The Marriage of the Prophet (s.a.w.) to Sayyidatina Zaynab bint Jahsh (r.a.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Shaykh ‘Utsman Nuri Tufbas wrote, in “The Prophet Muhammad Muswthafa the Elect (s.a.w.)”, the heavily debated marriage of the Prophet (s.a.w.) to Sayyidatina Zaynab bint Jahsh (r.a.) is in fact laden with profound wisdom.  In the first place, as half-hearted as she was, by arranging the marriage between Sayyidatina Zaynab (r.a.), the daughter of his aunt, to Sayyidina Zayd ibn Harits (r.a.), his emancipated slave, the Prophet (s.a.w.) helped eradicate some mistaken notions prevalent among Arabs, and through persons closest to him, set an example of putting an end to the discrimination between the rich and the poor, the noble and the slave, sending a message out that all were equal in the Sight of Allah (s.w.t.), like the teeth of a comb. 

Yet, the reluctance of Sayyidatina Zaynab (r.a.), as well as the persistent pressure of her relatives, meant that the marriage became unbearable for both parties.  Although Sayyidina Zayd (r.a.) did consult the Prophet (s.a.w.), and sought his permission to divorce Sayyidatina Zaynab (r.a.), he was instead advised to keep patient.  Once the marriage reached an insufferable level however, Sayyidina Zayd (r.a.) had no other choice than to divorce. 

Revealed a short time after the divorce, an ayah Commanded the Prophet (s.a.w.) to marry Sayyidatina Zaynab (r.a.), whereby Allah (s.w.t.) Willed the abolishment of the Arab notion of regarding marriage with the former wife of an adopted son as illicit.  The marriage was, thus, aimed toward drawing attention, once and for all, to the difference between an adopted child and one’s own, emphasising the distinction between the two. 

Thus, the absurdity of the claim that the Prophet (s.a.w.) married Sayyidatina Zaynab (r.a.) for her beauty, stems from a sheer ignorance of the following facts.  First of all, Sayyidatina Zaynab (r.a.) was the Prophet’s (s.a.w.) cousin, the daughter of his aunt.  Thus, he knew her from childhood, and saw her on innumerable occasions.  Had the Prophet (s.a.w.) proposed to her before, she would have accepted it wholeheartedly; neither was there any obstacle standing in the way of their marriage.  But not only did the Prophet (s.a.w.) ask her to marry Sayyidina Zayd (r.a.), he moreover turned down their request for divorce on numerous occasions. 

In short, such incidents had to take place to facilitate the establishment of the many principles of Islamic law through them being embodied in the life of the Messenger (s.a.w.), and provide precedents for later practices.