Did the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, become enamored with the wife of Zayd ibn Harithah and ask him to divorce her so he could marry her?
Books of Tafsir (exegesis) and Hadith sources have rejected narratives that diminish the stature of prophethood, and those that speak of the Prophet's heart being smitten with Zainab bint Jahsh. This is because it is stated in Al-Sahihain (Bukhari and Muslim) that if the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, were to conceal anything from the revelation, he would have concealed the verse that speaks of his marriage to Zainab. The exegetes mentioned that the reason for the revelation of the verse was a general legislation for the believers to abolish the pre-Islamic custom of adoption. What the Prophet concealed within himself was his knowledge that Zayd would divorce Zainab and that she would become his wife, and his apprehension of people's talk. Therefore, Allah Almighty admonished him for his fear of people regarding a matter Allah had made lawful for him. This aligns with the status of prophets and refutes flimsy claims.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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