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Ummul Mukminin Zainab RA was a cousin
of Nabi SAW. She accepted Islam in its early days. Initially, she was
married to Zaid RA, who was a freed slave and the adopted son of
Nabi SAW. He was therefore known as Zaid bin Muhammad SAW. Zaid RA
could not get on well with Zainab RA and at last divorced her. Now,
according to the Pre-Islamic customs, an adopted son was treated as a
real son, so much so that his widow or divorced wife could not be
married to his adopted father. Nabi SAW wanted to break this unfair
custom, so he asked Zainab RA to marry him. When Zainab RA received
the offer, she said: "Let me seek advice from my Allah !"She
then performed Wudhu and stood up in Solah. Her action was blessed by
Allah and the following verse was revealed to Nabi SAW.
When Zainab RA was informed of the
good news that Allah SWT had given her in Nabi's SAW marriage and had
revealed a verse to that effect, in happiness, she gave all her
jewelry that she was wearing at that time to the person who had
informed her. Then she fell down in Sajdah and promised to fast for
two months.
She was very proud of the fact that, while every other
wife of Nabi SAW was given in marriage to him by her relatives, she
was given by Allah SWT, as stated in the Qur’aan. A`ishah RA was
also proud of being the most beloved wife of Nabi SAW and there was
always some rivalry between the two wives. In spite of all this, when
Nabi RA asked Zainab’s RA view about A`ishah RA in the matter of
the slander against A`ishah RA, she said: "I find everything
good in A`ishah RA."
Look at her honesty and character. If
she wished, she could have harmed the status of her rival and lowered
her, in the eyes of their common husband, who loved A`ishah RA. On
the other hand, she praised her in very strong words. Zainab RA was a
very pious lady. She fasted very often and would say her Nafl Solah
regularly. She earned by working with her hands, and spent all that
she earned in the path of Allah SWT.
At the time of Nabi's SAW death, his
wives asked him: "Which one of us will join you first?" He
said: "The one with long arms." They began to measure their
arms with a stick. They, however, came to know later that long hands
meant generous spending in charity. Zainab RA was indeed the first to
die after Nabi SAW. Barazah RA narrates: "Umar decided to pay a
yearly allowance to the Ummahat-ul-Mukminin (wives of Nabi SAW from
the Baitul Maal.
He sent me with 12 000 dirhams to Zainab RA as her
share. She thought that the 12 000 was for all of the wives, and said
to me, 'Umar RA should have asked somebody else to distribute this
money.' I said, 'It is the yearly share for you alone.' She asked me
to throw it in the corner of a room and cover it with a piece of
cloth. Then she mentioned the names of some poor people, widows and
her relatives, and asked me to give one handful to each of them.
After I had distributed the money according to her wishes, some money
was still left under the cloth. I asked her to have something for
myself. She said, 'You take the rest.' I counted the money. It was
eighty four dirhams. Then she lifted her hands in prayer and said,
'O, Allah! keep this money away from me, for it brings temptation.'
She died before the allowance for the next year could be paid to her.
When Umar RA came to know of what she had done with the money, he
sent her another 1000 dirhams for her personal needs, but even those
she spent very quickly. During the last portion of her life, the
Muslims were winning territory after territory, and wealth was
pouring into Madinah Munawwarah, yet she left no money or other
wealth after her, except the house where she lived. She was called
Ma'wal Masaakeen (shelter of the poor), due to her generous spending
in charity."
A woman narrates: "Once Zainab RA
and I were dyeing our clothes with red dye. Nabi SAW came in, but
went out again when he saw us dyeing our clothes. Zainab RA felt
that Nabi SAW had perhaps not liked our clothes being dyed in that
colour. She immediately washed all the dyed clothes till their colour
was gone. When Nabi SAW came again and saw what had been done, he
entered."
Everybody knows the love women have for
money and colours. But look at these ladies, who gave away the money
received by them in charity and got rid of any colour which caused
Nabi SAW to be unhappy.
