When we discuss the empowering and emblematic life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we often focus on his role as a Messenger, a leader, and a reformer. However, we often forget his role as a kind, loving, and devoted father who raised four daughters with the most perfect examples of love, wisdom, and purpose that helped shape the future of the Muslim Ummah. Among these daughters was Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad, and she was his eldest child who tells a quiet but powerful story of devotion, hardship, and resilience.
Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad was born in Makkah, about ten years before the beginning of the revelation, into a household of dignity and character. Her parents, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (our Beloved Messenger of Allah (SAW)), and Lady Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, were known for their integrity and generosity. As the firstborn, Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad witnessed her father’s transition from a respected merchant to the final Messenger of Allah (SAW). She experienced, firsthand, the shift from a life of relative peace to one marked by spiritual resistance and personal sacrifice.
Even before Islam, Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad married Abu al-’As ibn al-Rabi, a noble and trustworthy man from the Quraysh. Their union was one of mutual respect and affection. But when the Prophet (SAW) began preaching the message of Islam, life changed quickly. Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad embraced her father’s message without hesitation, but her husband did not. For many years, she remained married to him despite their religious differences, a situation that reflected the early challenges Muslims faced before clear legal rulings had been revealed.
One of the most poignant moments in Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad’s life came after the Battle of Badr, when her husband Abu al-’As fought on the side of the Quraysh and was taken prisoner. To ransom him, Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad sent a necklace – one that was a gift from her late mother, Lady Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. When the Prophet (SAW) saw the necklace, his eyes filled with tears. He wasn’t grieving at his daughter paying a ransom. Rather, the sight of the necklace brought back memories of his beloved Lady Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, and that caused him to become aggrieved.
The Prophet (SAW) then agreed to release Abu al-’As, but with a condition that he allow Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad to leave Makkah and join the Muslims in Madinah. The journey was dangerous and, during the trip, she was attacked and injured by Quraysh men. Despite the trauma, she made it safely to Madinah, but the separation from her husband, whom she still loved deeply, weighed heavily on her.
Years passed, and Abu al-’As eventually accepted Islam and emigrated to Madinah. The Prophet (SAW), in a deeply emotional reunion, allowed them to resume their marriage without a new dowry or contract. This gesture was not only merciful, it showed the humanity and compassion at the heart of Islam, recognizing the deep bonds of love while honoring divine guidance.
Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad and Abu al-’As had two children. Ali, who died young, and Umamah, who later became known for being carried by the Prophet (SAW) during prayer. Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad didn’t live long after her husband’s acceptance of Islam. She passed away in the eighth year after Hijrah, her health likely weakened from the tribulations she had endured. Her father buried her with his own hands. The Messenger (SAW), standing at the grave of his eldest daughter, humbled by grief but patient in faith.
Though Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad’s life isn’t widely reported on, her story teaches us incredibly powerful lessons that both men and women can learn from. She didn’t give public addresses nor did she participate in battle, but her loyalty to the Prophet (SAW) and his mission, her patience, and moral clarity, require great reflection from us all. She remained committed to the religion of her beloved father even when it cost her the comfort of her marriage and the safety of her city. She trusted Allah (SWT) and honored her father’s mission, not just in words, but in action.
Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad reminds us that not all legacies are loud. Some are written in quiet sacrifices, in letters sent across battlefields, in necklaces held in trembling hands, and in love that survives trials. She is a reminder that faith sometimes requires waiting, trusting, and letting go, and that, even in pain, there is profound beauty when it’s endured for the sake of Allah (SWT).
Oh Allah (SWT)! Make us among the patient and the sincere, and keep our hearts firm as You kept the heart of Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad firm through trials and hardships. Oh Allah (SWT)! Grant us love for You, love for your Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and love for his pure family. Make us followers of their guidance, doers of their Sunnah, and sincere in our loyalty and prayers.
Oh Allah (SWT)! Place in our hearts the certainty of Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad, and fill our lives with contentment, surrender us to Your will, and let us have only good expectations of You, just as she lived. Oh Allah (SWT)! Reward Lady Zaynab bint Muhammad with the best of rewards, raise her rank in the highest gardens of Paradise, and gather us with her in al Firdaus al-A’la, alongside the Prophets, the shuhada, and the righteous for, indeed, what an excellent company they are. Ameen!