16
“And remember when you said to the one whom Allah had favored and whom you had favored, ‘Keep your wife and fear Allah,’ while concealing within yourself that which Allah was to disclose. You feared people, though Allah has more right that you fear Him. Then, when Zayd had fulfilled his desire for her, We married her to you, so that there would be no difficulty for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons after they have fulfilled their desire for them. And the command of Allah is ever carried out.” (37)
His words, exalted is He: “And remember when you said to the one whom Allah had favored and whom you had favored, ‘Keep your wife’”—to the end of the verse—were revealed concerning Zaynab (1). After the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had married Zaynab to Zayd, she remained with him for some time. Then one day the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Zayd on some business and saw Zaynab standing in a tunic and head-covering. She was fair-complexioned, beautiful, and of fine figure—among the most perfectly formed women of Quraysh. She took hold in his heart, and her beauty pleased him, so he said, “Glory be to Allah, the Turner of hearts,” and departed.
When Zayd returned, she told him of this. Zayd understood, and at once a dislike for her was cast into Zayd’s heart. (2)
(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in al-Tafsir, chapter: “You conceal within yourself what Allah will disclose, and you fear people, whereas Allah has greater right that you fear Him,” 8/523.
(2) Although this report has been related by a number of Quran commentators, critical scholars have rejected it. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated in Fath al-Bari, 8/524: “Other reports have been transmitted by Ibn Abi Hatim and al-Tabari and cited by many commentators; one should not occupy oneself with them. What I have cited is the relied-upon account.” This judgment carries considerable weight. Earlier, Ibn Hajar had cited reports on this matter and commented on them, saying: “Ibn Abi Hatim transmitted this account through al-Suddi in a clear and sound form. Its wording is: ‘We have been informed that this verse was revealed concerning Zaynab bint Jahsh, whose mother was Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib, the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah wished to marry her to his freedman Zayd ibn Harithah, but she disliked this. She then accepted what the Messenger of Allah had arranged, and he married her to Zayd. Thereafter, Allah informed His Prophet that she would be among his wives. He was reluctant to order Zayd to divorce her. Disputes continued to arise between Zayd and Zaynab, as occur between people, so the Messenger of Allah instructed him to keep his wife and fear Allah. He feared that people would criticize him and say, “He married his son’s wife,” for he had adopted Zayd.’ He also transmitted, through Ali ibn Zayd, from Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Ali, who said: ‘Allah informed His Prophet that Zaynab would be among his wives before he married her. When Zayd came to complain about her, he told him: “Fear Allah and keep your wife.” Allah said: “I had already informed you that I would marry her to you, yet you concealed within yourself what Allah would disclose.”’
This indicates, and Allah knows best - may He preserve you - that: (1) the reports concerning this account are weak in their chains of transmission; (2) they contradict the Prophet’s ismah (divinely protected infallibility) and his rank; (3) had what the Prophet concealed been his love for her, Allah would have disclosed it, as al-Baghawi stated; rather, Allah disclosed that he would marry her; and (4) the Prophet himself had proposed her to Zayd ibn Harithah. She was his paternal cousin, and he had seen her from childhood until adulthood; so why would love for her not have entered his heart then? And how could such love arise after she had married his freedman?
For further discussion, see al-Shifa by Qadi Iyad, 2/878-880; Hayat Muhammad by Muhammad Husayn Haykal, pp. 322-326; al-Israiliyyat wa al-Mawduat fi Kutub al-Tafsir by Muhammad Abu Shahbah, pp. 452-458; Ruh al-Ma'ani by al-Alusi, 22/24-25; al-Bahr al-Muhit, 7/234-235; Fi Zilal al-Quran, 5/2865-2869; and Zahir Awad al-Alma'i, With Quran Commentators and Orientalists on the Prophet’s Marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh.
﴿وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ وَاتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَتُخْفِي فِي نَفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ تَخْشَاهُ فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا (٣٧) ﴾
قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِذْ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِي أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْسِكْ عَلَيْكَ زَوْجَكَ﴾ الْآيَةَ، نزلت في زينت (١) وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمَّا زَوَّجَ زَيْنَبَ مِنْ زَيْدٍ مَكَثَتْ عِنْدَهُ حِينًا، ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَتَى زَيْدًا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ لِحَاجَةٍ، فَأَبْصَرَ زَيْنَبَ قَائِمَةً فِي دِرْعٍ وَخِمَارٍ وَكَانَتْ بَيْضَاءَ جَمِيلَةً ذَاتَ خَلْقٍ مِنْ أَتَمِّ نِسَاءِ قُرَيْشٍ، فَوَقَعَتْ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَأَعْجَبَهُ حُسْنُهَا، فَقَالَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مُقَلِّبِ الْقُلُوبِ وَانْصَرَفَ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَ زَيْدٌ ذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ، فَفَطِنَ زَيْدٌ، فَأُلْقِيَ فِي نَفْسِ زَيْدٍ كَرَاهِيَتُهَا فِي الْوَقْتِ (٢)
(١) أخرجه البخاري في التفسير، باب: "وتخفي في نفسك ما الله مبديه وتخشى الناس والله أحق أن تخشاه" ٨ / ٥٢٣.
(٢) هذه الرواية وإن ساقها عدد من المفسرين إلا أن المحققين من أهل العلم ردوها، قال الحافظ ابن حجر في فتح الباري: ٨ / ٥٢٤ "ووردت آثار أخرى أخرجها ابن أبي حاتم والطبري ونقلها كثير من المفسرين لا ينبغي التشاغل بها، والذي أوردته هو المعتمد" وهذه شهادة لها قيمتها، وقد ذكر ﵀ قبل هذا روايات في الموضوع وعلق عليها إذ قال: "وقد أخرج ابن أبي حاتم هذه القصة من طريق السدي فساقها سياقًا واضحًا حسنًا ولفظة "بلغنا أن هذه الآية نزلت في زينب بنت جحش، وكانت أمها أميمة بنت عبد المطلب عمة رسول الله ﷺ، وكان رسول الله ﷺ أراد أن يزوجها زيد بن حارثة مولاه فكرهت ذلك، ثم إنها رضيت بما صنع رسول الله ﷺ فزوجها إياه، ثم أعلم الله ﷿ نبيه ﷺ بعدُ أنها من أزواجه فكان يستحي أن يأمر بطلاقها، وكان لا يزال يكون بين زيد وزينب ما يكون بين الناس، فأمره رسول الله ﷺ أن يمسك عليه زوجه وأن يتقي الله، وكان يخشى الناس أن يعيبوا عليه ويقولوا تزوج امرأة ابنه، وكان قد تبنى زيدا. وعنده من طريق علي بن زيد عن علي بن الحسين بن علي قال: أعلم الله نبيه ﷺ أن زينب ستكون من أزواجه قبل أن يتزوجها، فلما أتاه زيد يشكوها إليه قال له: اتق الله وأمسك عليك زوجك، قال الله: قد أخبرتك أني مزوجكها وتخفي في نفسك ما الله مبديه". هذا والله أعلم -حفظك الله- أن: ١- الروايات في هذه القصة ضعيفة من حيث السند. ٢- تتنافى مع عصمة النبي ﷺ ومكانته. ٣- لو كان الذي أخفاه ﵊ هو محبته لها لأظهره الله تعالى -كما ذكر البغوي- ولكن الله تعالى أظهر أنه سيتزوجها. ٤- وقد كان ﷺ هو الذي خطبها على زيد بن حارثة، وكانت ابنة عمته، وهو يراها مذ كانت طفلة حتى كبرت فلم لم يقع حبها في قلبه؟ وكيف يقع هذا الحب في قلبه بعد أن يتزوجها مولاه؟ وإن أردت أن تتوسع فانظر: الشفا القاضي عياض: ٢ / ٨٧٨-٨٨٠، حياة محمد لمحمد حسين هيكل ص ٣٢٢-٣٢٦- الاسرائيليات والموضوعات في كتب التفسير لمحمد أبو شهبة ص ٤٥٢-٤٥٨، روح المعاني للآلوسي: ٢٢ / ٢٤-٢٥، البحر المحيط: ٧ / ٢٣٤-٢٣٥، في ظلال القرآن: ٥ / ٢٨٦٥-٢٨٦٩، وللدكتور زاهر عواض الألمعي كتاب: "مع المفسرين والمستشرقين في زواج النبي ﷺ بزينب بنت جحش".