In the Name of Allah.
The Prophet (ﷺ) married for many reasons which include legislative, social, political and educational. Let’s talk about the one he married for a legislative reason. She’s the daughter of Umaymah Bint ‘AbdulMuttalib, who was the Prophet’s paternal aunt. She also accepted Islam and became a female companion, through the impact of the teachings of her brother, ‘AbduLlah Ibn Jahsh (RadiyaLlahu ‘Anhu). She’s beautiful, intelligent and of noble birth. She’s one of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) and thus a mother of the believers.
She’s Zaynab Bint Jahsh (RadiyaLLahu ‘Anha). She got married to the Prophet (ﷺ) after Zayd Ibn Harithah (RadiyaLlahu ‘Anhu), the once adopted son of the Prophet (ﷺ), divorced her. There’s something remarkable about their union. We know that the approval of the Waliy (male guardian) of a woman to be wedded is integral. In the case of Zaynab, Allah is her Waliy, and there were in fact revelations regarding their marriage.
In the then Arab custom, it was wrong for a man to marry the widow or divorcee of his adopted son. However, Allah eradicated this oafish custom by making it permissible for the Prophet (ﷺ) to marry Zaynab. There are certain points to be noted regarding their union, and a very striking one is the order clarifying the position of an adopted child. Therein is also a pointer to the fact that a man can marry his female cousin if desired. Thanks to Allah Who grants us the best guidance through our pious predecessors.
I beseech Allah to be Especially Merciful to Zaynab Bint Jahsh. (Aameen)
