User:1234567/Sandbox 4 - Revision history

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	There is no evidence that Medina was suddenly swamped by desperate widows; it is even claimed that only thirty of the dead men had been married,<ref></ref> suggesting that many bachelors would also have survived the battle. Hamnah had barely completed her ''idda'' before she was remarried to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah,<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170.</ref> a wealthy<ref></ref> thirty-year-old<ref></ref> bachelor who was kin to Abu Bakr.<ref></ref> Hamza’s widow returned to Mecca, where she also found a new husband.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:199.</ref> But Abdullah’s widow never remarried; she had a bleeding disorder that raised doubts about her ritual cleanness, i.e., availability for sex.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:173. Fatima bint Abi Hubaysh and her sister-in-law Habibah bint Jahsh appear to have suffered from a similar gynaecological disorder.</ref>		There is no evidence that Medina was suddenly swamped by desperate widows; it is even claimed that only thirty of the dead men had been married,<ref></ref> suggesting that many bachelors would also have survived the battle. Hamnah had barely completed her ''idda'' before she was remarried to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah,<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170.</ref> a wealthy<ref></ref> thirty-year-old<ref></ref> bachelor who was kin to Abu Bakr.<ref></ref> Hamza’s widow returned to Mecca, where she also found a new husband.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:199.</ref> But Abdullah’s widow never remarried; she had a bleeding disorder that raised doubts about her ritual cleanness, i.e., availability for sex.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:173. Fatima bint Abi Hubaysh and her sister-in-law Habibah bint Jahsh appear to have suffered from a similar gynaecological disorder.</ref>

			===See Also===

			===References===
			{{reflist}}

1234567 at 03:01, 28 June 2013

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1234567 at 06:12, 26 June 2013

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	Zaynab’s grandfather was Riyab ibn Yaamur, a Bedouin from the tribe of Asad ibn Khuzayma.<ref>Note. The Asad ibn Khuzayma tribe should not be confused with the Asad clan of the Quraysh. The latter were a single family who lived in Mecca, i.e., the descendants of Asad ibn Abduluzza, of whom Khadijah was one.</ref> He immigrated to [[Mecca]] and requested an alliance with the Quraysh, apparently because he desired their assistance in a quarrel with the Khuza’a tribe. [[Khadijah bint Khuwaylid\|Khadijah’s]] grandfather, Asad ibn Abduluzza, responded “and he gladly joined them as ''hali'' [ally on equal terms].” But the Meccans later told him that Asad’s family were “a wretched branch of the Quraysh.” Riyab then broke this alliance and formed one with the Umayya, who were the most powerful clan in Mecca.<ref>Kister, M. J. (1990). On Strangers and Allies in Mecca. ''Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 13'', 113-154.</ref> Thereafter Riyab’s children and grandchildren were regarded as honorary Umayyads.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170-172 lists members of Riyab’s clan who lived in Mecca. Some were his biological family but others may have been more loosely attached.</ref>		Zaynab’s grandfather was Riyab ibn Yaamur, a Bedouin from the tribe of Asad ibn Khuzayma.<ref>Note. The Asad ibn Khuzayma tribe should not be confused with the Asad clan of the Quraysh. The latter were a single family who lived in Mecca, i.e., the descendants of Asad ibn Abduluzza, of whom Khadijah was one.</ref> He immigrated to [[Mecca]] and requested an alliance with the Quraysh, apparently because he desired their assistance in a quarrel with the Khuza’a tribe. [[Khadijah bint Khuwaylid\|Khadijah’s]] grandfather, Asad ibn Abduluzza, responded “and he gladly joined them as ''hali'' [ally on equal terms].” But the Meccans later told him that Asad’s family were “a wretched branch of the Quraysh.” Riyab then broke this alliance and formed one with the Umayya, who were the most powerful clan in Mecca.<ref>Kister, M. J. (1990). On Strangers and Allies in Mecca. ''Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 13'', 113-154.</ref> Thereafter Riyab’s children and grandchildren were regarded as honorary Umayyads.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170-172 lists members of Riyab’s clan who lived in Mecca. Some were his biological family but others may have been more loosely attached.</ref>

	Riyab’s son Jahsh married Umama (or Umayma) bint Abdulmuttalib, who was Muhammad’s aunt;<ref>Tabari 39:180.</ref> hence their six children were Muhammad’s first cousins. Zaynab was born c. 590;<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 182}}.</ref> her sisters were Habibah (or Umm Habib) and Hamnah, but their birth-order is unknown. Some early sources claimed that Zaynab had only one sister, i.e., that “Umm Habib” was the ''kunya'' of Hamnah; but Ibn Ishaq makes it clear that they were indeed two people,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 522-523.</ref> and Ibn Saad presents their separate biographies.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170-171. It can only be speculated that, as Zaynab was the only one who did not marry a Muslim, hence was probably the only one who married before Islam, she may have been the eldest of the three. Hamnah married twice, both times to men who were some years younger than Zaynab and her brothers, suggesting that she was the youngest of the six.</ref> Her eldest brother, Abd, was always known as an adult by his ''kunya'' Abu Ahmad.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> He was born blind but “he used to go all round Mecca from top to bottom without anyone to lead him. He was a poet.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> The second brother was Abdullah and the third was Ubaydullah.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99, 116.</ref>		Riyab’s son Jahsh married Umama (or Umayma) bint Abdulmuttalib, who was Muhammad’s aunt;<ref>Tabari 39:180.</ref> hence their six children were Muhammad’s first cousins. Zaynab was born c. 590;<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 182}}.</ref> her sisters were Habibah (or Umm Habib) and Hamnah, but their birth-order is unknown. Some early sources claimed that Zaynab had only one sister, i.e., that “Umm Habib” was the ''kunya'' of Hamnah; but [[Ibn Ishaq]] makes it clear that they were indeed two people,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 522-523.</ref> and Ibn Saad presents their separate biographies.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170-171. It can only be speculated that, as Zaynab was the only one who did not marry a Muslim, hence was probably the only one who married before Islam, she may have been the eldest of the three. Hamnah married twice, both times to men who were some years younger than Zaynab and her brothers, suggesting that she was the youngest of the six.</ref> Her eldest brother, Abd, was always known as an adult by his ''kunya'' Abu Ahmad.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> He was born blind but “he used to go all round Mecca from top to bottom without anyone to lead him. He was a poet.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> The second brother was Abdullah and the third was Ubaydullah.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99, 116.</ref>

	It is possible that Zaynab remembered Muhammad’s wedding to Khadijah, which took place when she was about five years old.<ref>{{Tabari\|6\|p. 47}}.</ref> As an honorary Umayyad, she would have socialised with the Meccan aristocracy. She ~~was probably acquainted with her future co-wife, Hind bint Abi Umayya, whose stepmother was Zaynab’s aunt; however, Hind was about seven years younger. Zaynab~~ was about fifteen when the [[Ka'aba]] was damaged by floods and had to be repaired. This re-housing of the idols seems to have made a deep impression on her brother Ubaydullah, for he then decided that the [[Black Stone]] was useless “for it can neither see nor hear nor hurt nor help.” He declared that he believed in only one God and set out on a quest to discover the true religion.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 98-99.</ref> He came under the influence of the monotheist Zayd ibn Amr, whose outspoken opinions on the Arabian gods made him so unpopular in Mecca that his family drove him out of the town proper into the mountains. Zayd journeyed to Syria and Mesopotamia, questioning monks and rabbis about the religion of Abraham. On his return to Mecca, before he could enter the city, he was attacked and murdered by some unknown persons.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 102-103. Ibn Ishaq also states that Zayd met in Syria a monk who told him that a prophet would soon arise in his own country, and that Zayd was returning home in order to meet that prophet. But it is difficult to discern how this could have been known to anyone in Mecca, since Zayd did not have the opportunity to talk about his travels before he was murdered.</ref> Ubaydullah was not discouraged but “went on searching until Islam came.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99.</ref>		It is possible that Zaynab remembered Muhammad’s wedding to Khadijah, which took place when she was about five years old.<ref>{{Tabari\|6\|p. 47}}.</ref> As an honorary Umayyad, she would have socialised with the Meccan aristocracy. She was about fifteen when the [[Ka'aba]] was damaged by floods and had to be repaired. This re-housing of the idols seems to have made a deep impression on her brother Ubaydullah, for he then decided that the [[Black Stone]] was useless “for it can neither see nor hear nor hurt nor help.” He declared that he believed in only one God and set out on a quest to discover the true religion.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 98-99.</ref> He came under the influence of the monotheist Zayd ibn Amr, whose outspoken opinions on the Arabian gods made him so unpopular in Mecca that his family drove him out of the town proper into the mountains. Zayd journeyed to Syria and Mesopotamia, questioning monks and rabbis about the religion of Abraham. On his return to Mecca, before he could enter the city, he was attacked and murdered by some unknown persons.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 102-103. Ibn Ishaq also states that Zayd met in Syria a monk who told him that a prophet would soon arise in his own country, and that Zayd was returning home in order to meet that prophet. But it is difficult to discern how this could have been known to anyone in Mecca, since Zayd did not have the opportunity to talk about his travels before he was murdered.</ref> Ubaydullah was not discouraged but “went on searching until Islam came.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99.</ref>

	===First Marriage===		===First Marriage===
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	Zaynab’s eldest brother married Abu Sufyan’s daughter Al-Faraa,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> and Ubaydullah married his daughter Ramlah.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99.</ref> As far as we know, Abu Sufyan did not arrange a marriage for the middle brother Abdullah.		Zaynab’s eldest brother married Abu Sufyan’s daughter Al-Faraa,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> and Ubaydullah married his daughter Ramlah.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99.</ref> As far as we know, Abu Sufyan did not arrange a marriage for the middle brother Abdullah.

	Zaynab was also married in Mecca. It seems likely that her bridegroom was approved, or even chosen, by Abu Sufyan~~, and that he was a person deemed suitable to marry into the family favoured by the Umayyads~~. However, almost nothing is known about this man. Zaynab once reminded Muhammad that her husband had been a Quraysh in order to emphasise his high social status.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:72; {{Tabari\|39\|p. 180}}: “''Zaynab bint Jahsh ... said, ‘O Messenger of God … I am a widow of the Quraysh.’''” Strictly speaking, these words do not even prove ''how many'' husbands Zaynab had already had; it is in theory possible that she was married more than once. To be parsimonious, however, we shall here assume that there was only one husband.</ref> If he had been from the leading clans of Umayya, Makhzum or even Hashim, she would certainly have mentioned it; since she did not, he must have been from a humbler clan. But every Quraysh was deemed of higher social status than every other person in Mecca.<ref>{{Tabari\|6\|pp. 20-21, 29-31}}.</ref>		Zaynab was also married in Mecca. It seems likely that her bridegroom was approved, or even chosen, by Abu Sufyan. However, almost nothing is known about this man. Zaynab once reminded Muhammad that her husband had been a Quraysh in order to emphasise his high social status.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:72; {{Tabari\|39\|p. 180}}: “''Zaynab bint Jahsh ... said, ‘O Messenger of God … I am a widow of the Quraysh.’''” Strictly speaking, these words do not even prove ''how many'' husbands Zaynab had already had; it is in theory possible that she was married more than once. To be parsimonious, however, we shall here assume that there was only one husband.</ref> If he had been from the leading clans of Umayya, Makhzum or even Hashim, she would certainly have mentioned it; since she did not, he must have been from a humbler clan. But every Quraysh was deemed of higher social status than every other person in Mecca.<ref>{{Tabari\|6\|pp. 20-21, 29-31}}.</ref>

	Her husband’s anonymity is curious. All the previous husbands of Muhammad’s other wives are carefully listed in their biographies. The lists include some men who were Muslim heroes, others who were considered enemies of Islam, and others again who were of no great importance.<ref>Ibn Hisham note 918; {{Tabari\|9\|pp. 127-135}}; {{Tabari\|39\|pp. 163-165, 169-186}}.</ref> The historians were very obviously not excluding information that was somehow “embarrassing,” so this cannot be the reason why Zaynab’s first husband is missing from the list. It is more likely to be a simple case of the information’s having been lost by the time the ''ahadith'' were committed to writing. It is easy enough to imagine reasons why Zaynab might not have talked very much about her husband. Perhaps she loved him so much or hated him so much that she could not bear to speak about him; perhaps the marriage was so short-lived, or he spent so much of it travelling away from home, or his personality was so quiet or so bland that he made very little impression on her. But Zaynab is not the only silent person here. Other Muslims must have known her first husband: her siblings, their numerous Hashimite cousins, their honorary Umayyad kin, any number of their friends from Mecca. Yet none of them passed on any tradition about him, and his name is forgotten.		Her husband’s anonymity is curious. All the previous husbands of Muhammad’s other wives are carefully listed in their biographies. The lists include some men who were Muslim heroes, others who were considered enemies of Islam, and others again who were of no great importance.<ref>Ibn Hisham note 918; {{Tabari\|9\|pp. 127-135}}; {{Tabari\|39\|pp. 163-165, 169-186}}.</ref> The historians were very obviously not excluding information that was somehow “embarrassing,” so this cannot be the reason why Zaynab’s first husband is missing from the list. It is more likely to be a simple case of the information’s having been lost by the time the ''ahadith'' were committed to writing. It is easy enough to imagine reasons why Zaynab might not have talked very much about her husband. Perhaps she loved him so much or hated him so much that she could not bear to speak about him; perhaps the marriage was so short-lived, or he spent so much of it travelling away from home, or his personality was so quiet or so bland that he made very little impression on her. But Zaynab is not the only silent person here. Other Muslims must have known her first husband: her siblings, their numerous Hashimite cousins, their honorary Umayyad kin, any number of their friends from Mecca. Yet none of them passed on any tradition about him, and his name is forgotten.
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	We can take two educated guesses about Zaynab’s married life. Firstly, she was a skilled craftswoman. She knew how to tan leather,<ref>{{Muslim\|8\|3240}}.</ref> dye cloth<ref>{{Abudawud\|32\|4060}}.</ref> and sew textiles and leather to make clothes and sew other household items.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:74, 77.</ref> There is no indication that any other member of the Jahsh family had these skills, and she certainly did not grow up with the economic need to learn a trade. So it is reasonable to infer that Zaynab’s first husband was from one of Mecca’s many leather-working families<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 150-151.</ref> and that she learned her skills from them. Since she continued with this work all her life, whether there was an economic need for it or not,<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:74, 77.</ref> she must have enjoyed it. This suggests that the everyday-labour aspect of her first marriage was happy.		We can take two educated guesses about Zaynab’s married life. Firstly, she was a skilled craftswoman. She knew how to tan leather,<ref>{{Muslim\|8\|3240}}.</ref> dye cloth<ref>{{Abudawud\|32\|4060}}.</ref> and sew textiles and leather to make clothes and sew other household items.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:74, 77.</ref> There is no indication that any other member of the Jahsh family had these skills, and she certainly did not grow up with the economic need to learn a trade. So it is reasonable to infer that Zaynab’s first husband was from one of Mecca’s many leather-working families<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 150-151.</ref> and that she learned her skills from them. Since she continued with this work all her life, whether there was an economic need for it or not,<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:74, 77.</ref> she must have enjoyed it. This suggests that the everyday-labour aspect of her first marriage was happy.

	Secondly, it appears that she had a child. She was occasionally known as ''Umm al-Hakam'',<ref>[http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-1/zainab-bint-djahsh-SIM_6058/ Vacca, V. (2013). “Zainab bint Djahsh" in ''Encyclopaedia of Islam. First Edition (1913-1936)''. Brill Online, 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.]: “her ''kunya'' was Umm al-Hakam and her name had been Barra."</ref> which literally means “Mother of the Judge”. There is nothing in her biography that indicates she had any kind of legal expertise or even that she was consulted for her general wisdom. It is therefore most likely that ''Umm al-Hakam'' was not a by-name but a literal ''kunya'' and that Zaynab gave birth to an actual child named Al-Hakam. This child is never otherwise mentioned, so he probably died in infancy. It is unlikely that Zaynab had any further children; she certainly had none who survived and none by her subsequent husbands.<ref>{{Tabari\|9\|p. 134}}; {{Tabari\|39\|p. 161}}.</ref> ~~Although the reason for her~~ secondary infertility ~~cannot be known, a modern doctor would suspect~~ a hereditary condition ~~such as Rhesus incompatibility~~,<ref>[http://umm.edu/health/medical/pregnancy/specialcare-pregnancies/blood-group-rh-incompatibility/ “Blood Group (Rh) Incompatibility” in ''University of Maryland Medical Center''] explains why a woman with Rhesus negative blood (living without modern medicine) would typically produce one healthy child but then deliver no subsequent children alive. [http://www.rhnegativeregistry.com/rh_negative_rare_and_basic_blood_types.html/ “Blood Type and Rh-Negative 101” in ''The Rh-Negative Registry'' explains the hereditary pattern.</ref> for her sister Habibah was also childless.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:171.</ref>		Secondly, it appears that she had a child. She was occasionally known as ''Umm al-Hakam'',<ref>[http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-1/zainab-bint-djahsh-SIM_6058/ Vacca, V. (2013). “Zainab bint Djahsh" in ''Encyclopaedia of Islam. First Edition (1913-1936)''. Brill Online, 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.]: “her ''kunya'' was Umm al-Hakam and her name had been Barra."</ref> which literally means “Mother of the Judge”. There is nothing in her biography that indicates she had any kind of legal expertise or even that she was consulted for her general wisdom. It is therefore most likely that ''Umm al-Hakam'' was not a by-name but a literal ''kunya'' and that Zaynab gave birth to an actual child named Al-Hakam. This child is never otherwise mentioned, so he probably died in infancy. It is unlikely that Zaynab had any further children; she certainly had none who survived and none by her subsequent husbands.<ref>{{Tabari\|9\|p. 134}}; {{Tabari\|39\|p. 161}}.</ref> This secondary infertility was possibly due to a hereditary condition, for her sister Habibah was also childless.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:171.</ref>

	===Islam===		===Islam===

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Conversion

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	Zaynab was about twenty years old when her cousin Muhammad declared himself a prophet.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 104.</ref> Another cousin, Abu Salama ibn Abdulasad, was among the earliest converts to Islam.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> Her brothers Abu Ahmad and Abdullah came under the influence of Abu Bakr and were converted slightly later, perhaps in 612. No other family member is on the list of “those who accepted Islam at Abu Bakr’s invitation,”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> so some other missionary – perhaps Abu Ahmad or Abdullah – must have been responsible for the conversions of Jahsh ibn Riyab and his other children.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 146, 215; {{Tabari\|39\|180}}.</ref> Zaynab’s mother, Umama, did not become a Muslim.<ref>The biographies of Abdulmuttalib’s six daughters in Bewley/Saad 8:29 state that Safiya, Arwa and Atiqa became Muslims but say nothing about Umm Hakim, Barrah or Umama. {{Tabari\|39\|p. 198}} explains that Umm Hakim died before Islam; however, Umama was still alive in 628 (Bewley/Saad 8:33).</ref> While the lists specifically mention those men whose widows later married Muhammad,<ref></ref> there is no such notice about Zaynab, so her husband probably remained a pagan.		Zaynab was about twenty years old when her cousin Muhammad declared himself a prophet.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 104.</ref> Another cousin, Abu Salama ibn Abdulasad, was among the earliest converts to Islam.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> Her brothers Abu Ahmad and Abdullah came under the influence of Abu Bakr and were converted slightly later, perhaps in 612. No other family member is on the list of “those who accepted Islam at Abu Bakr’s invitation,”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> so some other missionary – perhaps Abu Ahmad or Abdullah – must have been responsible for the conversions of Jahsh ibn Riyab and his other children.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 146, 215; {{Tabari\|39\|180}}.</ref> Zaynab’s mother, Umama, did not become a Muslim.<ref>The biographies of Abdulmuttalib’s six daughters in Bewley/Saad 8:29 state that Safiya, Arwa and Atiqa became Muslims but say nothing about Umm Hakim, Barrah or Umama. {{Tabari\|39\|p. 198}} explains that Umm Hakim died before Islam; however, Umama was still alive in 628 (Bewley/Saad 8:33).</ref> While the convert-lists specifically mention those men whose widows later married Muhammad,<ref></ref> there is no such notice about Zaynab, so her husband probably remained a pagan.

	Zaynab’s single siblings soon married into the small Muslim community. Abdullah married the Hilal widow Zaynab bint Khuzayma, “Mother of the Poor,” although this marriage ended in divorce.<ref></ref> Habibah married the newly divorced<ref></ref> Abdulrahman ibn Awf,<ref></ref> a wealthy merchant<ref></ref> who was related to Muhammad’s mother.<ref></ref> Hamnah married Masood ibn Umayr,<ref></ref> a blue-eyed<ref></ref> rich boy<ref></ref> from the Abduldar clan.<ref></ref> Abu Sufyan’s daughters, the wives of Abu Ahmad~~<ref></ref>~~ and Ubaydullah,~~<ref></ref>~~ also became Muslims;<ref></ref> ~~but the lists of early converts do not include anyone who could have plausibly been Zaynab’s husband.~~		Zaynab’s single siblings soon married into the small Muslim community. Abdullah married the Hilal widow Zaynab bint Khuzayma, “Mother of the Poor,” although this marriage ended in divorce.<ref></ref> Habibah married the newly divorced<ref></ref> Abdulrahman ibn Awf,<ref></ref> a wealthy merchant<ref></ref> who was related to Muhammad’s mother.<ref></ref> Hamnah married Masood ibn Umayr,<ref></ref> a blue-eyed<ref></ref> rich boy<ref></ref> from the Abduldar clan.<ref></ref> Abu Sufyan’s daughters, the wives of Abu Ahmad and Ubaydullah, also became Muslims.<ref></ref>

	====The Persecution====		====The Persecution====

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Conversion

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	Zaynab was about twenty years old when her cousin Muhammad declared himself a prophet.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 104.</ref> Another cousin, Abu Salama ibn Abdulasad, was among the earliest converts to Islam.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> Her brothers Abu Ahmad and Abdullah came under the influence of Abu Bakr and were converted slightly later, perhaps in 612. No other family member is on the list of “those who accepted Islam at Abu Bakr’s invitation,”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> so some other missionary – perhaps Abu Ahmad or Abdullah – must have been responsible for the conversions of Riyab and his other children.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 146, 215; {{Tabari\|39\|180}}.</ref> Zaynab’s mother, Umama, did not become a Muslim.<ref>The biographies of Abdulmuttalib’s six daughters in Bewley/Saad 8:29 state that Safiya, Arwa and Atiqa became Muslims but say nothing about Umm Hakim, Barrah or Umama. {{Tabari\|39\|p. 198}} explains that Umm Hakim died before Islam; however, Umama was still alive in 628 (Bewley/Saad 8:33).</ref> While the lists specifically mention those men whose widows later married Muhammad,<ref></ref> there is no such notice about Zaynab, so her husband probably remained a pagan.		Zaynab was about twenty years old when her cousin Muhammad declared himself a prophet.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 104.</ref> Another cousin, Abu Salama ibn Abdulasad, was among the earliest converts to Islam.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> Her brothers Abu Ahmad and Abdullah came under the influence of Abu Bakr and were converted slightly later, perhaps in 612. No other family member is on the list of “those who accepted Islam at Abu Bakr’s invitation,”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 116.</ref> so some other missionary – perhaps Abu Ahmad or Abdullah – must have been responsible for the conversions of Jahsh ibn Riyab and his other children.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 146, 215; {{Tabari\|39\|180}}.</ref> Zaynab’s mother, Umama, did not become a Muslim.<ref>The biographies of Abdulmuttalib’s six daughters in Bewley/Saad 8:29 state that Safiya, Arwa and Atiqa became Muslims but say nothing about Umm Hakim, Barrah or Umama. {{Tabari\|39\|p. 198}} explains that Umm Hakim died before Islam; however, Umama was still alive in 628 (Bewley/Saad 8:33).</ref> While the lists specifically mention those men whose widows later married Muhammad,<ref></ref> there is no such notice about Zaynab, so her husband probably remained a pagan.

	Zaynab’s single siblings soon married into the small Muslim community. Abdullah married the Hilal widow Zaynab bint Khuzayma, “Mother of the Poor,” although this marriage ended in divorce.<ref></ref> Habibah married the newly divorced<ref></ref> Abdulrahman ibn Awf,<ref></ref> a wealthy merchant<ref></ref> who was related to Muhammad’s mother.<ref></ref> Hamnah married Masood ibn Umayr,<ref></ref> a blue-eyed<ref></ref> rich boy<ref></ref> from the Abduldar clan.<ref></ref> Abu Sufyan’s daughters, the wives of Abu Ahmad<ref></ref> and Ubaydullah,<ref></ref> also became Muslims;<ref></ref> but the lists of early converts do not include anyone who could have plausibly been Zaynab’s husband.		Zaynab’s single siblings soon married into the small Muslim community. Abdullah married the Hilal widow Zaynab bint Khuzayma, “Mother of the Poor,” although this marriage ended in divorce.<ref></ref> Habibah married the newly divorced<ref></ref> Abdulrahman ibn Awf,<ref></ref> a wealthy merchant<ref></ref> who was related to Muhammad’s mother.<ref></ref> Hamnah married Masood ibn Umayr,<ref></ref> a blue-eyed<ref></ref> rich boy<ref></ref> from the Abduldar clan.<ref></ref> Abu Sufyan’s daughters, the wives of Abu Ahmad<ref></ref> and Ubaydullah,<ref></ref> also became Muslims;<ref></ref> but the lists of early converts do not include anyone who could have plausibly been Zaynab’s husband.

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Background

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	Riyab’s son Jahsh married Umama (or Umayma) bint Abdulmuttalib, who was Muhammad’s aunt;<ref>Tabari 39:180.</ref> hence their six children were Muhammad’s first cousins. Zaynab was born c. 590;<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 182}}.</ref> her sisters were Habibah (or Umm Habib) and Hamnah, but their birth-order is unknown. Some early sources claimed that Zaynab had only one sister, i.e., that “Umm Habib” was the ''kunya'' of Hamnah; but Ibn Ishaq makes it clear that they were indeed two people,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 522-523.</ref> and Ibn Saad presents their separate biographies.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170-171. It can only be speculated that, as Zaynab was the only one who did not marry a Muslim, hence was probably the only one who married before Islam, she may have been the eldest of the three. Hamnah married twice, both times to men who were some years younger than Zaynab and her brothers, suggesting that she was the youngest of the six.</ref> Her eldest brother, Abd, was always known as an adult by his ''kunya'' Abu Ahmad.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> He was born blind but “he used to go all round Mecca from top to bottom without anyone to lead him. He was a poet.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> The second brother was Abdullah and the third was Ubaydullah.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99, 116.</ref>		Riyab’s son Jahsh married Umama (or Umayma) bint Abdulmuttalib, who was Muhammad’s aunt;<ref>Tabari 39:180.</ref> hence their six children were Muhammad’s first cousins. Zaynab was born c. 590;<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 182}}.</ref> her sisters were Habibah (or Umm Habib) and Hamnah, but their birth-order is unknown. Some early sources claimed that Zaynab had only one sister, i.e., that “Umm Habib” was the ''kunya'' of Hamnah; but Ibn Ishaq makes it clear that they were indeed two people,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 522-523.</ref> and Ibn Saad presents their separate biographies.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170-171. It can only be speculated that, as Zaynab was the only one who did not marry a Muslim, hence was probably the only one who married before Islam, she may have been the eldest of the three. Hamnah married twice, both times to men who were some years younger than Zaynab and her brothers, suggesting that she was the youngest of the six.</ref> Her eldest brother, Abd, was always known as an adult by his ''kunya'' Abu Ahmad.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> He was born blind but “he used to go all round Mecca from top to bottom without anyone to lead him. He was a poet.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 214.</ref> The second brother was Abdullah and the third was Ubaydullah.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99, 116.</ref>

	It is possible that Zaynab remembered Muhammad’s wedding to Khadijah, which took place when she was about five years old.<ref>{{Tabari\|6\|p. 47}}.</ref> As an honorary Umayyad, she would have socialised with the Meccan aristocracy. She was probably acquainted with her future co-wife, Hind bint Abi Umayya, whose stepmother was Zaynab’s aunt; however, Hind was about seven years younger. Zaynab was about fifteen when the [[~~Ka’aba~~]] was damaged by floods and had to be repaired. This re-housing of the idols seems to have made a deep impression on her brother Ubaydullah, for he then decided that the [[Black Stone]] was useless “for it can neither see nor hear nor hurt nor help.” He declared that he believed in only one God and set out on a quest to discover the true religion.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 98-99.</ref> He came under the influence of the monotheist Zayd ibn Amr, whose outspoken opinions on the Arabian gods made him so unpopular in Mecca that his family drove him out of the town proper into the mountains. Zayd journeyed to Syria and Mesopotamia, questioning monks and rabbis about the religion of Abraham. On his return to Mecca, before he could enter the city, he was attacked and murdered by some unknown persons.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 102-103. Ibn Ishaq also states that Zayd met in Syria a monk who told him that a prophet would soon arise in his own country, and that Zayd was returning home in order to meet that prophet. But it is difficult to discern how this could have been known to anyone in Mecca, since Zayd did not have the opportunity to talk about his travels before he was murdered.</ref> Ubaydullah was not discouraged but “went on searching until Islam came.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99.</ref>		It is possible that Zaynab remembered Muhammad’s wedding to Khadijah, which took place when she was about five years old.<ref>{{Tabari\|6\|p. 47}}.</ref> As an honorary Umayyad, she would have socialised with the Meccan aristocracy. She was probably acquainted with her future co-wife, Hind bint Abi Umayya, whose stepmother was Zaynab’s aunt; however, Hind was about seven years younger. Zaynab was about fifteen when the [[Ka'aba]] was damaged by floods and had to be repaired. This re-housing of the idols seems to have made a deep impression on her brother Ubaydullah, for he then decided that the [[Black Stone]] was useless “for it can neither see nor hear nor hurt nor help.” He declared that he believed in only one God and set out on a quest to discover the true religion.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 98-99.</ref> He came under the influence of the monotheist Zayd ibn Amr, whose outspoken opinions on the Arabian gods made him so unpopular in Mecca that his family drove him out of the town proper into the mountains. Zayd journeyed to Syria and Mesopotamia, questioning monks and rabbis about the religion of Abraham. On his return to Mecca, before he could enter the city, he was attacked and murdered by some unknown persons.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 102-103. Ibn Ishaq also states that Zayd met in Syria a monk who told him that a prophet would soon arise in his own country, and that Zayd was returning home in order to meet that prophet. But it is difficult to discern how this could have been known to anyone in Mecca, since Zayd did not have the opportunity to talk about his travels before he was murdered.</ref> Ubaydullah was not discouraged but “went on searching until Islam came.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 99.</ref>

	===First Marriage===		===First Marriage===

1234567 at 06:02, 26 June 2013

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1234567 at 13:45, 24 June 2013

2013-06-24T13:45:54Z

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	Muhammad decreed that the women could only mourn their relatives (other than a husband) for three days. After the three days were over, Zaynab received a condolence visit from the daughter of her cousin Abu Salama.<ref>Abu Salama and Zaynab were the offspring of two sisters. His daughter, also named Zaynab, would have been about nine years old and was perhaps reporting on the health of her father, who had been wounded at Uhud.</ref> In front of her guest, Zaynab made a show of asking for perfume and anointing herself, then explaining that she did not really want the perfume but that she was officially out of mourning.<ref>{{Abudawud\|2\|2292}}. The ''hadith'' does not state which one of Zaynab’s brothers had just died. However, it cannot have been Abu Ahmad, who outlived her; and it is unlikely that she was much distressed by the death of Ubaydullah, whom the family had disowned and whom, by the time of his death, she had not seen for twelve years. So it almost certainly refers to the death of Abdullah at Uhud.</ref> The prohibition on displays of grief must have been hard for the bereaved mothers, sisters and daughters. The specific loss for Zaynab, however, was that her brother Abdullah had been willing to support her against Muhammad’s wishes; now she had lost her protector just as she found herself married to a man whom she disliked.		Muhammad decreed that the women could only mourn their relatives (other than a husband) for three days. After the three days were over, Zaynab received a condolence visit from the daughter of her cousin Abu Salama.<ref>Abu Salama and Zaynab were the offspring of two sisters. His daughter, also named Zaynab, would have been about nine years old and was perhaps reporting on the health of her father, who had been wounded at Uhud.</ref> In front of her guest, Zaynab made a show of asking for perfume and anointing herself, then explaining that she did not really want the perfume but that she was officially out of mourning.<ref>{{Abudawud\|2\|2292}}. The ''hadith'' does not state which one of Zaynab’s brothers had just died. However, it cannot have been Abu Ahmad, who outlived her; and it is unlikely that she was much distressed by the death of Ubaydullah, whom the family had disowned and whom, by the time of his death, she had not seen for twelve years. So it almost certainly refers to the death of Abdullah at Uhud.</ref> The prohibition on displays of grief must have been hard for the bereaved mothers, sisters and daughters. The specific loss for Zaynab, however, was that her brother Abdullah had been willing to support her against Muhammad’s wishes; now she had lost her protector just as she found herself married to a man whom she disliked.

	It is sometimes claimed that the defeat at Uhud created a great social problem because there were so many widows to support. It is even claimed that the excess of widows was the reason why polygamy became necessary.<ref></ref> However, of the seventy Muslims who were killed, sixty-six were from Medina and only four were Meccan immigrants.<ref></ref> The community was accustomed to losing men to the tribal wars<ref></ref> and there was already a system in place to ensure the rights of widows, largely based on the assumption that most families owned some farmland.<ref></ref> Muhammad did have to adjudicate a few civil cases in which widows or orphans were being cheated by their relatives;<ref></ref> and perhaps a few of the poorest families had to join the beggars on the mosque Bench.<ref></ref> But there is no evidence at all that Medina was suddenly swamped by ~~seventy~~ desperate widows; it is even claimed that only thirty of the dead men had been married, suggesting that the city would also have had several surviving bachelors. The real problem for Muhammad was that his hosts in Medina had taken a great hit on his behalf and he was at risk of losing their sympathy. This would have bothered him far more than the issue of the widows.<ref></ref>		It is sometimes claimed that the defeat at Uhud created a great social problem because there were so many widows to support. It is even claimed that the excess of widows was the reason why polygamy became necessary.<ref></ref> However, of the seventy Muslims who were killed, sixty-six were from Medina and only four were Meccan immigrants.<ref></ref> The community was accustomed to losing men to the tribal wars<ref></ref> and there was already a system in place to ensure the rights of widows, largely based on the assumption that most families owned some farmland.<ref></ref> Muhammad did have to adjudicate a few civil cases in which widows or orphans were being cheated by their relatives;<ref></ref> and perhaps a few of the poorest families had to join the beggars on the mosque Bench.<ref></ref> But there is no evidence at all that Medina was suddenly swamped by desperate widows; it is even claimed that only thirty of the dead men had been married,<ref></ref> suggesting that the city would also have had several surviving bachelors. The real problem for Muhammad was that his hosts in Medina had taken a great hit on his behalf and he was at risk of losing their sympathy. This would have bothered him far more than the issue of the widows.<ref></ref>

	Hamnah had barely completed her ''idda'' before she was remarried to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah, a wealthy<ref></ref> thirty-year-old<ref></ref> bachelor who was kin to Abu Bakr.<ref>~~Bewley/Saad 8:170.~~</ref> Although he later became a polygamist, Hamnah was his only wife for several years.<ref></ref> Hamza’s widow ~~also~~ found a new husband,<ref></ref> ~~but~~ Abdullah’s widow never remarried; she had a bleeding disorder that raised doubts about her ritual cleanness.<ref></ref>		Among the emigrants, there had always been more men than women,<ref></ref> and the addition of four new widows could not have done very much to redress the gender imbalance. However, it meant that some of the bachelors now had a chance to find a wife. Hamnah had barely completed her ''idda'' before she was remarried to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah,<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:170.</ref> a wealthy<ref></ref> thirty-year-old<ref></ref> bachelor who was kin to Abu Bakr.<ref></ref> Although he later became a polygamist, Hamnah was his only wife for several years.<ref></ref> Hamza’s widow appears to have returned to Mecca, where she found a new husband.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:199.</ref> But Abdullah’s widow never remarried; she had a bleeding disorder that raised doubts about her ritual cleanness, i.e., availability for sex.<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:173. Fatima bint Abi Hubaysh and her sister-in-law Habibah bint Jahsh appear to have suffered from a similar disorder.</ref>

	===Third Marriage===		===Third Marriage===
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	''When you said to him whom Allah had blessed and you had favoured, ‘Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah,’ and you were concealing within yourself what Allah should reveal, fearing other men; and Allah has better right for you to fear him. So when Zayd had accomplished what he would of her, then We gave her in marriage to you, so that there should not be any fault in the believers, touching the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished what they would of them; and Allah’s commandment must be performed. There is no fault in the prophet, touching what Allah had ordained for him.”<ref>{{Quran-range\|33\|36-38}}.</ref>		''When you said to him whom Allah had blessed and you had favoured, ‘Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah,’ and you were concealing within yourself what Allah should reveal, fearing other men; and Allah has better right for you to fear him. So when Zayd had accomplished what he would of her, then We gave her in marriage to you, so that there should not be any fault in the believers, touching the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished what they would of them; and Allah’s commandment must be performed. There is no fault in the prophet, touching what Allah had ordained for him.”<ref>{{Quran-range\|33\|36-38}}.</ref>

	{{Quote\|[http://www.a2youth.com/ebooks/the_wives_of_the_prophet/zainab_bint_jahash/ Thompson, A. (DATE). “Zainab bint Jahash” in ''The Wives of the Prophet''. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.\|The marriage, however, was not a success. Although both Zaynab and Zayd were the best of people, who loved Allah and His Messenger, they were very different and in the end they could not overcome their incompatibility. Zayd asked the Prophet’s permission to divorce Zaynab more than once, and although he was counselled to hold onto his wife and to fear Allah, in the end the divorce took place. The Prophet then was ordered by Allah to marry Zaynab bint Jahsh, while he did in 5 AH, when he was 58 years old, and she was 35 years old. In doing so, he demonstrated beyond doubt that in Islam an adopted son is not regarded in the same light as a natural son, and that although a father may never marry a woman whom his natural son has married and then divorced, the father of an adopted son is permitted to marry a woman who was once, but is no longer, married to that adopted son. Furthermore, by marrying Zaynab, the Prophet also confirmed that it is permissible for cousins to marry, and , at the same time, Zaynab was given her heart’s desire to be married to the Best of Creation.}}		{{Quote\|[http://www.a2youth.com/ebooks/the_wives_of_the_prophet/zainab_bint_jahash/ Thompson, A. (DATE). “Zainab bint Jahash” in ''The Wives of the Prophet''. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.\|The marriage, however, was not a success. Although both Zaynab and Zayd were the best of people, who loved Allah and His Messenger, they were very different and in the end they could not overcome their incompatibility. Zayd asked the Prophet’s permission to divorce Zaynab more than once, and although he was counselled to hold onto his wife and to fear Allah, in the end the divorce took place. The Prophet then was ordered by Allah to marry Zaynab bint Jahsh, while he did in 5 AH, when he was 58 years old, and she was 35 years old. In doing so, he demonstrated beyond doubt that in Islam an adopted son is not regarded in the same light as a natural son, and that although a father may never marry a woman whom his natural son has married and then divorced, the father of an adopted son is permitted to marry a woman who was once, but is no longer, married to that adopted son. Furthermore, by marrying Zaynab, the Prophet also confirmed that it is permissible for cousins to marry, and , at the same time, Zaynab was given her heart’s desire to be married to the Best of Creation.}}

	===See Also===		===See Also===

1234567: /* Circumstances of the Marriage */

2013-06-24T13:31:24Z

Circumstances of the Marriage

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	Zaynab did not mention Zayd’s physical appearance, but it is possible that she had further objections in that direction. First, he was ugly,<ref></ref> and she might have felt a simple physical repulsion. Second, although he traced his ancestry to an Arab tribe,<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 6}}.</ref> this might well have been by adoption rather than biology, for his “flat nose” and “very dark skin”<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 10}}.</ref> suggest that his genes were from Africa. The Arabs could be very racist about this. For example, Muhammad once said, “You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian slave whose head looks like a raisin.”<ref>{{Bukhari\|9\|89\|256}}.</ref> Although it was officially a lesson in being “not racist,” the remark assumes that black people and slaves are inferior, and it was made because Muhammad expected his Arab audience to make a similar assumption.		Zaynab did not mention Zayd’s physical appearance, but it is possible that she had further objections in that direction. First, he was ugly,<ref></ref> and she might have felt a simple physical repulsion. Second, although he traced his ancestry to an Arab tribe,<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 6}}.</ref> this might well have been by adoption rather than biology, for his “flat nose” and “very dark skin”<ref>{{Tabari\|39\|p. 10}}.</ref> suggest that his genes were from Africa. The Arabs could be very racist about this. For example, Muhammad once said, “You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian slave whose head looks like a raisin.”<ref>{{Bukhari\|9\|89\|256}}.</ref> Although it was officially a lesson in being “not racist,” the remark assumes that black people and slaves are inferior, and it was made because Muhammad expected his Arab audience to make a similar assumption.

	While it ~~was~~ does not reflect well on Zaynab that she would reject a suitor for such shallow reasons, this does not alter the principle that she had the right to say no. If she did not wish to marry Zayd, she should not have needed to justify her reason. Finally, it must be stressed that Zaynab was being asked to accept the position of third wife. Added to the other social humiliations of the proposed union, this made the offer close to insulting. There were still plenty of bachelors in the emigrant community,<ref></ref> and all her siblings were at that date in monogamous marriages.<ref></ref>		While it does not reflect well on Zaynab that she would reject a suitor for such shallow reasons, this does not alter the principle that she had the right to say no. If she did not wish to marry Zayd, she should not have needed to justify her reason. Finally, it must be stressed that Zaynab was being asked to accept the position of third wife. Added to the other social humiliations of the proposed union, this made the offer close to insulting. There were still plenty of bachelors in the emigrant community,<ref></ref> and all her siblings were at that date in monogamous marriages.<ref></ref>

	Abdullah supported his sister’s refusal.<ref>{{Quran\|33\|36}}; Al-Jalalayn, ''Tafsir'' on Q33:36-38; {{Tabari\|39\|pp. 6-10, 180}}; {{Muslim\|2\|2347}}; {{Muslim\|2\|3330}}; {{Muslim\|2\|3332}}; {{Muslim\|2\|3494}}; {{Bukhari\|1\|3\|249}}; {{Bukhari\|1\|3\|829}}; {{Bukhari\|1\|4\|6883}}.</ref>		Abdullah supported his sister’s refusal.<ref>{{Quran\|33\|36}}; Al-Jalalayn, ''Tafsir'' on Q33:36-38; {{Tabari\|39\|pp. 6-10, 180}}; {{Muslim\|2\|2347}}; {{Muslim\|2\|3330}}; {{Muslim\|2\|3332}}; {{Muslim\|2\|3494}}; {{Bukhari\|1\|3\|249}}; {{Bukhari\|1\|3\|829}}; {{Bukhari\|1\|4\|6883}}.</ref>