Zainab bint Jahsh the pure or the prostitute wife of Hosea?

Allah the Almighty says:

“It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.”


{ It is not } Know that its meaning cannot be understood rationally that a believing man or a believing woman should not comply with a matter decided by Allah and His Messenger. Otherwise, if that happens, it is evidence of a lack of faith in Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Although Allah has given man the freedom of choice, there is a difference between a choice that is part of the obligation, if you wish, you can do it or not, and something that creates the obligation. They do not have a choice in doing something from the obligation, but if Allah orders them, He is the One who orders them, and whether they obey Him or disobey Him. This is another issue; there is a difference between the option of obligation and the option of creation.

As long as it was proven that they believed in Allah and His Messenger, they should have accepted the matter.

This is a story that the Orientalists went on and on about, and they made it and the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) a case to attack the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). They claimed that Zainab bint Jahsh impressed the Messenger, peace be upon him, so he wanted Zaid to divorce her so that he could marry her!! This is a lie and slander. Why ?

Because Zainab was the cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he was charged with managing her money and looking after her affairs. If he had wanted to marry her from the beginning, no one would have prevented him. After that, you find them making excuses that Allah testified to that in His saying: { And you conceal within yourself that which Allah is to reveal . }

We say to them : If you want to know what the Messenger of Allah concealed, then take it from what Allah revealed. So what did Allah reveal?
What Allah showed and wanted in this case is His saying: “

So that there will be no discomfort for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they have satisfied their desire with them

.” They also say that the heart of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was preoccupied with Zaynab bint Jahsh. So why do they make this preoccupation a sexual preoccupation, and why do they not look at the story from the beginning?

When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and those with him went to propose to Zaynab for Zayd, her brother Abdullah, and she and her sister thought that the Messenger of Allah would propose to her for himself. When they knew that he had come to propose to Zayd, they were shocked and said: How can we marry her to a slave? They became angry and sad, and they did not agree until they knew that this was a command from Allah and His Messenger for a wisdom that only Allah knows, so they agreed.

When the Orientalists say that he was preoccupied with her, we say to them: If that were true, the Messenger would have seized the opportunity when Zaid complained to him that Zainab did not love him as a husband and treated him with arrogance, and advised him to divorce her. Because Zainab saw that she was a Qurayshite and the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he was a client and a slave!! She obeyed Allah’s command to marry him, but she did not agree with him because the matter is for the body and not the heart. And Zaid, may Allah be pleased with him, as a man, was dear to himself and would get angry about that, but his love for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made him patient with his cousin whom he chose for him and married her to him, because this is a great honor.

That is why we say to them : Research the relationship between men and women and you will see that the One who created us created man for woman, and created woman for man; and that is why the Arab lady, when she came to advise her daughter Umm Iyas when Al-Harith proposed to her and she was an intelligent girl, her mother admonished her and said to her: (O daughter, if you were left without advice, you would be the richest person in need of it. If a woman could do without a husband because of her parents’ wealth and great need for her, you would be the richest person in need of her. But women were created for men, and men were created for them ...

We know that a father can make her do without a husband, no matter how much comfort and happiness he provides for her. Because her soul longs for this; therefore, this is the reason why the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone, I would command a woman to prostrate to her husband .” At-Tirmidhi 1159 and authenticated by Al-Albaani 1998.

Why ? Because he gives her what a father, mother and siblings give, and more than that, which they cannot and cannot afford. Therefore, the Arab mother says
in her advice to her daughter Umm Iyas: “ If advice were left out for the sake of good manners, I would have left that out of you, but it is a reminder for the heedless and a help for the wise .”

In conclusion, a man is for a woman and a woman is for a man, and no matter how many walls of pride and power are imposed on a girl, she cannot live without a man.

So, the issue was difficult for Zaid bin Haritha, may Allah be pleased with him, because Allah has made three stages for marriage, as the Creator of man and woman, the Most High, said: (( And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may find tranquility in them, and He has put love and mercy between you. ))

These stages are: tranquility, love and mercy. The first stage is tranquility, meaning stillness from external movement, reassurance and mercy, and it is the happiest stage. If tranquility is impossible due to the troubles of life, then at least take it as a form of affection, because if you live with a friend for a period of time, your friendship and affection for him will have depth, so you will bear with him for the sake of this affection that was between you in the past. If there is no longer tranquility and affection, then the man should have mercy on his wife if she is not what he wants, such as if she has grown old or decrepit or is sick, and she reciprocates this mercy.

Zayd ibn Haritha, may Allah be pleased with him, did not find in this marriage, peace, affection, or mercy, so he went to complain to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger used to say to him: { Keep your wife and fear Allah } (Al-Ahzab 37)

. By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah had something on his mind, would it not have been easy for him to advise him to divorce her when he complained to him about her?!
Another thing is that if the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had thought about Zaynab’s matter, why did you change it from thinking about instinct, why did you not change it to the level of fairness? Because he forced her to marry Zayd against her will, because she was a Qurayshite and the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he was a freed slave, and the Messenger knew that she was not satisfied, neither she nor her brother nor her sister. So if he found that she was anxious and unstable in her life with her husband, was it not his duty to comfort this feeling, mend the brokenness that had occurred, and include her with him so that she would be the Mother of the Believers.

These people did not think well of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so you find them saying to you: O brother, if Allah Almighty says: {And you fear people, while Allah has more right that you should fear Him } [Al-Ahzab: 37],

we say to them: Fear is of two types: fear of something that you fear may harm you, and fear of shyness, and Allah Almighty says: { Indeed, that used to annoy the Prophet, so he felt shy of you, and Allah is not shy of the truth. }} Al-Ahzab 53.

So the fear that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) feared was that they would say that he married the wife of his adopted son, even though Allah wanted to abolish adoption. Since Allah abolished adoption, they have no excuse, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to abolish the customs and traditions of the Age of Ignorance, so he must bear it and be the first one to confront it.

And when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was ashamed that people would say that about him, he wanted to clear his honor of any suspicion. He was not afraid of them, but he did not want to take a position that would be suspicious. Therefore, when the companions passed by him while he was talking to his wife Safiyyah, they turned away from him, so he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Take it easy, she is Safiyyah, because he wanted to remove any suspicion from himself. They said to him: Do we doubt you, O Messenger of Allah? He said: The devil runs through a person like blood . Part of a hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari 3281 and Muslim 2175/24

. So, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was shy, and there is no better evidence of this than when he was at the peak of his victory over the Quraysh, and his entry into Mecca as a conqueror. He called them the freed ones, and he had declared the blood of Abdullah bin Saad bin Abi Sarh to be shed, because he had greatly benefited the Messenger of Allah. When his blood was declared to be shed, Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, came to the Messenger of Allah asking for a blood money for Abdullah bin Abi Sarh, but the Messenger of Allah did not answer him and remained silent, waiting for one of the Muslims to kill him. But Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, repeated the question. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was shy of Uthman, Abdullah granted him security. When he granted him security and Uthman took him and left the assembly of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the Messenger of Allah said to those present: ( Was there not a wise man among you who would stand up to a man and kill him ?) Ubadah bin Bishr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: O Messenger of Allah, my eye was on your eye and I was waiting for a sign from you to kill him, but you did not do it. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said : “It is not for a prophet to have a treacherous eye .”

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was absent, he would go to ask about him. Once he went and saw Zainab. When he entered and found her busy with housework and looking beautiful, he said: “Blessed be Allah, the best of creators. Just as when you see your daughter who has become a bride, you say: ‘What Allah wills.’” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) also wanted to relieve her of what she was going through and to make her feel better because he married her to Zaid, even though she did not want him. When Zaid was present, she said to him: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came and asked about you and said to me: ‘ Blessed be Allah, the best of creators .’” (Surat Al-Mu’minoon 14) .
Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her: “ If the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had wanted you, he would have divorced you so that you could marry him .” Allah the Almighty says: { So when Zaid had no longer any need for her, We married her to you ... Al-Ahzab 37} People understand it as meaning that what happens between a man and his wife in terms of sexual encounter happened between them; however, the meaning is more comprehensive than that, as desire is the need that suits a man’s livelihood, so a man’s desire for a woman is companionship, so the man felt fed up with her and complained to the Messenger of Allah more than once, and each time he advised him to hold on to her and be patient with her. But Zaid divorced Zainab, and when her waiting period ended, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to Zaid, “Go to Zainab and propose to her for me.” So see how great this is, the Messenger comes to the divorced man and says to him, “Go to the divorced woman and propose to her for me.” This is not a trivial matter, but he was certain that Zaid was not interested in her and did not regret divorcing her.




When Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Zainab, he said to her: Be happy, Zainab, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is proposing to you. She said: I will not answer until I prostrate to Allah . When Zaid returned and told the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) what had happened, he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) went and entered upon her without asking permission. How could he do that when the marriage had not yet taken place?!

They said: No... The marriage had taken place, and Allah had married her to him. Read, if you wish, the words of Allah the Almighty: { So when Zaid had no longer any need for her, We married her to you ... [Al-Ahzab 37]}.

So... the marriage had taken place, and he had the right to enter upon her without asking permission because she had become his wife. That is why when Sayyida Zainab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) sat with her husband the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) she would say to them: { I boast to you all that you have married your guardians, but my Lord married me. {And they all kept silent } Al-Bukhari 7420, and she did not only say to them, but she also said to the Messenger of Allah: O Messenger of Allah, I have three proofs for you - meaning I have three proofs - so the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laughed and said: As for the first: She said: My grandfather and your grandfather are one - As for the second: Because Allah married me from above the seven heavens, As for the third: Because my ambassador in marriage was not Zaid, but rather Gabriel, peace be upon him.

So ... those who say that the Messenger married Zainab because he liked her or something else should keep silent because Allah is the one who married him from above the seven heavens for a higher wisdom that He, glory be to Him, willed... Because there is a difference between him marrying her and Allah marrying her to him by His command, glory be to Him, because he does not disobey the command of Allah.

And also his story, may God bless him and grant him peace, with all his wives. Read, if you wish, the words of God Almighty in Surat At-Tahrim, verse 5: { Perhaps his Lord, if he divorces you, will substitute for him wives better than you - submissive, believing, obedient, repentant, worshipping God, fasting, previously married and virgins .}

So... God Almighty is the One who marries His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and chooses for him with His supreme wisdom, and the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, has nothing to do but carry out the command of his Lord, glory be to Him.

Look at what the Bible says about the Lord to David:

2 Samuel 12:7
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over Israel, and I have delivered you out of the hand of Saul. I have given you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and I have given you the house of Israel and Judah. ​​If it had been a little, I would have given you more, so much and so much.’

So where is the problem?

This is why the enemies of religion try to defile the purity of Islam, trying to equate Islam with the myths of other religions, in which we find the Lord commanding one of His prophets to marry a prostitute:

Hosea 3:1
And the Lord said to me, ‘Go again, love a wife who is beloved to her husband, but who is a prostitute, according to the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love the cakes of the poor.’ ”

I have divided this research into three chapters:
Chapter One: The story’s chain of transmission, its chains of transmission, its causes and the ruling on it.
Chapter Two: Mentioning the views of commentators and scholars regarding this story.
Chapter Three: Clarifying the correct statement in this story, and the reason for the revelation of the verse .


Chapter One: The story’s chain of transmission, its paths, its causes and the ruling on it.

This story was narrated through eight paths, all of which are weak. The following is a detailed account of them and their causes:
The first narration: On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may God be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to the house of Zayd ibn Haritha, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw his wife Zaynab, and it was as if he had entered it (I do not know from the words of Hammad, or in the hadith) (1). Then Zayd came complaining to him about her, so the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: Keep your wife and fear God.” He said: Then the following verse was revealed: “And fear Allah and conceal within yourself what Allah is to reveal” until His saying: “We have married her to you” meaning Zaynab. (2)
The second narration: On the authority of Muhammad bin Yahya bin Habban: He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to the house of Zaid bin Haritha looking for him. Zaid was called Zaid bin Muhammad, and sometimes the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would miss him at once, and he would say: Where is Zaid? So he came to his house looking for him, but did not find him. Zainab bint Jahsh, his wife Fadl, stood up to him, but the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned away from her. She said: He is not here, O Messenger of Allah. Enter, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you. But the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, refused to enter. Zainab hurried to get dressed when she was told that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was at the door. So she jumped up in haste, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was impressed, so he turned away while murmuring something that could hardly be understood except that he perhaps declared: Glory be to Allah, the Almighty, Glory be to the Disposer of the hearts. Then Zaid came to his house, and his wife informed him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had come to his house. Zaid said: Why did you not tell him to enter? She said: I had suggested that to him, but he refused. He said: Did you hear something? She said: I heard him when he turned away saying something, but I did not understand it, and I heard him say: Glory be to Allah, the Almighty, glory be to the Disposer of hearts. Then Zaid came until he came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: O Messenger of Allah, I have heard that you have come to my house. Why did you not enter, O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you? Perhaps Zainab will please you so that I may separate from her. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Keep your wife. But Zaid could not find a way to her after that day. So he came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah told him: Keep your wife. He said: O Messenger of Allah, should I separate from her? The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Keep your wife. Then Zayd left her and separated from her, and she became permissible, meaning her waiting period had ended. He said: While the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was sitting and talking with Aisha, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was overcome by a fainting spell, and he was relieved while he was smiling and saying: Who will go to Zaynab and give her the good news that God has married me to her from heaven? And the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, recited: {And when you said to him whom God has bestowed favor upon and whom you have bestowed favor: Keep your wife to yourself.} (3)
The third narration: On the authority of Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, he said: “The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, had married Zayd ibn Haritha to Zaynab bint Jahsh, the daughter of his paternal aunt. One day the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, went out to him, and there was a curtain of hair on the door, so the wind lifted the curtain, and she was revealed while she was in her room, bareheaded. Her admiration fell upon the heart of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. So when… This happened and I hated it until the other one came and said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to leave my wife. He said: What is the matter with you? Does anything bother you about her? He said: No, by Allah, nothing bothered me about her, O Messenger of Allah, and I saw nothing but good. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: Keep your wife and fear Allah. This is what Allah the Most High said: {And when you said to him upon whom Allah had bestowed favor and upon whom you had bestowed favor, "Keep your wife and fear Allah," while you concealed within yourself that which Allah would bring to light.} You concealed within yourself that if he left her, I would marry her. (4)
The fourth narration: On the authority of Qatada, who said: Zaid came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: Zainab has become harsh with me in her tongue, and I want to divorce her. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: Fear God and keep your wife. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, wanted to divorce her, but he feared what people would say if he ordered him to divorce her. So God Almighty revealed: “And you conceal within yourself what God is to reveal, and you fear the people.” (5)
The fifth narration: On the authority of Muqatil bin Sulayman, he said: The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, married Zaynab bint Jahsh to Zayd, and she stayed with him for a while. Then, peace be upon him, he came to Zayd one day to ask for him, and he saw Zaynab standing, and she was white, beautiful, and large, one of the most perfect women of Quraysh, so he fell in love with her and said: Glory be to God, the Changer of hearts. Then Zaynab heard the glorification, so she mentioned it to Zayd, and Zayd became aware and said: O Messenger of God, give me permission to divorce her, for she is arrogant, and she acts arrogantly towards me and hurts me with her tongue. So he, peace be upon him, said: Keep your wife and fear God. (6)
The sixth narration: On the authority of Ikrimah, he said: “The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, entered Zayd’s house one day, and he saw Zaynab, who was his cousin, and it seemed that she fell into his heart, so God revealed: {And when you said to him whom God has bestowed favor upon and whom you have bestowed favor: Keep (7) The seventh narration: On the authority of Al-Sha’bi: “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,
saw Zaynab bint Jahsh and said: Glory be to God, the Changer of hearts. Zayd ibn Haritha said: Shall I not divorce her, O Messenger of God? He said: Keep your wife; (8) The eighth narration: On the authority of Abu Bakr bin Sulayman bin Abi Hathmah: “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to the house of
Zayd bin Haritha and asked permission, and Zaynab gave him permission, and she was not wearing a veil, so she threw the sleeve of her armor over her head, and he asked her about Zayd, and she said: He left soon, O Messenger of God, so the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, got up and he was murmuring, and Zaynab said: So I followed him, and I heard him say: Blessed is the Disposer of hearts, and he kept saying it until she disappeared.” (9)

Chapter Two: Mentioning the schools of thought of the commentators Scholars have differed regarding these narrations .
Commentators and scholars of hadith have differed regarding these narrations that were mentioned regarding the reason for the revelation of the verse, with two schools of thought:
The first school of thought: rejecting and denying these narrations, due to their lack of authenticity, and because they contain criticism of the infallibility of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
The proponents of this school of thought believe that the correct reason for the revelation of the verse is that God had revealed to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that Zaid would divorce Zainab and that he would marry her by God marrying her to him. When Zaid complained to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, about Zainab’s behavior and that she did not obey him, and informed him that he wanted to divorce her, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him as a matter of politeness and advice: Fear God, that is, in your words, and keep your wife, knowing that he would separate from her. This is what he concealed in his soul, and he did not want to order him to divorce her, because he knew that he would marry her. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, feared that people would say that he married Zainab after Zaid, who was his freedman, and he had ordered him to divorce her. So God Almighty rebuked him for this degree of fearing people in a matter that God Almighty had permitted him to do . (10)
This school of thought was narrated from: Ali ibn al-Husayn (11), al-Zuhri (12), and al-Suddi (13).
Al-Qurtubiyan said: This is the statement that the people of investigation among the commentators and the established scholars hold. (14) Among those who said it:
(15) Judge Iyad said: “Know, may God honor you, that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, is free from this apparent meaning, and that he ordered Zaid to keep her
, while he loved to divorce her, as was mentioned by a group of commentators. The most authentic of what is in this regard is what the commentators narrated on the authority of Ali ibn Husayn: that God Almighty informed His Prophet that Zainab would be one of his wives, so when Zaid complained to Him about her, He said to him: Keep your wife and fear God.” (16) Abu al-Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “Some of the commentators were bold in interpreting this verse and attributed to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, what is not appropriate for him and is impossible for him, since God has protected him from it and has declared him free from such a thing. This statement only comes from someone who is ignorant of his infallibility, may God bless him and grant him peace, from such a thing, or who takes his sanctity lightly. What the people of investigation among the commentators and the established scholars are upon is that this heinous statement is not correct and is not appropriate for people of chivalry, let alone the best of creation. And that verse is only interpreted as what was narrated from Ali ibn Husayn...” (17) Evidence for this school of thought: The proponents of this school of thought provided evidence for what they went to, including: The first evidence: That God Almighty informed us that He will reveal what the Prophet was hiding. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “And you conceal within yourself that which God will reveal,” and God Almighty did not reveal anything other than marrying her to him, as He said: “So when Zaid had no longer any need for her, We married her to you,” so if what the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had concealed was his love for her or his desire to divorce her, God Almighty would have revealed that. (18) The second proof: God Almighty said after this verse: “There is no blame upon the Prophet concerning what God has enjoined” [al-Ahzab: 38]. This verse indicates that he, may God bless him and grant him peace, was not blamed for his marriage to Zaynab, may God be pleased with her. If it had been as narrated that he loved her and wished for Zayd to divorce her, then there would have been the greatest blame in it. Because it is not appropriate for him to look at other people’s women, and this has been prohibited in the words of God Almighty: “Do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, nor grieve over them, and lower your wing to the believers.” [Al-Hijr: 88] (19)






The third proof: Zainab, may God be pleased with her, is considered the cousin of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace (20), and he continued to see her since she was born, and was with her at all times and in all places, and there was no veil at that time, and he was the one who married her to his master Zaid, so how could she grow up with him, and he grow up with her, and he notices her every hour, and she does not enter his heart except after Zaid married her, and she had given herself to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and hated anyone else, so she did not occur to him, may God bless him and grant him peace, so how could he renew his love for her that he had not had, God forbid that he, may God bless him and grant him peace, should do so, and all of this indicates the invalidity of the story, and that it is fabricated and placed on him,
may God bless him and grant him peace. (21) The fourth proof: God Almighty explained the wisdom behind his marriage, may God bless him and grant him peace, to Zainab, and said: “So when Zaid had no longer any need for her, We married her to you so that there would be no more blame upon you.” (22) This is a clear explanation that the wisdom is to end the prohibition of the wives of their adopted sons, and the fact that God is the one who married her to him for this great wisdom is clear that the reason for his marriage to her was not his love for her, which was the reason for Zaid’s divorce of her, as they claimed, and this is clarified by the statement of God Almighty: (So when Zaid had no longer any need for her), because it indicates that Zaid had no longer any need for her, so he divorced her of his own choice.

The second school of thought: accepting these narrations and relying on them, and making them the reason for the revelation of the verse.
The proponents of this school of thought believe that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, liked Zaynab while she was under the protection of Zayd, and he was keen for Zayd to divorce her so that he could marry her. Then, when Zayd told him that he wanted to separate from her, and complained about her harsh speech, disobedience to orders, and verbal abuse, and pride in honor, he said to him: Fear God in what you say about her, and keep your wife. He was hiding his eagerness for Zayd to divorce her, and this is what he was hiding in his soul, but he adhered to what was required of him in enjoining what is right. They said: The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, feared what people would say about that, so God Almighty rebuked him for all of this. (23)
This school of thought was narrated by: Qatadah, Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, Ikrimah, Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Habban, Muqatil, al-Sha’bi (24), and Ibn Jurayj (25). (26)
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari said: “It was mentioned that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw Zaynab bint Jahsh and was pleased with her, and she was in the custody of his master. So he cast aversion to her in Zayd’s soul, because God knew what had happened in the soul of His Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, so he wanted to separate from her. So he mentioned that to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: Keep your wife, for he, may God bless him and grant him peace, loves that she has separated from him so that he can marry her. Fear God and fear God in what is obligatory upon you regarding your wife. “And you conceal within yourself that which God is to reveal,” meaning: And you conceal within yourself the love of his separation from her, so that you may marry her if he separates from her, and God is to reveal what you conceal within yourself of that. And you fear people, but God is more deserving of being feared. God Almighty says: And you fear that people will say, “He ordered a man to divorce his wife and marry her when he divorced her,” but God is more deserving of being feared than people. End quote (27)
Evidence for this school of thought:
The proponents of this school of thought provided evidence for what they have adopted, including:
The first evidence: The narrations reported regarding the reason for the revelation of the verse, which explicitly state what we have said.
It was objected that these narrations are weak and that there is nothing authentic in them.
The second proof is that it was narrated on the authority of Aisha (28) and Anas (29) - may God be pleased with them - that they said: “If the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had concealed anything of what was revealed to him, he would have concealed this verse: “And when you said to him upon whom God has bestowed favor and upon whom you have bestowed favor, ‘Keep your wife to yourself and fear God,’ while you concealed within yourself that which God is to reveal, and you feared the people, while God has more right that you should fear Him.” They said: This indicates that he, may God bless him and grant him peace, fell in love with Zainab, and that he was hiding that until God Almighty revealed it.
It was objected that what Aisha and Anas, may God be pleased with them, meant was that the Prophet’s, may God bless him and grant him peace, desire to marry Zainab was a secret in his soul that he did not disclose to anyone, since he was not commanded to inform anyone of it. And on that secret was based what he said to Zaid in his saying: “Keep your wife.” And when Zaid divorced her and wanted to marry her, he knew that the hypocrites would spread evil rumors, so when God commanded him to mention that to the nation and to inform him of the news, he informed him and did not conceal it, although concealing it would not disrupt the law or diminish any benefit. If he had concealed something of the revelation, he would have concealed this verse, which is the account of a secret in his soul, between him and his Lord Almighty, but since it was a revelation that reached him; (30)

The fifth section: The preference:
The truth is that this story is fabricated and attributed to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and that the reason for the revelation of the verse is not authentic except the hadith of Anas, may God be pleased with him (31), and this hadith does not contain anything mentioned in this story, so it must be limited to it, and the other weak narrations must be discarded.
What indicates the fabrication of this story:
The first evidence: It was not narrated with a connected, correct chain of transmission, and all the narrations mentioned in it are either mursal, or there are weak and abandoned narrators in their chains of transmission.
The second evidence: The contradiction and confusion of the narrations of this story. In the narration of Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hibban, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, came looking for Zayd in his house, and Zaynab came out to him uncovered. As for the narration of Ibn Zayd, it says that Zaynab did not come out to him, but rather the wind lifted the curtain and she was uncovered while she was in her room, and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw her. Then comes the narration of Abu Bakr ibn Abi Hathmah, which contradicts these two narrations and claims that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, asked permission to see her, and she gave him permission without a veil on. This confusion and contradiction between the narrations clearly indicates that the story is fabricated and made up.
The third proof: These narrations contradict the authentic narration (32) that was reported about the reason for the revelation of the verse, which states that Zaid came to complain to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, about Zainab. This narration did not mention anything about the reason for his complaint, and it is clear that he came to complain about something (33). As for those weak narrations, they claim that Zaid offered to divorce her to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, in response to his desire, because he saw his attachment to her, and this indicates the weakness and fabrication of these narrations.
The fourth proof: These narrations cast aspersions on the infallibility of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and undermine his noble status, so they must be rejected and not accepted, and the status of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, must be absolved of such fabricated and fabricated lies.
Fifth evidence: The verses revealed because of the story do not contain anything that indicates that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, approved of Zaynab, may God be pleased with her. The evidence for this meaning has been presented in the evidence for the first school of thought, and God knows best.


** Footnotes:
(1) The one who said this statement is Muammil bin Ismail, one of the narrators of the hadith.
(2) It was narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (3/149). He said: Muammil bin Ismail told us, Hammad bin Zaid told us, Thabit told us, on the authority of Anas..., and he mentioned it.
This hadith has three defects:
The first: It is narrated by Muammil bin Ismail, who has a poor memory and makes many mistakes. Abu Hatim said: He is truthful, but makes many mistakes. Al-Bukhari said: He is a fabricator of hadith. Al-Ajurri said: I asked Abu Dawud about him, and he glorified him and raised his status, except that he makes mistakes in some matters. Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the trustworthy and said: He may make mistakes. Yaqub ibn Sufyan said: His hadith is not like the hadith of his companions, and the people of knowledge should refrain from narrating his hadith, because he narrates strange things from trustworthy sheikhs, and this is more serious. If these strange things were from weak narrators, we would have made an excuse for him. Al-Saji said: He is truthful but makes many mistakes, and he has delusions that would take too long to mention. Ibn Saad said: He is trustworthy but makes many mistakes. Al-Daraqutni said: He is trustworthy but makes many mistakes. Muhammad ibn Nasr Al-Marwazi said: If he is the only one to narrate a hadith, it is necessary to refrain from narrating it and verify it, because he had a poor memory and made many mistakes. See: Tahdhib Al-Tahdhib (10/339).
The second defect: Muammil bin Ismail was the only one to add a strange addition to this hadith, which is his saying - at the beginning of the hadith - “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to the house of Zayd bin Haritha, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw his wife Zaynab, and it was as if he had entered it.” This hadith was narrated by a group of trustworthy people, on the authority of Hammad ibn Zayd, and they did not mention this addition. Among these narrators are:
1- Mu’alla ibn Mansur: Al-Bukhari included his hadith in his Sahih, in the Book of Interpretation, Hadith (4787), he said: Muhammad ibn Abd al-Raheem told us, Mu’alla ibn Mansur told us, on the authority of Hammad ibn Zayd, Thabit told us, on the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may God be pleased with him: “This verse: {And you conceal within yourself that which God is to reveal} was revealed concerning Zaynab bint 2- Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Muqaddami: Al-Bukhari included his hadith in his Sahih, in the Book of Monotheism, Hadith (7420). He said: Ahmad told us, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Muqaddami told us, Hammad ibn
Zaid told us, on the authority of Thabit, on the authority of Anas, who said: “Zaid ibn Haritha came complaining, so the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, began to say: Fear God and keep your wife.” Anas said: “If the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had concealed something, he would have concealed this.”
3- Ahmad ibn Abdah al-Dabbi: His hadith was included by al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, in the Book of Interpretation, Hadith (3212). He said: Ahmad ibn Abdah al-Dabbi told us, Hammad ibn Zayd told us, on the authority of Thabit, on the authority of Anas, who said: “When this verse was revealed: {And you conceal within yourself that which Allah is to reveal, and you fear the people} concerning Zaynab bint Jahsh, Zayd came complaining, so he intended to divorce her, 4- Affan bin Muslim: His hadith was included by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (15/519) who said: Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Ibrahim, a freed slave of Thaqeef,
told us: Abu Yahya Muhammad bin Abdul Raheem told us: Affan told us: Hammad bin Zaid told us, on the authority of Thabit, on the authority of Anas, who said: “Zaid bin Haritha came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, complaining about Zainab, so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Keep your wife, so the following was revealed: ‘And you conceal within yourself that which Allah is to reveal. ’”
5- Muhammad bin Sulayman: His hadith was narrated by Al-Nasa’i in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra (6/432) who said: I am Muhammad bin Sulayman, on the authority of Hammad bin Zaid, on the authority of Thabit, on the authority of Anas, who said: ...., and he mentioned it, similar to the narration of Ibn Hibban.
The third defect: Mu’ammil bin Ismail hesitated about this addition that he narrated in the hadith, and that is by saying: “I do not know if it was from Hammad’s statement, or in the hadith,” and this indicates the poor memory of him, and that this narration is not preserved in the hadith.
(3) It was narrated by Ibn Sa’d in Al-Tabaqat (8/101) who said: Muhammad bin Umar told us, he said: Abdullah bin Aamer Al-Aslami told me, on the authority of Muhammad bin Yahya bin Hibban who said: ...., and he mentioned it.
Al-Hakim narrated it in Al-Mustadrak (4/25), on the authority of Muhammad bin Umar, on his authority.
Ibn Al-Jawzi narrated it in “Al-Muntazam fi Al-Tarikh” (***) on the authority of Ibn Sa’d, on his authority.
This narration has three defects:
The first: It is on the authority of Muhammad bin Umar, who is Al-Waqidi. Al-Bukhari said: His hadith is abandoned. Ahmad, Ibn al-Mubarak, Ibn Numayr, and Ismail ibn Zakariya abandoned him. He said in another place: Ahmad called him a liar.
Yahya ibn Ma’in said: He is weak. He said once: He is nothing. Ibn Hibban said: He used to narrate inverted hadiths from trustworthy narrators, and problematic hadiths from trustworthy narrators. Ali ibn al-Madini said: Al-Waqidi fabricates hadiths.
See: At-Tarikh al-Kabir by Al-Bukhari (1/178), Al-Majruhin by Ibn Hibban (2/290), and Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (9/323).
The second flaw: Al-Waqidi’s sheikh, who is ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir al-Aslami, is unanimously declared weak. See: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (5/241).
The third flaw: This narration is mursal, because Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hibban was a Tabi’i who died in the year 121 AH. He did not witness the story, and he did not mention who narrated it to him.
(4) It was included by Ibn Jarir in his Tafsir (10/302). He said: Yunus told me, he said: Ibn Wahb told us, he said: Ibn Zayd said..., and he mentioned it.
This narration has two defects:
The first: It is problematic, because Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd was from the second generation of the Tabi’in, and he died in the year 182 AH, so he did not witness the story, and he did not mention the intermediary between him and the one who narrated it from the Companions, may God be pleased with them.
The second reason: There is consensus on the weakness of Ibn Zayd, and among those who weakened him are: Imam Ahmad, Ibn Ma’in, Ibn al-Madini, al-Nasa’i, and Abu Zur’ah. Ibn Hibban said: He used to change the reports without knowing, until it became common in his narrations, from raising the mursal narrations, and the isnad of the mawquf, so he deserved to be abandoned. Ibn Sa’d said: He narrated many hadiths, but was very weak. Ibn Khuzaymah said: He is not one of those whose hadiths are used as evidence by the scholars due to his poor memory. Ibn al-Jawzi said: They agreed on his weakness. See: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (6/161).
(5) It was narrated by ‘Abd al-Razzaq in his Tafsir (3/117), on the authority of Mu’ammar, on the authority of Qatadah, with this chain of transmission.
It was also narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabir (24/41), on the authority of Mu’ammar, with this chain of transmission.
It was narrated by Ibn Jarir in his Tafsir (10/302) and by Al-Tabarani in Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabeer (24/42): Both of them narrated it on the authority of Saeed bin Abi Arubah, on the authority of Qatada, in a similar manner.
Qatada is Ibn Di'amah Al-Sadosi, one of the famous Imams and Hafiz who were known for forgery and frequent mursal. Ahmad bin Hanbal said: I do not know that Qatada heard from any of the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, except from Anas bin Malik.
I say: This narration of his is mursal. Al-Sha'bi said: Qatada was a woodcutter at night. Abu Amr bin Al-Ala' said: Nothing would bother Qatada, and he would take from everyone.
See: Jami' Al-Tahsil (1/254) and Tahdhib Al-Tahdhib (8/317-322).
(6) This narration was mentioned by Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir (14/123), on the authority of Muqatil, but he did not mention a chain of transmission for it. Muqatil is accused of lying and fabricating hadith. Amr bin Ali said: He is a liar and a forsaken hadith narrator. Ibn Saad said: The people of hadith avoid his hadith and reject it. Al-Bukhari said: He is a rejected hadith. He said in another place: Nothing at all. Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hakam said: He was a storyteller and people abandoned his hadith. Abu Hatim said: His hadith is abandoned. Al-Nasa’i said: He is a liar. Ibn Hibban said: He used to take from the Jews and Christians the knowledge of the Qur’an that agreed with their books. He was an anthropomorphist who likened the Lord, glory be to Him, to the creation, and he used to lie in hadith as well. Al-Daraqutni said: He lies, and he counted him among those who are abandoned. Al-Ajli said: His hadith is abandoned. See: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (10/252-253).
(7) Al-Suyuti mentioned this narration in Al-Durr al-Manthur (5/385), and attributed it to Abd ibn Humayd and Ibn al-Mundhir.
This narration is weak because it was mursal by Ikrimah and suspended by Al-Suyuti.
(8) It was narrated by Ibn Adi in Al-Kamil (3/316) He said: Al-Saji told us, Al-Hasan bin Ali Al-Wasiti told us, Ali bin Nuh told us, Muhammad bin Katheer told us, Salim, the freed slave of Al-Sha’bi told us, on the authority of Al-Sha’bi, with the same chain of transmission.
Ibn Adi declared it weak due to Salim, the freed slave of Al-Sha’bi, and weakened it. It is also mursal.
(9) It was narrated by Al-Tabarani in Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabeer (24/44) He said: Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Hadrami told us, Al-Hasan bin Ali Al-Halwani told us, Muhammad bin Khalid bin Uthma told us, Musa bin Ya’qub told me, on the authority of Abd Al-Rahman bin Al-Muneeb, on the authority of Abu Bakr bin Sulayman bin Abi Hathma, with the same chain of transmission.
Abu Bakr bin Abi Hathma was a Tabi’i. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar mentioned him in Al-Taqreeb (2/404) and said: He was a trustworthy Madinan, from the fourth generation. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from him in conjunction with others.
There are two faults in this narration:
The first is that it is mursal, and the second is that Abd Al-Rahman bin Al-Muneeb is unknown, so I did not find his biography.
(10) See: Al-Muharrir Al-Wajeez (4/386).
(11) It was included by Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari in his Tafsir (10/303), and Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir (9/3135, 3137), both of them on the authority of Sufyan bin Uyaynah, on the authority of Ali bin Zaid bin Jud’an, on the authority of Ali bin Al-Husayn, with the same chain of transmission.
Its chain of transmission is weak, due to the weakness of Ali bin Zaid bin Jud’an.
(12) It was narrated from him by: Judge Iyad, in Ash-Shifa (2/117), and Abu al-Abbas al-Qurtubi, in Al-Mufhim (1/406).
(13) It was narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir (9/3137), with a suspended chain of transmission.
(14) See: Al-Mufhim for what is unclear from Talkhis Kitab Muslim (1/406), and Tafsir al-Qurtubi (14/123).
(15) See in order: Al-Intisar li-Naql al-Qur’an by al-Baqillani (2/704), Ash-Shifa (2/118), Al-Fasl fi al-Milal wa al-Ahwa’ wa al-Nihal by Ibn Hazm (2/312), Tafsir al-Baghawi (3/532), Ahkam al-Qur’an by Ibn al-Arabi (3/577), Al-Kashf wa al-Bayan by al-Tha’labi (***), Ash-Shifa by Qadi ‘Iyadh (2/117), Al-Wasit by al-Wahidi (***), Al-Mufhim li-ma Ashkala min Talkhis Kitab Muslim (1/406), Tafsir al-Qurtubi (14/123), Zad al-Masir (6/210), Tafsir Ibn Kathir (3/499), Zad al-Ma’ad (4/266), Fath al-Bari (8/384), Al-Lubab fi ‘Ulum al-Kitab (15/554), Ruh al-Ma’ani (22/278), and Mahasin al-Ta’wil. (8/83), and Izhar al-Haqq (***), and At-Tahrir wa At-Tanwir (***), and Adwaa’ al-Bayan (6/580-583), and Majmu’ Fatawa wa Rasa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (***).
(16) Ash-Shifa (2/117).
(17) Al-Mufhim lima Ashkala min Talkhis Kitab Muslim (1/406), in brief.
(18) See: Tafsir al-Baghawi (3/532), Ash-Shifa (2/117), and Adwaa’ al-Bayan (6/582-583).
(19) See: Ash-Shifa (2/118), and Ahkam al-Quran by Ibn al-‘Arabi (3/578), and Al-Mufhim lima Ashkala min Talkhis Kitab Muslim (1/406).
(20) Because her mother was Umaymah bint ‘Abd al-Muttalib.
(21) See: Ash-Shifa (2/118), and Ahkam al-Quran by Ibn al-‘Arabi (3/577).
(22) See: Adwaa Al-Bayan (6/583).
(23) See: Al-Muharrir Al-Wajeez (4/386).
(24) The graduation of their statements was presented at the beginning of the issue.
(25) It was included by Al-Tabarani in Al-Kabeer (24/43).
(26) See: in order: Tafsir Al-Tabari (10/302), Al-Kashaf (3/524), Tafsir Al-Baydawi (4/376), Tafsir Abi Al-Su’ud (7/105), At-Tashil li-Ulum At-Tanzil (2/152), Umdat Al-Qari (19/119), and Mu’tarak Al-Aqran (2/407).
(27) Tafsir Al-Tabari (10/302).
(28) It was included by Muslim in his Sahih, in the Book of Faith, Hadith (177). (
29) It was included by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, in the Book of Monotheism, Hadith (7420).
(30) See: At-Tahrir wa At-Tanwir (***).
(31) On the authority of Anas, may God be pleased with him, who said: “Zayd ibn Haritha came complaining, so the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, began to say: ‘Fear God and keep your wife.’”
Narrated by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, in the Book of Monotheism, Hadith (7420).
And he narrated it in the Book of Interpretation, Hadith (4787), on the authority of Anas, may God be pleased with him, with the wording: “This verse: ‘And you conceal within yourself that which God is to reveal,’ was revealed concerning Zaynab bint Jahsh and Zayd ibn Haritha.”
It was narrated by Al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, in the Book of Interpretation, Hadith (3212), on the authority of Anas, with the wording: “When this verse was revealed: ‘And you conceal within yourself that which Allah is to reveal, and you fear the people’, concerning Zaynab bint Jahsh, Zayd came complaining, and he intended to divorce her, so he asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for permission, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ‘Keep your husband and fear Allah.’” Al-Tirmidhi said: “A hasan saheeh hadith.”
(32) It is the narration of Anas, may God be pleased with him, which was mentioned at the beginning of the preference, and it is in Al-Bukhari.
(33) It was mentioned in a weak narration that the type of complaint that Zaid presented to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was explicitly stated. Al-Kumait bin Zaid Al-Asadi said: Madhkur - the freed slave of Zainab bint Jahsh - told me on the authority of Zainab bint Jahsh, may God be pleased with her, who said: Several men from Quraysh proposed to me, so my sister Hamna sent to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, to consult him. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to her: Where is she from those who teach her the Book of her Lord and the Sunnah of her Prophet? She said: Who is he, O Messenger of God? He said: Zaid bin Haritha. Hamna became very angry and said: O Messenger of God, should I marry the daughter of your paternal aunt, your freed slave? Zainab said: Then she came to me and told me about that, so I said something stronger than she said and became more angry than she was angry. Then Allah revealed: “It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should have any option in their decision.” [Al-Ahzab: 36] She said: So I sent to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: I seek forgiveness from Allah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Do as you see fit, and marry me to Zaid. I felt sorry for him, but he complained about me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rebuked me. Then I returned and seized him with my tongue, and he complained about me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Keep your wife and fear Allah. He said: O Messenger of Allah, I will divorce her. She said: “So he divorced me. When my waiting period ended, I did not know until the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered my house, and my hair was uncovered. I said: This is an order from the heaven. I said: O Messenger of Allah, without a proposal or witnesses? He said: Allah is the one who marries, and Gabriel is the witness.”
Narrated by Abu Nu`aym in Al-Hilyah (2/51), Al-Tabarani in Al-Kabeer (24/39), Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra (7/136), Al-Daraqutni in his Sunan (3/301), and Ibn `Asakir in his Tarikh (19/357), all of them on the authority of Al-Husayn ibn Abi Al-Sarri Al-`Asqalani, on the authority of Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn A`yan Al-Harrani, on the authority of Hafs ibn Sulayman, on the authority of Al-Kumait ibn Zayd Al-Asadi, with the same chain of transmission.
The hadith is weak, in its chain of transmission is
“Al-Husayn ibn Abi Al-Sarri,” who was declared weak by Abu Dawud, and he was accused of lying. See: Tahdhib Al-Tahdhib (2/314).
And “Hafs bin Sulayman al-Asadi” is an abandoned hadith narrator. See: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib (2/345).
Ibn Abi Hatim narrated in his commentary (9/3137), on the authority of Al-Suddi, regarding his statement: {And when you said to him whom Allah has bestowed favor and whom you have bestowed favor}, he said: “It has reached us that this verse was revealed about Zaynab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her, and her mother was Umaimah bint Abdul Muttalib, the aunt of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He wanted to marry her to Zayd bin Haritha, may Allah be pleased with him, but she disliked that, then she accepted what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did, so he married her to him. Then Allah informed His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, later that she was one of his wives, so he was too shy to order Zayd bin Haritha to divorce her. There would always be some of the things that happen between people between Zayd and Zaynab, so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would order him to keep his wife and to fear Allah, and he feared that people would criticize him, that they would say: He married his son’s wife. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had adopted Zaid.