ZAINAB BINT JAHSH

Here we shall mention another Zainab, whose affair was not cruel but scandalous.  She was the wife of Muhammad�s adopted son, Zaid, and therefore, in the eyes of the Arabs, as good as his own daughter-in-law.  Muhammad went to her house when her husband was away, saw her in a state of seminudeness, and was aroused.  When Zaid heard about it, he offered to divorce her, but Muhammad, fearing a public scandal, told him to keep his wife for himself.  At this point Allah spoke and decided the matter (QurAn 33:36-40).  He chided Muhammad for telling Zaid, �Retain thou in wedlock thy wife,� and for hiding in his heart �that which God was about to make manifest.� Allah told Muhammad: �Thou feared the people, but it is more fitting that thou should fear God�; and He revealed His plan, present and future, to Muhammad thus: �We joined her in marriage to thee, 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.� He now also addressed Himself to the Muslims of all generations: �It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by God and His Apostle to have any option about their decision.  If anyone disobeys God and His Apostle, he is indeed clearly on a wrong path.�

Thus reassured, Muhammad made Zaid himself go to his wife with his marriage proposal.  �Allah�s Messenger said to Zaid to make a mention to her about him� (3330).  The marriage ordered from above was celebrated with unusual festivity.  �Allah�s Messenger gave no better wedding feast than the one he did on the occasion of his marriage with Zainab� (3332).

author : ram swarup