The Lineage of Zayd ibn Haritha
Zayd ibn Haritha is considered a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and he was given the title of "The Beloved of the Messenger of Allah". As for his lineage, there is disagreement among scholars, with variations and changes. He is mentioned in the book "Encyclopedia of the Beauties of Islam and Responses to the Doubts of the Ignorant" as follows:
"He is Zayd ibn Haritha ibn Sharhabeel ibn Abdul 'Uzza ibn Amr ibn Imru' al-Qais ibn 'Amir ibn al-Nu'man ibn 'Amir ibn 'Abd Wadd ibn 'Auf ibn Kinanah ibn 'Auf ibn 'Udhrah ibn Zayd al-Lat ibn Rafidah ibn Thawr ibn Kalb ibn Warah ibn Taghlib ibn Hulwan ibn Imran ibn al-Haaf ibn 'Amr ibn Malik ibn 'Amr ibn Murrah ibn Malik ibn Humeir ibn Saba' ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'arab".
The Prophet Muhammad Adopted Zayd ibn Haritha
The noble companion Zayd ibn Haritha originally hailed from the land of Sham (Greater Syria). He was formerly a free man until a group from the tribe of Tayyama abducted and sold him in the slave market of Hijaz. Thus, Zayd became a slave. Hakim ibn Hizam, the nephew of Lady Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her), purchased him from the slave market and gifted him to his aunt Khadijah.
At that time, Lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the wife of the Messenger of Allah. She gifted Zayd to her husband, and thereafter, the Messenger of Allah, in his kindness and generosity, freed Zayd. After his liberation, the Prophet adopted him, so he came to be known as Zayd ibn Muhammad. This occurred before the revelation of the verse prohibiting adoption.
Zayd ibn Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him) preferred the Messenger of Allah over his own father and family. When his father learned of his presence in Mecca, he went to the Prophet to ransom his son. At that moment, the Prophet gave Zayd a choice between staying in Mecca or returning with his father to Sham. Zayd chose to remain with the Messenger of Allah.
Zayd ibn Haritha Embraced Islam
After the revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he began inviting his family and closest associates to Islam. Zayd ibn Haritha was considered the adopted son of the Prophet at that time, thus he was among the first whom the Prophet called to the religion of monotheism.
Indeed, Zayd responded to the call of the Messenger of Allah and became one of the early converts to Islam. He was generally the third person to embrace Islam after Khadijah and Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with them). Specifically, he was the first among the freed slaves to embrace Islam.
The Wives of Zayd ibn Haritha
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sought to marry his beloved Zayd to honorable women who were closely related to him. This is evident from the names of his wives and their children:
- Umm Ayman, a freedwoman of the Prophet and his foster mother.
- Zaynab bint Jahsh.
- Umm Kulthum bint Uqba, who bore him Zayd and Ruqayyah.
- Durrah bint Abi Lahab.
- Hind bint Al-Awam.
The Prophet Muhammad married him to his mistress and nurse, Umm Ayman, and she bore him Osama ibn Zayd.
The Story of Zayd's Marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) proposed marriage between Zayd ibn Haritha and Zaynab bint Jahsh. However, Zaynab and her brother Abdullah rejected this proposal. Subsequently, Allah revealed the following verse: "It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error". (Quran 33:36)
After the revelation of this noble verse, Zaynab bint Jahsh accepted the marriage reluctantly. However, she was not content living with Zayd as she did not love him and would often remind him of his previous slave status. Zayd became displeased with her behavior and contemplated divorcing her. Despite the Prophet's knowledge that Zayd would eventually divorce Zaynab and he himself would marry her, he did not allow Zayd to divorce her and instructed him to keep her.
Indeed, Zaynab remained under Zayd's guardianship until Allah reproached His noble Prophet in verse: "And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor, and you bestowed favor, 'Keep your wife and fear Allah,' while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd no longer had any need for her, We married her to you..". (Quran 33:37)
Zayd eventually divorced Zaynab, and the Prophet married her at the command of his Lord.
Battles of Zayd ibn Haritha
Zayd ibn Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him) participated in seven expeditions. Here are four of them:
- The Battle of Mu'tah.
- The Expedition of Jadhima.
- The Expedition of Fazarah.
- The Expedition of al-Firdah.
The Martyrdom of Zayd ibn Haritha
Zayd ibn Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred during the Battle of Mu'tah. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sent Harith ibn Umair al-Azdi to the ruler of Busra. However, upon reaching the land of Mu'tah, Shurahbil ibn Amr killed him. This incident intensified matters for the Prophet, prompting him to dispatch an army to invite its people to Islam. However, they refused and engaged in battle.
Zayd ibn Haritha was appointed to lead the army. He met his martyrdom during this expedition and was stabbed to death. This event occurred in Jumada al-Awwal in the eighth year of Hijra.
