Zayd ibn Harithah

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Zayd ibn Harithah bigraphy, stories - Sahabah

Zayd ibn Harithah : biography

588 – 629

Zayd ibn Harithah () or Zayd mawla Muhammad (c. 588-629 CE) was a prominent figure in the early Islamic community and the only one of sahaba whose name appears in the Qur’an (). As he was the adopted son of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, before Islam abolished adoption in exchange of Kafala. He was an early convert to Islam and later, a military leader. He died c. 629 CE at the Battle of Mu’tah.

Military expeditions led by Zayd ibn Harithah during the time of Muhammad

During the time of Muhammad Zai’d ibn Haritha led in several military expeditions ordered by Muhammad, the first was the Expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha in al-Jumum, which took place in September, 627AD, 6AH of the Islamic calendar.Note: Book contains a list of battles of Muhammad in Arabic, English translation available

The second was Expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha in al-Is, which took place in September, 627AD, 5th month of 6AH of the Islamic calendar ()

The third was the Expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha in Hisma took place in October, 628AD, 6th month of 7AH of the Islamic calendar.

Marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh

When Muhammad went to the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh to ask her hand for his adopted son, the family was shocked as they were excepting Muhammad to marry Zaynab bint Jahsh who also was his cousin, however the marriage took place, because Muhammad was systematically expunging the society of slavery and racism. His cousin Zaynab was an aristocrat, while Zayd, his adopted son, was not of high caliber and was at the end of the hierarchy. History notes, that when Muhammad emancipated the slaves, he personally would see to it, that they would get married, have a source of income, and try to bring them into the social fabric. Unfortunately the marriage between Zayd and Zaynab did not last long due to the lack of understanding between the couple and later Zayd divorced her. Allah ordered Muhammad to marry her to reinforce the cancellation of that form of adoption, and to remove the social taboo that the ignorant Arabs of old, had implemented in that one could not marry the wife of their adopted son. Abdullah Ibn Umar said, "We only called him Zaid Ibn Muhammad till the verse "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men’ was revealed.""

It is worthwhile to quote here what Ibn Sa`d and al-Tabari said concerning this story:

Muhammad Ibn Yahya Ibn Hayyan narrated, "The Messenger of God came to Zaid Ibn Haritha’s house seeking him. Perhaps the Messenger of God missed him at that time, that is why he said, ‘Where is Zaid?’ He went to his house seeking him and, when he did not find him, Zainab Bint Jahsh stood up to [meet] him in a house-dress, but the Messenger of God turned away from her. She said, ‘He is not here, Messenger of God, so please come in; my father and mother are your ransom.’ The Messenger of God refused to come in. Zainab had hurried to dress herself when she heard that the Messenger of God was at her door, so she leapt in a hurry, and the Messenger of God liked her when she did that. The heart of the Prophet was filled with admiration for her He went away muttering something that was hardly understandable but for this sentence: ‘Praise be to God who disposes the hearts.’ When Zaid came back home, she told him that the Messenger of God came. Zaid asked, ‘You asked him to come in, didn’t you?’ She replied, ‘I bade him to, but he refused.’ He said, ‘Have you heard [him say] anything?’ She answered, ‘When he had turned away, I heard him say something that I could hardly understand. I heard him say, "Praise be to God who disposes the hearts." ‘ Zaid went out to the Messenger of God and said, ‘O Messenger of God, I learned that you came to my house. Did you come in? O Messenger of God, my father and mother are your ransom. Perhaps you liked Zainab. I can leave her.’ The Messenger of God said, ‘Hold on to your wife.’ Zaid said, ‘O Messenger of God, I will leave her.’ The Messenger of God said, ‘Keep your wife.’ So when Zaid left her, she finished her legal period after she had isolated herself from Zaid. While the Messenger of God was sitting and talking with `A´isha, he was taken in a trance, and when it lifted, he smiled and said, ‘Who will go to Zainab to tell her that God wedded her to me from heaven?’ The Messenger of God recited; ‘Thus you told someone whom God had favoured and whom you yourself have favoured: "Hold on to your wife." ‘ `A´isha said, ‘I heard much about her beauty and, moreover, about how God wedded her from heaven, and I said, "For sure she will boast over this with us." ‘ Salama, the slave of the Messenger of God, hurried to tell her about that. She gave her some silver jewellery that she was wearing."