Zaynab bint Khuzayma

Zaynab bint Khuzayma, May Allah Be Pleased With Her, is given the lineage Zaynab daughter of Khuzayma son of al-Harith son of Abd Allah son of Amr son of Abd Manaf son of Hilal son of Amir son of Sa'sa'a, and is therefore described as al-Amiriyya and al-Hilaliyya. Ibn Abd al-Barr stated that the basic lineage was not disputed, and her father was Khuzayma ibn al-Harith. Some later genealogical reports describe her as a maternal sister of Maymuna bint al-Harith, while Ibn Abd al-Barr noted the limited transmission of that relationship; it is therefore presented as a reported kinship rather than an unquestioned fact.

Her most enduring title was Umm al-Masakin, the Mother of the Poor. Notices preserved by Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Abd al-Barr, Ibn Hibban, and al-Tabarani connect the title with her repeated kindness to people in poverty, feeding them, and giving charity. Importantly, several sources say that she was already known by this title before the Prophetic marriage and even in the pre-Islamic period. Her charitable identity was therefore not a memory created only from her short time in the Prophet's household, but a reputation established earlier in her life.

The sources do not agree about her marriages before the Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him. Ibn Sa'd reports that she was first married to al-Tufayl ibn al-Harith, was divorced, and then married his brother Ubayda ibn al-Harith, who died from wounds received at Badr. Ibn Abd al-Barr transmits al-Zuhri's report naming Abd Allah ibn Jahsh, who was killed at Uhud, while other notices mention al-Husayn or Jahm ibn Amr. Because these traditions differ, no single earlier husband should be presented without qualification as the only certain account.

The Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, married Zaynab in 3 AH. Ibn Sa'd and the material preserved by Ibn Hajar place the marriage in Ramadan, about thirty-one months after the Hijra. Some accounts say that Qabisa ibn Amr al-Hilali represented her in the marriage, while another says that she entrusted her own affair to the Prophet. Reports also differ over the exact dower, so the secure historical point is the timing of the marriage and her status as a Mother of the Believers rather than one disputed numerical detail.

Her residence in the Prophetic household was very brief, which helps explain why fewer domestic and teaching reports survive about her than about wives who lived much longer. One transmission gives 8 months, whereas Ibn Hajar and Ibn Abd al-Barr also preserve reports of only 2 or 3 months. This short period means that no large body of hadith, extended public role, or numerous personal sayings can responsibly be attached to her. Her historical identity rests chiefly on being a Mother of the Believers, the title Umm al-Masakin, and her care for people in need.

A report from al-Zuhri preserved by al-Tabarani explicitly explains that she was called Umm al-Masakin because she frequently fed poor people. Ibn Hajar also cites from Ibn Sa'd a separate report about an unnamed Hilali woman in the Prophet's household who wished to free a servant, and the Prophet advised using the servant to relieve relatives from sheep-herding work. Because that report does not name Zaynab explicitly, it has not been turned into a central incident in her biography. This distinction preserves the strong evidence for her charitable reputation without assigning every report about a Hilali wife to her.

Zaynab died in Medina in 4 AH. The report of Ibn al-Kalbi cited by Ibn Hajar places her death in Rabi al-Akhir after 8 months of marriage, while other sources give Rabi al-Awwal or a duration of only 2 or 3 months. A report transmitted from Ibn Sa'd estimates her age at approximately 30. The Prophet performed her funeral prayer, and she was buried in al-Baqi. After Khadija, May Allah Be Pleased With Her, she was the second of the Prophet's wives to die during his lifetime and the first of his wives to die in Medina.