In Madeenah, the Prophet ﷺ faced the Quraish at Badr. All the prominent figures of Makkah joined in the fighting against him, among them Abul ‘Aas, Zainab RA’s husband. Her heart was filled with grief as her father, the dearest one on earth to her heart, led the believers to meet the Quraish. She wished the war would never be waged, as she would be hurt no matter who won.

The Prophet of Allah ﷺ and his faithful Companions defeated the Quraish, and its chieftains were killed, captured, or chased away. When the survivors returned from Badr to Makkah, Zainab RA set off to search for her husband, fearing his absence. On asking the survivors, she was informed that he was among the prisoners of war and was taken to her father in Madeenah. It was only then that the weight on her heart lightened. As long as he was in her father’s trust, he would be well treated, if not for his status in the Quraish, at least for her place in her father’s heart.

A few days after the defeat of the Quraish, she began to anticipate the release of the captives, and so relatives journeyed to pay the ransom for them. The family of Abul ‘Aas were prepared to do so, but Zainab RA insisted to pay the ransom herself. She gave her brother-in-law a necklace to ransom her husband. It was her wedding gift from her mother, Khadeejah (RadiyAllahu anha). No sooner did the Prophet ﷺ see this necklace then he remembered his earnest and loyal wife, Khadeejah (RadiyAllahu anha).

Thereupon, after a long period of pause the Prophet ﷺ said, “If you would like to release her prisoner and repay her money you could do so?” They all said, ‘Yes messenger of Allah.” Then the Prophet ﷺ, took a pledge from Abul ‘Aas to release Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) as Islam put a barrier between them.

The Prophet ﷺ asked Abul ‘Aas to come closer and when he did, he whispered to him and Abul ‘Aas nodded consent, then left for Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ turned to those Muslims sitting with him and said, “By Allah, we have never eschewed his praise as a son-in-law.”

Abul ‘Aas reached Makkah and headed straight for his home. His heart was broken as the Prophet ﷺ had made him promise to allow Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) to emigrate because Islam had separated them. Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) the believer was no longer fit for Abul ‘Aas the polytheist, despite the love and kinship that had tied them together for many years. In fact, Islam has honoured the Muslim woman by prohibiting her marriage to a non-Muslim.

When Abul ‘Aas entered his house, his face did not look like that of a loving husband who had survived war and come back to his beloved. Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) welcomed him, but he did not react to her sweet words of praise. Sensitive to his cold response, she asked. “Where and why are you going?” He replied “You not me, I promised your father to return you to him because Islam put a barrier between us and I never broke a promise.” She was told to emigrate to her father in Madeenah within a few days. “And what about you?” she asked. But he was silent. She could not believe that her husband would allow her travel to another city without him, but she read it clearly in his face.

Zaid bin Harithah (RadhiyAllahu anhu) would come from Madeenah to accompany her and meet her in a place near Makkah named Batn Ya’jooj. When the day came, Abul ‘Aas asked his brother Kinaanah, to take her to Batn Ya’jooj where Zaid (RadhiyAllahu anhu) would be waiting. Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) was in the fourth month of pregnancy, so her husband prepared a comfortable howdah for the journey. It was daylight and Kinaanah escorted her out of Makkah, but there was an incongruous group of people ahead who spotted them and considered her emigration in the broad daylight a blatant challenge to them. They hurried to their weapons and chased her. Those who caught up with her caravan asked Kinaanah to take her back, but he refused. Then one of them, Habbaar bin Al­Aswad, tried to cow her with his spear, but she fell from her camel, bled and lost her baby.

Kinaanah began to take out his arrows and threaten the men, saying, “By Allah, if any one of you approaches me, I’ll shoot.” They all retreated as they saw him insist on defending Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha). Abu Sufyaan bin Harb then stepped in and said, “Put away your arrows. We want to talk to you”. Kinaanah did so and Abu Sufyaan declared, “You were wrong in taking the woman in front of everyone, even though you already knew what befell us at the hands of Muhammad. This will make people think that we have been humiliated and weakened. We gain nothing by keeping her here. Take her home till people calm down and think that we have managed to stop her. Then take her secretly to her father”.

Kinaanah looked at Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) and saw her bleeding heavily. He thought it would be better for her to return to her house to recover and then set off on her journey again. He took her home where she was nursed by the women of the family. The men who hurt Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) were jubilant of their deed and even thought that her return to her husband’s house was a victory over the Prophet ﷺ. Hind bint ‘Utbah, wife of Abu Sufyaan, saw what they did together with her husband, teased them saying sarcastically, “In war you are like women and in peace you are harsh”. Her mockery concerned their defeat by Muhammad ﷺ (at Badr) on one occasion and their victory over his daughter on another. The group of men left overwhelmed with shame. Even their women and daughters criticized their hateful deed.

Zainab (RadiyAllahu anha) went back to Makkah under the shelter of Abul ‘Aas. She recovered quickly and, within a few days, was guided by Kinaanah bin ar-Rabee’ to Zaid bin Haarithah (RadiyAllahu anhu). His return to Makkah was one of pride.

Zainab’s (RadiyAllahu anha) journey was long. She felt honoured to stay in her father’s house. The more the days passed after leaving her husband, the more she wondered why she didn’t hear about him and how he could tolerate the separation although he loved her. Wasn’t it he who had refused the Quraish’s offer of marriage to their most beautiful woman if he agreed to divorce her? Wasn’t it he who was famous for his poetry which he used to recite each time he left her for trading expeditions, mentioning her sweet nature and the honourable manners of her father? All of these meant that she had a special place in his heart. How could he forget her?