Zainab Bint Jahsh

Zainab was a Qurayshi woman. She was beautiful and of noble lineage.

A great number of Qurayshi young men had wanted to marry her but she rejected all of them out of pride in her origin and high lineage.

She was from the highest branch of the clan of Bani Asad.

Her mother was Umaymah, the daughter of 'Abdul-Muttalib, the chief of Quraysh.

She therefore did not want to marry but only a noble man. That was the complexity in her life, and it was of the remnants of the days of ignorance in her heart.

Zainab then lived in the house of prophethood as a mother of the faithful. She was given to observing much fasting and night prayers; and she was a pious worshipper.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would incline to her and keep her company frequently. She would incessantly mention her superiority over other wives of the Prophet ﷺ without hurting any of them. She once told the Prophet ﷺ "O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, I am not like your other wives. There is none among your wives whose father, brother or family had not married her off to you except me. For, it is Allah, from above the heaven, Who married me off to you."

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Verse of Al-Hijab (veiling of women) was revealed in connection with Zainab bint Jahsh. (On the day of her marriage with him) the Prophet (ﷺ) gave a wedding banquet with bread and meat; and she used to boast before other wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) and used to say, "Allah married me (to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the Heavens." Sahih al-Bukhari 7421

Whenever 'A'ishah رضي الله عنه remembered her, she would invoke Allah's mercy on her and describe her, especially concerning her stand during the incidence of slander saying, "Allah protected her with abstention (i.e from wading into the matter)."

A'ishah also mentioned that the Messenger of Allah said: "The quickest of you to join me is the one with the longest hand. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1420

'A'ishah narrated that the Prophet's wives would go to a wall and stretch up their hands in order to know which of them has the longest hand. It would be noted that Zainab was not tall but she was the first of the Prophet's wives to die after him. It is then understood that what the Prophet ﷺ meant by long hand was charity and generosity. And among the purest sources of income is the work done with one's hands.

'A'ishah said: "Zainab was very proud with Allah's Messenger. The Prophet would frequently keep her company. She was given to performing fasting and prayer. She was a skilled craftswoman and she would give charity with the proceeds of her handiwork. "

Ibn Sa'd reported on the authority of al-Qasim ibn Muhammad that Zainab said when she was about to die, "I have prepared my own shroud, and Umar is going to sent a shroud for me. So give out one of them in charity. And if you are able to also give my loincloth in charity you can do so."

'Amrah bint 'Abdur-Rahman al-Ansariyah had the following to tell us: "Umar sent five Harranee cloths, each of them incensed. She was shrouded with them. Her sister, Hamnah gave out the shroud she had prepared for her own burial in charity."

'Amrah narrated that she heard Aishah رضي الله عنه said, "The praiseworthy woman, the devoted worshipper and the refuge of the orphans and the widows is gone."

Zainab died in year 20 A.H. at the age of fifty-three. 'Umar performed funeral prayer on her.

There is indeed a lesson in her person, in her life with Zayd, in her life in the house of prophethood and with her co-wives and even in her death.

Reference:

• Book: Women around the Messenger