophetsa should take her into a bond of matrimony himself. In this divine command, the wisdom was so that Zainabra could be comforted and so that it could be demonstrated that there was no disgrace in Muslim men marrying a divorced woman. Moreover, another wisdom was that since Zaidra was the foster-son of the Holy Prophetsa and was generally known as his son, by marrying his divorcee, a practical example could be demonstrated by the Holy Prophetsa before the Muslims that a foster-son is not a real son, nor do such injunctions apply to them, as are enforced upon biological sons. As a result, this ignorant Arabian custom could be completely expunged from among the Muslims. In this regard, the Holy Qur’ān, which is the most authentic of all historical records states:
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitābun-Nikāh, Bābu Ziwāji Zainab bint Jaḥsh….., Ḥadīth No. 3502]
“When Zaid dissolved his relationship with Zainab, We married her to you, so that there may be no hindrance for the believers with regard to the wives of their adopted sons, after their adopted sons dissolve their relationship with their wives. This is how it was decreed that the Will of God would come to pass.”
[Al-Aḥzāb (33:38)]
Therefore, after this divine revelation was sent down, which was absolutely free from the personal desire or thought of the Holy Prophetsa, he decided to marry Zainabra. The Holy Prophetsa sent his proposal to Zainabra through Zaidra himself. Upon the consent of Zainabra, her brother Abū Ahmad bin Jaḥashra served as her guardian and married her off to the Holy Prophetsa and the dowry was set at 400 dirhams. In this manner, the ancient tradition which was firmly rooted in the plains of Arabia, was uprooted at the very source and stem, and discarded by Islām through the personal example of the Holy Prophetsa.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitābun-Nikāh, Bābu Ziwāji Zainab bint Jaḥsh….., Ḥadīth No. 3502]
At this instance, it is also necessary to mention that historians and
Muḥaddithīn generally believe that since divine revelation had been sent down with respect to the marriage of Ḥaḍrat Zainabra and as this marriage took place due to special divine command, an actual ceremony of Nikāḥ did not take place. However, this notion is incorrect. Undoubtedly, this marriage took place in accordance with the command of God, and it can be said that this marriage was settled in the heavens, as it were. However, this cannot relieve a person from the practical application of the Sharī‘at, which is also instituted by God Himself. Hence, the reference of Ibni Hishām, which has been alluded to above, has explicitly stated that the actual ceremony of Nikāḥ did in fact take place and in this respect, the matter is clear and leaves no room for uncertainty or doubt. Moreover, as for the Ḥadīth which states that Ḥaḍrat Zainabra would express in a manner of pride to the other Ummahātul- Mu’minīn that their marriages were announced through their guardians on the earth, while her marriage was announced in the heavens, it is also false to deduce from this that the physical ceremony of her marriage did not take place. The reason being, that even in the case of an apparent ceremony, she maintains the distinction that her marriage was settled in the heavens under the special order of God, while the marriages of the other Ummahātul-Mu’minīn took place under normal circumstances, merely with an apparent ceremony having taken place. In another narration it is related that the Holy Prophetsa went to Zainabra without permission, and it is deduced from this as well, that a physical ceremony did not take place. However, if one reflects, this fact does not have any relation whatsoever with a physical ceremony being held or not. If it is inferred from this that the Holy Prophetsa went to the home of Ḥaḍrat Zainabra without permission, then this is incorrect and contrary to the facts, because an explicit narration in Bukhārī states that after their marriage, Zainabra was bid farewell from her home, and came to the home of the Holy Prophetsa, not vice versa. If, however, this narration is inferred to suggest that after her Rukhsatānah took place and she entered the home of the Holy Prophetsa, he went to her without any specific permission, this is nothing out of the ordinary and not at odds with general practice. After coming to the home of the Holy Prophetsa as his wife, it was obvious that the Holy Prophetsa would go to her, and no permission was required in this respect. Hence, the narration regarding the Holy Prophetsa not seeking permission, has no relation
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīr, Tafsīru Sūratil-Aḥzāb, Bābu Qaulihī Lā Tadkhulū Buyūtan- Nabiyyisa….., Ḥadīth No. 4791-4792]
whatsoever with the question as to whether a formal ceremony of Nikāḥ took place or not. The fact of the matter is that as Ibni Hishām has clearly related, despite divine command, a formal ceremony of Nikāḥ took place. Rationality also dictates that it occurred as such, because firstly, there was no reason for an exception to the general rule. Secondly, when the very objective of this marriage was to break a custom and remove its influence, it was required to an even greater degree that this marriage in particular take place with great proclamation and publicity.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 2)
Section: IX – Repeated Treachery of the Jews, Compilation and Sequence of the Holy Qur’an, Marriage of Hadrat Zainab (ra), the Great Calumny and Mischief of the Hypocrites | Navigation: « Previous: [Famine in Makkah and Compassion of the Holy Prophet (sa) Towards the Quraish] | Next: [Revelation of Injunctions Regarding Pardah] »