[3] ” But Allah soon revealed...

[3] ” But Allah soon revealed: ادْعُوهُمْ لِآبَائِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ اللَّهِ [4] “Call them after their fathers. That is more just with Allah.” This verse redefined adoption, making clear that while love and care for adopted children are encouraged, changing their lineage is not allowed. However, the Arabic word ’aqsat / (more equitable) used here means that if you call them by adapted fathers’ names, it is just, and by their real fathers’ names is more equitable [5] .

Zaynab bint Jaḥsh, the Prophet’s cousin, came from a noble Qurayshi family. Her father was Jahsh ibn Riʿāb ibn Yaʿmur ibn Ṣabra ibn Murrah ibn Kabīr ibn Ghanm from the Asad ibn Khuzaymah tribe, and her mother was Umaymah, the daughter of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn Quṣayy. She was known for her dignity, strength, and deep faith.

[6] Al-Ṭabarī narrates, based on a report from ʿIkrimah through Ibn ʿAbbās, that when the Prophet (PBUHH) proposed Zaynab’s hand to his freed slave and beloved companion, Zayd ibn Ḥārithah, to show that Islam valued faith over family status, but she initially refused, citing her superior lineage. However, Allah then revealed a verse (Qur’an 33:36) commanding the marriage [7] . Upon Zaynab’s consent, the Prophet (PBUHH) personally officiated their union. This act alone was revolutionary.

It broke through the old social hierarchies that placed birth and tribe above moral character. The Circumstances Leading to the Prophet’s Marriage After initially hesitating, Zaynab consented to the Prophet’s proposal to Zayd. Their marriage, however, faced difficulties and ended in divorce [8] .

Following Allah’s command, the Prophet (PBUHH) then married Zaynab, acting on divine instruction rather than personal desire: فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِّنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا [9] “So when Zayd had got through with her, We wedded her to you, so that there may be no blame on the faithful in respect of the wives of their adopted sons…” This verse makes it crystal clear that the Prophet’s Marriage to Zaynab was not his personal choice; it was a command from Allah.

The phrase “We wedded her to you” emphasizes that it was Allah Himself who ordained this union [10] , to abolish false social taboos and reshape family law for the Muslim community.

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