Zaynab bint Jahsh

Zaynab bint Jahsh (590-641 CE) was a wife of Prophet Muhammad and a Mother of the Believers. She came from a noble lineage, being the daughter of Umaymah bint Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet's paternal aunt. Zaynab was first married to Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet's adopted son, at the Prophet's own suggestion. However, the marriage was troubled, and despite the Prophet's efforts to encourage them to remain together, Zayd eventually divorced her.

Allah then commanded the Prophet to marry Zaynab, as revealed in Surah al-Ahzab (33:37). This marriage served a significant legislative purpose: it abolished the pre-Islamic Arabian custom that treated adopted sons identically to biological sons, including the prohibition on marrying a former wife of an adopted son. The Prophet was initially reluctant due to the social stigma, but the divine command was clear. The marriage thus established an important principle in Islamic law.

Zaynab was known for her generosity, piety, and skill in leatherwork and handicrafts, the proceeds of which she donated entirely to charity. The Prophet said of her that she was the most generous of his wives and the quickest to do good. She was also known for her devotion to fasting and prayer. Aisha described her as a rival in virtue, saying, 'I have never seen a woman better in religion than Zaynab, more God-fearing, more truthful, more generous, or more devoted to charity.' Zaynab died in 20 AH (641 CE) in Medina and was the first of the Prophet's wives to pass away after him.