left anything of yours in my possession?”
They replied, “No—may Allah reward you with goodness.”
He continued, “Then I testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. By Allah, nothing held me back from embracing Islam while I was with him except the fear that you might think I wanted only to consume your wealth.”
He then set out and came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Ibn ʿAbbās reported: The Prophet ﷺ restored Zaynab to him on the basis of their first marriage; he introduced no new terms.
70 – Zaynab, the eldest daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
This Zaynab (2) was indeed the eldest of the Prophet’s daughters ﷺ. She died in the eighth year after the Hijrah, and Umm ʿAṭiyyah washed her body.
He gave the women his waist-cloth and said, “Shroud her in it.” (3)
(1) The full account is found in Ibn Hisham, 1/653–659, and in al-Hakim, 3/236–237.
The hadith of Ibn Abbas is transmitted in Musnad Ahmad, nos. 1876, 2366, 3290; Abu Dawud, no. 2240, Book of Divorce – “Chapter: Up to what point a wife may return to her husband when he embraces Islam”; al-Tirmidhi, no. 1143, Book of Marriage – “Chapter: Concerning two polytheist spouses when one of them accepts Islam”; Ibn Majah, no. 2009, Book of Marriage – “Chapter: When one of the spouses accepts Islam before the other”; al-Darqutni, p. 396; and al-Hakim, 3/638–639, through the chain of Ibn Ishaq – Dawud b. al-Husayn – Ikrima – Ibn Abbas.
Dawud is of moderate reliability, and his report from Ikrima is regarded as objectionable; yet the narrative is supported by sound mursal corroborations from Amir, Qatada and Ikrima b. Khalid, recorded by Ibn Saad in al-Tabaqat, Abd al-Razzaq in the Musannaf (no. 12647) and al-Tahawi in Sharh Maani al-Athar, 2/149.
The report of Amr b. Shuaib – from his father – from his grandfather, alleging that the Prophet restored his daughter to Abu al-As through a new marriage contract, is weak. It is cited by Ahmad (no. 6938), al-Tirmidhi (no. 1142), Ibn Majah (no. 2010), al-Darqutni, p. 396, and al-Bayhaqi, 7/188. Its chain contains Hajjaj b. Artaah, a mudallis whose narration is not admissible.
Imam Ahmad, after quoting it, said: “This hadith is weak, even unsound; Hajjaj did not hear it from Amr b. Shuaib but from Muhammad b. Ubayd al-Arzumi.” Al-Arzumi’s reports are of no value.
Al-Tirmidhi commented: “There is discussion concerning the isnad of this hadith.”
Al-Darqutni said: “It is not established, and Hajjaj is not a proof.”
(*) Principal biographical sources: Ibn Saad, al-Tabaqat, 8/30; Nasab Quraysh, pp. 22, 157, 158, 219, 231; Khalifa, Tarikh, p. 92; al-Tarikh al-Saghir, 1/7–8, 17; al-Istiab, 13/24; Usd al-Ghaba, 7/130; Tahdhib al-Asma wa-l-Lughat, 2/344; al-Ibar, 1/10; Majma al-Zawaid, 9/212–216; al-Aqd al-Thamin, 8/222–223; al-Isaba, 12/273.
(2) The author inserted here a brief notice on Zaynab while dealing with the biography of her husband, Abu al-As. Above the word “Zaynab” he wrote: “Will be repeated.” He later devoted to her a separate, detailed entry, vol. 2, no. 121; consult it there.
(3) Reported by al-Bukhari (no. 1254) in the Book of Funerals, “Chapter: It is recommended that the deceased be washed an odd number of times,” on the authority of Umm Atiyya, may Allah be pleased …