The Beautiful & Touching love Story of Zainab bint Muhammad and Abu Al Aas ibn Rabee (may Allah be pleased with them).

Zainab was the beautiful, beloved and eldest
daughter of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace
and blessings be upon him).
Abu al-’Aas was her cousin, the nephew of her
mother Khadeeja (may Allah be pleased with her).
He was one of the nobles of the Quraish, and a
young family member whom the Prophet (peace be
upon him) loved very much.
Before the Prophet (peace be upon him) received
Prophethood, Abu Al Aas one day came to him. He
had a request and with an earnest and hopeful
voice, he said:
“I wish to marry your eldest daughter.”
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) graciously replied: “I must ask her first.”
So he went to sit with his dear daughter Zainab
and casually broached the subject, “Your cousin
came to see me today and he wishes to marry
you. How do you feel about this? And would you
accept him as your husband?”
So similar in nature and disposition to her father,
Zainab remained silent and her beautiful young
face turned red out of bashfulness but… she
smiled. A smile indicating her acceptance.
Zainab was married to Abu al-’Aas and so began
the tale of a great love story. Their union was
blessed with two children, Ali and Umaymah.
During the period of time when Muhammad
became a Prophet, his son in law Abu al-’Aas was
away from Makkah on business. After his business
trip, Abu al-’Aas returned to find that his beloved
wife was now a Muslim. Not long after he had
returned, Zainab, unable to contain her excitement
of being a Muslim, said to him,
“I have great news for you”.
Perhaps sensing that it would be something
difficult to deal with, Abu al-’Aas stood up and
walked away from her. Zainab was surprised but
she followed him as she said,
“My father became a Prophet and I have become a
Muslim.”
His reply was one of incomprehension and
incredulity, “Why didn’t you tell me first?”
For the first time in their marriage, there ensued a
big problem and difference between the two; a
problem of religion and belief.
She told him firmly, “I wasn’t going to disbelieve in
my father and his message. You know he is not a
liar, he is “As Sideeq and Al Ameen/The Honest
and Trustworthy”.” Trying to convince him that her
decison had being the right one, she continued,
“I’m not the only believer. My mother and my
sisters became Muslims too. My cousin Ali ibn Abi
Talib became a Muslim, your cousin Uthman ibn
Affan became a Muslim, and your friend, Abu Bakr,
has also become a Muslim.”
Overwhelmed by all that she was saying, he
replied, “Well, as for me, I don’t want people to
say, ‘he let his people and his forefathers down,
just to please his wife’.
But because he loved his wife Zainab, as well as
his father in law, Muhammad (peace be upon him),
he continued softly, “And I am not accusing your
father of anything. So will you excuse me and
understand?”
Zainab could only respond as her heart dictated
her too, “Who will excuse and understand you if I
don’t? I will stay beside you and help you until you
reach the truth.”
And she kept her word for 20 years.
Abu al-’Aas remained an unbeliever, and then
came the mandatory migration from Makkah to
Madinah. Zainab unsure of what she needed to do,
went to her father and sought his permission to
stay behind and remain with her husband. The
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
understanding the plight of his daughter
responded,
” Yes, you may remain with your husband and
children”.
So Zainab continued to live in Makkah, as a
Muslim, with her non Muslim husband until the
time drew nearer for the battle of Badr. Abu al-’Aas
was to fight in the army of the Quraish against the
Muslims. For Zainab, it meant that her husband
would be fighting against her father. Undoubtedly a
time Zainab had always feared. In prayer she kept
crying out:
“O Allah, I fear that day the sun will rise and my
children will become orphans or the day I will lose
my father and become an orphan”.
The battle of Badr began and ended in victory for
the Muslims. Abu Al-Aas was one of those
captured by the Muslims, and news of this reached
Makkah. Zainab hesitantly asked,
“How is my father? What has happened to him?”
She was told, ” He is unharmed and the Muslims
won”.
Thenshe asked again hesitantly: “How is my
husband? What has happened to him?”
To this she was told: “He was captured.” So she
prayed to Allah expressing deep gratitude to Him
for protecting them both and answering her prayers
and said, “I’ll send something in payment to
release him.”
She didn’t own anything of much value, except the
necklace that had once belonged to her mother
Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her). So she
took it off and sent it with Abu al-’Aas brother to
purchase the freedom of her husband.
While the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sitting,
taking payments and releasing captives, his eyes
fell on his beloved late wife’s necklace. He held it
up and asked:
“Whose payment is this?”
It was said: “ Abu al-’Aas ibn Rabee.”
At this the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) cried out, his voice heavy with emotion “This
is Khadeeja’s necklace.”
As soon as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) saw the necklace, he was engulfed in a
moment of extreme sadness and his heart filled
with overwhelming emotion at the memories which
flooded his mind and the moment. The
Companions who were present there gazed in
amazement having being captivated by the
magnitude of such an emotional situation.
After what seemed to be a long silence, the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up
and said,
“O my people, this man is my son in-law. Should I
release him? And would you accept the return of
this necklace to my daughter?”
Being a part of the intense moment, they all
answered in unison “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then gave the
necklace to Abu al-’Aas and said to him,
“Tell Zainab not to give away Khadeeja’s
necklace.”
Thereafter he (peace be upon him) quietly added,
“Abu al-’Aas, Can we speak privately?”
He took him aside and softly spoke, “Allah has
ordered me to separate a Muslim and a disbeliever,
so could you please return my daughter to me?”
Abu al-’Aas still having great respect for his father
in law-Muhammad (peace be upon him),
reluctantly agreed.
In the meanwhile Zainab stood at the gates of the
outskirts Makkah waiting for the arrival of her
beloved husband Abu al-’Aas When he finally came
he simply said,
“I am going away”.
Shocked she asked him, “Where to?”
He replied, ” Rather it is not me who is leaving, it
is you. You are to return to your father. It is as he
has requested. We must separate because you are
a Muslim.”
Anguish, hurt and pain at the thought of being
separated from her dear husband, she implored
him, “Won’t you become a Muslim and come with
me?” But tragically he refused.
So Zainab took her son and daughter and travelled
to Madinah. For 6 years she refused to remarry,
hoping that one day Abu al-’Aas would come.
After these 6 years had passed, Abu A-’Aas was
travelling in a caravan from Makkah to Syria.
During the journey, he was intercepted by some of
the Prophet’s companions. He managed to escape
and asked for Zainab’s home. He knocked on her
door shortly before the dawn prayer. She opened
the door and happily exclaimed,
“Have you become a Muslim?”
He shook his head and whispered “No, I have come
as a fugitive.”
She implored him once more “Won’t you become a
Muslim?”
As it had been before, so was it again. He
answered in the negative.
No matter the time and heartbreak, he remained to
be her kin, father of her children and still beloved
to her heart. She said,”Do not worry. Welcome my
cousin, welcome, the father of Ali and Umaymah.”
After the Prophet (peace be upon him) had prayed
the dawn prayer in congregation with the people, a
voice was heard a voice from the back of the
mosque,
“I have freed Abu al-’Aas ibn Rabee.”
It was the right and priviledge of those to free kith
and kin, if they so wished. And so Zainab had
granted Abu al-’Aas freedom.
The Prophet (peace be upon him), addressing the
congregation asked, “Have you heard what I have
heard?”
They all replied in unison, “Yes, we have Oh
Messenger of Allah.”
Zainab then continued, “He is my cousin and the
father of my children and I have freed him.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up and
said, “O people, I declare that this man was a very
good son-in-law, he never broke his promise, and
neither did he tell lies. So if you accept, I will
return his money back to him and let him go. If
you refuse, it’s your decision and I will not blame
you for it.”
The companions themselves, as kind hearted as
their Prophet, agreed, “We will give him his money
and grant him his freedom.”
So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said looked
towards his daughter Zainab and said, “We have
freed the one you have freed, O Zainab.”
Then he (peace be upon him) walked to where she
stood and quietly said to her, “Be generous to him,
he is your cousin and the father of your children,
but don’t let him get near you as a husband. For
he is a disbeliever and that is prohibited for you.”
She replied, “Yes, Oh my father, I will certainly do
as you say.”
She returned to her home, where her husband, still
thinking that he is a fugitive, was waiting. She
addressed him searchingly and said, “O Abu
al-’Aas, didn’t you miss us at all? Won’t you
become a Muslim and stay with us?”
But he sadly once again he refused. Abu al-’Aas
then thanked her for her help, took his money and
returned to Makkah.
Upon returning to Makkah, he addressed the people
and announced,
“O people, here is your money. Is there anything
left? Anything else that I was supposed to return
to you?”
They replied, “No, Abu al-’Aas, there is nothing
left.” And thanked him for his assistance in
carrying out their trade journey to Syria.
Abu al-’Aas’ honour had been satisfied that he
owed no one and he loudly proclaimed, “I testify
that there is no god but Allah, and that
Muhammed is His Messenger.” After all these
years as well as separation from his beloved wife,
he had finally brought Imaan/ Faith and accepted
Islam.
In excitement and anticipation, he hurriedly
returned to Madinah and ran to meet the Prophet
(peace be upon him). Breathless from the
excitement of his reversion and journey, he reached
the Prophet and said, “Dear Prophet of ALLAH, you
freed me yesterday, and today I say to that I have
testified that there is no god but Allah and you are
His Messenger.”
Without skipping a beat he continued and asked
the Prophet (peace be upon him), “Will you give me
permission to go back to Zainab? For me to be her
husband once again?”
The Prophet (peace be upon him), with tears in his
eyes smiled and responded, “Come with me.”
Together, father and son in law made their way to
Zainab’s house and knocked on her door.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
called out to his daughter saying, “O Zainab, your
cousin has accepted Islam and he came to me and
asked if he can return to you as your husband”.
Just like twenty years before, her face turned red
out of bashfulness and modesty and she simply
smiled.
But their happiness together was not meant to
last. Tragically it was but a year after this incident
that Zainab passed away.
Abu al-’Aas was overtaken by grief and shed hot
tears because of her death. His excessive grief
drove those who were around him to tears. The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself
was overcome with grief, his eyes full of tears and
his heart full of sorrow. Zainab’s death reminded
him of the death of his beloved wife, Khadeejah. He
then advised the women, who had gathered around
Zainab’s lifeless body,
“Wash her three times and use camphor in the
third wash.”
Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed his
daughters funeral prayers and placed her in her
final resting place.
Abu al-’Aas returned to his children, Ali and
Umaymah. Kissing them and wetting them with his
tears, he could not help but remember the face of
his departed.
It was shared that Abu al-’Aas would cry so
profusely that the people would see his tears affect
the Prophet himself. Whereby he too would weep
profusely while he attempted to calm his son in
law down.
Abu al ‘Aas would say,
“By Allah, I can’t stand life anymore without my
Zainab.
He died a year later, just one year after Zainab's
death.
Let Allah's love lead the way. It's only in the
Blessings and Obedience of ALLAH, will peace find
its way to the hearts.
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