Islamic Timeline of RevelationOpen in flowchart →Zaynab bint Muhammad (RA)
زينب بنت محمد
The Prophet's eldest daughter, wife of Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi'. She emigrated to Madinah after Badr, and her husband later embraced Islam and was reunited with her.
Biography
Zaynab married her cousin Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi' before Islam. She accepted Islam while he remained a polytheist and fought at Badr, where he was captured. Zaynab sent Khadijah's necklace to ransom him; the Prophet ﷺ was deeply moved and the companions released him on condition that he send Zaynab to Madinah (Sunan Abi Dawud, graded hasan). Abu al-As later accepted Islam and she was returned to him.
Their children were Ali (died young) and Umamah. She died in 8 AH and the Prophet ﷺ instructed the women washing her body (Sahih Bukhari; Sahih Muslim, hadith of Umm Atiyyah). The Quran addresses 'your daughters' in the plural (33:59), consistent with the Sunni position that the Prophet ﷺ had four daughters.
Sources & explanation
📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com
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Sahih al-Bukhari 516 Sahih
The Prophet ﷺ prayed carrying Umamah, daughter of Zaynab and Abu al-'As ibn al-Rabi'.
💬 Explanation Unverified
Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's perspective
Methodological note (not a direct quote): Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's widely known approach is to build narratives primarily on the Quran and Sahih Hadith, to set aside Israiliyat (Judeo-Christian lore absorbed into later tafsir) and weak or fabricated narrations, and to avoid sectarian framing. Applied to this node: The four-daughters position is anchored in 33:59 and Sahih hadith.
Further references
- Quran 33:59
- Sahih Bukhari & Muslim (Umm Atiyyah on washing Zaynab)
- Sunan Abi Dawud (necklace ransom)
Connections
Comes from
- Prophet Muhammad ﷺ father of — Child
- Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (RA) mother of — Child
Leads to
- Ali ibn Abi al-As (RA) mother of — Child
- Umamah bint Abi al-As (RA) mother of — Child
Linked with
- Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi' (RA) married — Spouses