13 November 2011

Zainab, Adoption and Uraynah Thieves

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the Peace, Blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him

TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

The Prophet* Marries Zainab with Zaid

Zainab bint Jahsh came from a wealthy tribe and influential background, whereas Zaid, Muhammad’s adopted son, was poor and had at one time been Muhammad’s slave. She had married Zaid on the orders of Muhammad since he wanted to use this marital bond for the purpose of destroying class barriers. The Prophet* had arranged the marriage with the idea of shattering the ancient Arabian barrier against a slave or even a former slave marrying a "free-born" woman. Tradition says that Zainab and her brother were at first against the marriage, but in deference to the Prophet* and with great reservation, Zainab and her brother (acting as Zainab’s guardian) finally consented to it. Zaid was also not disposed to the union, for he was already happily married to another freed slave, Umm Ayman. As much as the Prophet* wanted to use the marriage to break down class barriers, the betrothed were still conditioned by them. On several occasions the couple were about to divorce, but each time the Prophet* persuaded them to persevere and not to separate. He had said on another occasion: "Of all things allowed the most hateful unto God is divorce." And when Zaid came again with the same proposal again the Prophet* insisted that he should keep his wife. But the marriage between Zaid and Zainab had not been a happy one, and Zaid found it no longer tolerable, so by mutual agreement with Zainab he divorced her.

The Prophet* Marries Zainab and Clarification of Adoption

Some months passed and then one day when the Prophet* was talking with one of his wives the power of the Revelation overwhelmed him; and when he came to himself his first words were: "Who will go unto Zainab and tell her the good tidings that God hath given her to me in marriage, even from Heaven?" Salma was near at hand-Safiyyah's servant who had long considered herself a member of the Prophet*'s household -and she went in haste to Zainab's house. When she heard the wonderful tidings, Zainab magnified God and threw herself down in prostration towards Mecca. Then she took off her anklets and bracelets of silver, and gave them to Salma, Zainab was no longer young, being almost in her fortieth year, but she had retained her remarkable beauty. She was, moreover, a woman of great piety, who fasted much and kept long vigils and gave generously to the poor. As a skilled worker in leather she could make shoes and other objects, and all that she earned in this way was for her a means of charity. There could be no question in her case of any formal wedding, for the marriage was announced in the revealed verses as a bond already contracted: “We have married her to thee”. It remained for the bride to be brought to the bridegroom, and this was done without delay.

The verses also said that in future adopted sons should be named after their fathers who begot them; and from that day Zaid was known as Zaid ibn Harithah instead of Zaid ibn Muhammad, as he had been called ever since his adoption some thirty-five years previously. But this change did not annul his adoption as such, nor did it affect in any way the love and the intimacy between the adopter and the adopted, who were now nearing their sixtieth and fiftieth years. It was merely a reminder that there was no blood relationship; and in this sense the Revelation continued: Muhammad is not the father of any man amongst you, but he is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophet*s.

Some argue that this marriage served more than one purpose. First, the Prophet* was responsible for arranging Zainab's marriage to Zaid. In a sense, then, he was also indirectly responsible for the unhappiness she felt in her marriage. Her marriage to the Prophet* now provided her the honour she felt she deserved, and exonerated the Prophet*. Second, Zaid had been adopted as the Prophet*'s son. Eventually, however, the Qur'an prohibited the practice of changing the parental identity of adopted persons. Zaid, then, was to no longer be called "son of Muhammad" but rather "a close friend." The Prophet*'s marriage to the divorced wife of Zaid was a practical demonstration that the adopted relationship was not equal to a real blood-relationship. A man cannot marry the divorced wife of his real son but he can marry the divorced wife of his adopted son. The abolishment of the age-old practice was a positive improvement for the adopted persons. People outside of Islam still continue this practice for their own benefit. They adopt children and rob them of their real identity, making them believe they are real children of the household in which they grow up. When such children realize the truth they suffer much disappointment and grief. The adoptive process continues for the selfish gain of the adoptive parents.

At the same time other Revelations stressed the great difference between the Prophet* and his followers. They were not to address him ever by his name as they addressed each other. The permission which God had given him, in virtue of his new marriage, to have more than four wives, was for him alone, and not for the rest of the community. Moreover, his wives were given the title of the mothers of the faithful, and their status was such that it would be an enormity in the eyes of God if, having been married to the Prophet*, they should ever be given in marriage to another man. If the believers wished to ask a favour of one of them -for their intercession with the Prophet* was often sought -they must do so from behind a curtain. They were also told: O ye who have faith, enter not the dwellings of the Prophet* unto a meal without waiting for its time to come, except if leave be given you. But if ye are invited then enter, and when ye have fed then disperse. Linger not in hope of discourse. Verily that would be irksome unto the Prophet*, and he would shrink from telling you, but God shrinketh not from the truth.

Later, the Prophet* would talk about which wife would die first. He replied: "She of the longest reach will be the soonest of you to join me," whereupon they set about measuring their arms, one against another. Presumably, though it is not recorded, Sawdah was the winner of this contest, for she was the tallest of them and in general the largest. Zainab, on the other hand, was a small woman, with an arm to match. But it was Zainab who died first of them all, some ten years later. Only then did they realise that by "she of the longest reach" the Prophet* had meant the most giving, for Zainab was exceedingly generous, like her predecessor of the same name who had been called "the mother of the poor".

Uraynah Robbers

A group of people from 'Ukl (Eight members B. Uraynah , a Bedouin tribe) came to the Prophet*, embraced Islam and then they were living with the people of As-Suffa, but they became ill as the climate of Medina did not suit them, so they said, "O Allah's Apostle! Provide us with milk." The Prophet* said, I see no other way for you than to use the camels of Allah's Apostle." So they went and drank the milk and urine of the camels, (as medicine) and became healthy and fat. The Prophet* gave them some camels to take with them; instructed them to drink the camel’s milk and urine as medicines. They took the camels in the plain south of Quba for grazing. Following Muhammad’s prescription, they soon recovered from their stomach problem. Then they escaped with the camels by killing the camel herdsman by cutting off his hands and legs and poking thorny spikes into his tongue and eyes. When this news reached Muhammad, he dispatched twenty horsemen in hot pursuit of the robbers. They caught the robbers and recovered all the camels except one. The eight captives were then brought to Muhammad. On Muhammad’s order their arms and legs were cut off and their eyes were put off. The trunks of these wretched victims were then laid side by side in the hot sun in the plain of Al-Harra until they died. On this occasion the verses on the punishment of waging war against Allah and for theft were released (5:39, 33). Abu Qilaba said, "Those people committed theft and murder and fought against Allah and His Apostle."

According to the Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the eight men were killed "according to the law of equality/reciprocity" in Islam. Although the punishment seems severe we must remember that these people left Islam, killed and mutilated a person, stole (highway banditry) things despite being treated kindly by the Prophet* and getting better after following his orders. Some scholars say that other verses later clarified (or abrogated) punishments and we do not find any similar punishments in Islam.

Scholars also derive lessons from the Prophet*’s order to ‘herd the camels and to drink their milk and urine (as a medicine)’. Whilst urine is usually forbidden (Haram) it was allowed for medicinal reasons. Some scholars extrapolate a general principle that, for medicinal reasons or care, things which were haram become permissible based upon this incident. Other scholars are more confined in their interpretation of this incident and what medicines or cures are allowed.

We should also note that modern medicine uses urine ingredients: PREMARIN (name stands for PREgnant MARe urine). This Estrogen product is given to postmenopausal Women (as Hoemone Replacement Therapy – HRT).

Hadith: No time to discuss

Feedback:

The Life of the Prophet

The M5 crash

Juj & Majooj

News:

Death in King's Heath of a young girl on a bike

Quiz: 

Prophets on the different levels of Heaven:
In the First Heaven he saw Adam being shown the souls of his descendents both good and bad. In the Second Heaven he saw Isa (Jesus) and Yayha (John), son of Zachariah. In the Third Heaven he saw the handsome Yusuf (Joseph), son of Yaqub (Jacob). In the Fourth Heaven he saw Idris, the prophet from before the flood. In the Fifth Heaven he saw Moses' older brother, Harun (Aaron), with his long white beard. In the Sixth Heaven Muhammad met a tall man with a hooked nose and Gabriel said it was Musa (Moses). In the Seventh Heaven Muhammad saw an old man with his back against al-Bayt al-Mamur - the gate to Paradise where 70,000 angels pass through each day but do not return until Judgment Day. Gabriel identified him as Ibrahim (Abraham).