Patience in Islam: The Story of Zaynab bint Muhammad ﷺ

Patience in Islam: The Story of Zainab bint Muhammad ﷺ

There are many examples of patience in Islam but one you may not know about is of Zaynab bint Muhammad ﷺ.

That’s right – the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ.

Like many others, her life story is a model of patience in Islam and is a great example of how to have unwavering belief in Allah whilst balancing responsibilities and loyalties to one’s spouse/ family.

If you enjoy reading Sahaba stories and how they struggled with daily habits similar to you, read the story of Ka’ab ibn Malik رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ. Procrastination caused him to miss out on a great opportunity in life (you may relate to this!), and it was an experience that he never forgot and had to learn from.

I personally love hearing stories of Sahaba dealing with issues that we deal with in our day-to-day lives as it reminds me that as inspirational and noble as they were, they were also normal people with struggles and desires too.

These stories of how Sahaba dealt with daily struggles that you deal with in your own life is a great way to build connections with them. It also helps to relate to them and feel encouraged that if they struggled with these traits, you can get through it as well.

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Why you MUST stop procrastinating: The Repentance Story of Ka’ab ibn Malik

Taqwa: Meaning & Explanation

Zaynab bint Muhammad ﷺ : A Model of Patience in Islam

Early Life & Marriage

Born 10 years before her father’s prophethood, Zaynab bint Muhammad ﷺ was the eldest child of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Khadijah bint Khuwaylid رضي الله عنها.

As such, she supported her mother with raising and mentoring her younger sisters Ruqayya رضي الله عنها, Um Kulthum رضي الله عنها and Fatima رضي الله عنها, may Allah be pleased with them all.

She was a natural leader and caregiver, and was greatly loved by the Prophet ﷺ .

At the age of 10, her father ﷺ became the final Prophet. As a result, she grew up watching the persecution, struggle and torture that he faced, and had to endure these conditions along with her family.

Just from this, I’m sure you can see how patient Zaynab had to be as she grew up. From patiently bringing up her younger sisters to bearing persecution, discrimination and torture at such a young age. But there’s more.

At the age of 18, she married her maternal aunt’s son (her cousin) named Abu al-As ibn al-Rabee’ ibn Abdul Uzza. She had two children by him named Ali (who sadly passed away by the age of 6) and Umama رضي الله عنها.

Abu al-As had similar traits to the Prophet ﷺ as he was a merchant and was known for his qualities of honesty, and the Prophet ﷺ loved him for it. Abu al-As was also a good husband to Zaynab and took care of her.

Being Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ daughter, Zaynab was also amongst the first group of people to accept Islam.

But, Abu al-As ibn al-Rabee’ refused to become a Muslim.

After the declaration of Muhammad’s ﷺ prophecy, Abu al-As ibn al-Rabee’ was pressured to divorce Zaynab, but he refused. This was something that the Prophet ﷺ appreciated about Abu Al-As, that he didn’t break his relationship with Zaynab due to societal pressure.

Overall, he loved his tribe and his family. He didn’t want to become Muslim because he didn’t want society to think that he accepted Islam because of his wife, nor did he leave his wife just because of societal pressure as he truly loved her.

Bare in mind, that at this point in time, the ruling that a Muslim woman could not marry a non-Muslim man was not yet revealed.

Eventually, when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated from Makkah with his family, Zaynab had to remain behind with her husband and children.

Migration

In the Battle of Badr, Abu al-As was captured by the Muslims as he was on the opposing side (he was forced to do this). Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated that it was possible for the captures of war to be set free if a ransom was paid by the family. Hearing her husband had been captured by the Muslims, Zaynab sent the necklace her mother Khadijah gave as a wedding gift to her as ransom for her husband.

When the necklace arrived in Madinah and was seen by the Prophet ﷺ , he broke into tears.

At this time, Allah ﷻ also sent down the order that believers and non-believers could no longer be in marital relationships. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ asked permission of the companions to set Abu al-As free without the ransom but with the promise that Abu al-As would send Zaynab to Madina, to which they accepted.

This arrangement was done as asked, and when Abu al-As returned to Makkah, he sent Zaynab back to Madinah to her father, family and fellow Muslims. As a result, Zaynab رضي الله عنها became a single mother of two children in Madinah, as she was now separated from her husband.

In source (2), Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans also mentions that as Zaynab was leaving Makkah to go to Madina the Quraysh, who saw it as an embarrassment that one of their men’s wives were being taken elsewhere, goaded Zaynab’s camel to the point that she was thrown off and had a miscarriage.

Once in Madinah, Zaynab decided not to get married again in the hope that Abu Al’Aas would become Muslim one day and her family would be reunited.

This lasted one year, two years, three years and finally, six years where she remained unmarried, hoping that her ex-husband would see the light and come back.

Finally, six years after their separation, during one of Abu al-As’s trade trips, his caravan was intercepted by the Muslims and once again, he became a prisoner in Madinah. There, he covertly sought the help of Zaynab and asked for her protection. Zaynab رضي الله عنها boldly stepped out and announced that Abu al-As was under her protection and care and that no one was allowed to attack him.

You might thing this is strange? An enemy of the Muslims being allowed to live amongst the Muslims just because his wife said he could?

In fact, this was a common custom at the time, whereby whoever reached a Muslim and asked them for protection (regardless of their religion), became safe and was considered under the protection of that household.

Surprised by the boldness of Zaynab’s actions, Muhammad ﷺ once again freed Abu al-As’ after consulting with his companions.

However, while he was staying in her household, Muhammad ﷺ told her that she could give Abu al-As’ protection as per the custom but they were not allowed to live together as a wife and husband would.

Eventually, with the support and persistence of his wife to help him find the straight path, Abu al-As’ accepted Islam and Abu al-As’ and Zaynab were both remarried by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ .

Sadly, on the 8th year after Hijrah, Zaynab ibn Muhammad ﷺ passed away. During her migration from Makkah to Madinah, she was assaulted and in that process hit a rock and had severe injuries. She managed to live in Madina for a few years but eventually succumbed to her injuries. Her Janazah was prayed by her beloved father, Muhammad ﷺ , and she was even laid and buried in the grave by him.

Please refer to the sources below if you would like to know more about this story as some nuances have been taken out for brevity purposes.

How to Balance Deen and Dunya

Dunya and Deen – How to Balance Both (Part 2)

How To Learn The 99 Names Of Allah

How To Repent Our Sins (Including a Step-by-Step Guide)

Lessons on Patience in Islam from The Story of Zaynab bint Muhammad ﷺ

There many lessons to be learnt about patience in Islam from this brave and courageous woman, some of them being the following:

The great patience of Zaynab رضي الله عنها – Not only did she suffer in the early years of her life when the Muslims were persecuted and later when she was alone in Makkah after the Prophet ﷺ had migrated but, rather than leaving her husband, her love and dedication to him meant that she patiently waited for him to find the straight path. Similarly, she had to be patient as she helped bring up her sisters. Sometimes, siblings do annoying things we don’t like. But, Zaynab’s example shows how leadership, positive mentorship and care can foster the growth of inspiring young people like her sisters, who went on to become great Islamic figures as well.

Zaynab رضي الله عنها maintained integrity as a wife. When her non-Muslim husband was captured by her father’s companions, she could have easily used her advantage of being his daughter and ask Muhammad ﷺ to free her husband without ransom. But, she was prepared to pay this ransom just like anyone else. (2)

Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ patience – despite being the final prophet and messenger of Islam, Muhammad’s ﷺ daughter was married to a non-Muslim. To deal with such a situation, he had to remain patient and treat the matter delicately. It goes to show that our beloved Prophet ﷺ also had to deal with familial matters just like we do. But, his way of dealing with it produced a positive result – where his daughter was reunited with her husband, who became Muslim. Could this be taken as food for thought when dealing with matters in your own family? Rather than bursting out, getting angry and trying to force things, this story shows how handling things patiently and delicately is more beneficial. Of course, despite dealing with these matters in that way, results may not come out the way we hope or expect. But, whatever happens is according to Allah’s plan. And, if we follow the sunnah in this life, it will only add to your rewards in the hereafter.

Her courage and dedication – even though things did not look favourable, Zaynab رضي الله عنها followed her heart and believed in the best for her husband, and her family. Despite her father being the final Prophet and Messenger, Zaynab’s love for her husband meant she could not abandon him and she fought to save him. Of course, this is a very unique situation, where a Muslim woman was married to a non-Muslim man for a period of time, and we must follow the rulings of Islam as they are now. But on a wider scale, it makes me question that should we have more patience with the people who are not on the straight path, whether they are your parent, sibling or friend? Rather than get frustrated with them, we should pray and make dua’ to Allah that they will be guided. It can be especially heart-breaking when someone close to you is going through a dip in faith, but staying dedicated and helping them back patiently and delicately is something we should strive to do.

Her boldness and strength – In two instances in this story we see Zaynab’s رضي الله عنها boldness and strength: when she sends her necklace to free her husband, and when she announces out loud that he would be under her protection (the boldness of this second action even shocked Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them). These events show that Zaynab was a woman of action, she wasn’t complacent and fought for what she believed in, without conflicting with the rulings of Islam. This is an incredible trait that we should all adopt; to be proactive, steadfast and courageous when making decisions and taking actions.

Are there any other lessons you have taken from this amazing story of patience in Islam about Zaynab bint Muhammad ﷺ ?

Comment below, and let’s start a discussion! : )

SOURCES:

(1) Zainab Bint Muhammad (ra) | Builders of a Nation Ep. 18 | Dr Haifaa Younis | Jannah Institute |

(2) With Patience and Piety: Zaynab Bint Muhammad – Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans | Family of The Prophet SAW

(3) Zaynab Bint Muhammad (saw): The First Daughter (ra) | Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research