Zawaj Abi al-As bi Zaynab bint al-Rabi
- Author died
- 600 AH
- Editions
- مخطوط نُشر في برنامج جوامع الكلم المجاني التابع لموقع الشبكة الإسلامية
Zawaj Abi al-As bi Zaynab bint Rasul Allah (Arabic: جزء في زواج أبي العاص بن الربيع بزينب بنت رسول الله ﷺ) is a specialized hadith monograph (juz') compiled by the Hanbali traditionist Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi (541–600 AH / 1146–1203 CE) . The work brings together transmitted reports concerning the companion Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi and his marriage to Zaynab bint Muhammad, the eldest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad .
Subject Matter and Scope
The collection compiles eighteen transmitted reports documenting the life of Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi and his marital ties to the Prophet's family . The reports address:
- Lineage and names: Abu al-As belonged to the Qurayshite clan of Banu Abd Shams; his mother was Hala bint Khuwaylid, the sister of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, making him Zaynab's maternal cousin . The text records differing opinions regarding his given name, noting that it was said to be Laqit, Muhashsham, al-Qasim, or Yasir, and that he was nicknamed Jarw al-Batha' .
- Children: Zaynab bore Abu al-As two children: Ali, whom the Prophet rode behind him on his mount on the day of the conquest of Mecca, and Umamah bint Abi al-As, whom the Prophet carried during prayer . Following the death of Fatimah, Ali ibn Abi Talib married Umamah, and after Ali's death she was married to al-Mughirah ibn Nawfal ibn al-Harith—or, according to another report, to Abu al-Hayyaj ibn Abi Sufyan ibn al-Harith .
- Captivity and protection: Abu al-As was taken captive at the Battle of Badr by Khirash ibn al-Simmah and was subsequently released without ransom after Zaynab sent a necklace as ransom . Later, when he returned from Syria with a trading caravan and the Muslims planned to seize his wealth, Zaynab granted him protection (ijarah), which the Prophet upheld .
- Conversion and return of marriage: After returning the trusts and properties of the Meccans, Abu al-As converted to Islam and migrated to Medina . The text records the juristic dispute over their reunion: reports state that the Prophet returned Zaynab to him under their original pre-Islamic marriage contract, while another transmitted report mentions that he returned her with a new marriage contract and dowry .
- Prophetic praise: The monograph documents the Prophet's public commendation of Abu al-As as an exemplary son-in-law: إِنَّهُ حَدَّثَنِي فَصَدَقَنِي، وَوَعَدَنِي فَوَفَّى لِي ("He spoke to me and was truthful to me, and he made promises to me and fulfilled them") .
- Poetry and demise: The text cites poetic verses Abu al-As composed while traveling in Syria, expressing his longing for Zaynab . It records that Zaynab died in 8 AH, and lists differing reports on Abu al-As's death: that he died in Dhu al-Hijjah 12 AH, or in Dhu al-Hijjah 13 AH, or was martyred at the Battle of Yamama .
Method and Transmission
Al-Maqdisi arranges the monograph as an uninterrupted sequence of hadiths and biographical narrations (riwayāt), each preceded by full chains of transmission (asānīd) connecting him to early authorities . His primary shaykhs for these transmissions include Abu Tahir al-Silafi in Alexandria and Cairo, Abu Musa al-Madini in Isfahan, and teachers in Baghdad such as Mas'ud ibn Ubayd Allah al-Saffar and Abd al-Haqq ibn Abd al-Khaliq . Through these paths, he transmits from early works and compilations by al-Daraqutni, al-Tabarani, Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani, Ibn Mandah, Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Hisham, al-Waqidi, Ibn Sa'd, and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi .
Publication
The tract was published under the title Juz' fihi Zawaj Abi al-As ibn al-Rabi bi Zaynab bint Rasul Allah, edited by Musa'id ibn Salim Al Abd al-Qadir and issued by Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah .
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