The Controversy Surrounding Muhammad's Marriage to Zainab Bint Jahsh: Exploring the Historical and Cultural Context

Orientalists and other adversaries of Islam often bring up the issue of Prophet Muhammad's marriage to Zainab bint Jahsh in an attempt to criticize him. This is a significant and delicate matter.

In Western culture, an adopted son is considered as a real son, so a foster father cannot marry the former wife of his foster child. This was also the case among pre-Islamic Arabs. Marrying one's adopted son's ex-wife, even if she was divorced, was seen as taboo. Muhammad (peace be upon him) anticipated criticism if he married Zainab bint Jahsh, so he kept it a secret. In response, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) revealed the following verse 33:37

And (remember) when you said to him (Zaid bin Harithah, the freed slave of the Prophet SAW) on whom Allah has bestowed Grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you (O Muhammad SAW too) have done favour (by manumitting him) “Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah.” But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what Allah has already made known to you that He will give her to you in marriage) that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., Muhammad SAW married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him.

So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them). And Allah’s Command must be fulfilled

Following the revelation of this verse, Muhammad (pbuh) challenged the prevailing Arabian customs by marrying Zainab bint Jahsh immediately after her waiting period following divorce ended. Through this marriage, the Prophet (s.a.w.) made it unequivocally clear that in Islam, an adopted son holds a different status from a biological son, thus allowing the guardian of an adopted son to marry a woman who was previously married to the adopted son. Nevertheless, this event triggered numerous accusations against him by the munafiqun (hypocrites), who claimed that Muhammad forbade marrying the wives of sons while he himself married Zaid's former wife, this accusation against Muhammad pbuh, led to the revelation of this verse.

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is Allah's Messenger and the seal of the prophets. Quran 33:40

This verse criticized the tradition of the Pre-Islamic Arabs where adopted children were treated as biological children. Zayd, who was previously known as Zayd bin Muhammad, had his name changed back to Zayd bin Haritha after the revelation of the verse stating that Muhammad is not the father of any man. Ibn Umar recounts that they used to refer to him as the son of Muhammad until this verse was revealed.

Following these incidents, the conventional practice of adoption ceased to be acknowledged in Islam. Consequently, the marriage of our Holy Prophet to Zainab Bint Jahsh can be interpreted as a means to invalidate the customary laws related to adopting children.

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