Abū al-ʿĀṣ ibn al-Rabīʿ ( ar, أبو العاص بن الربيع, died in February, AD 634), was a
son-in-law
Son-in-Law (22 April 1911 – 15 May 1941) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.
The National Horseracing Museum says Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this count ...
and
Companion of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. His original name was said to have been Hushaym or Yasser.
Family
He was the son of
Hala bint Khuwaylid.
[Muhammad ibn Saad. ''Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir'' vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). ''The Women of Madina'', p. 21. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.] His legal father was Al-Rabi ibn Abd al-Uzza of the
Abdshams clan of the
Quraysh
The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Qur ...
tribe.
[Ibn Hajar, ''Al-Isaba'' vol. 7 #10176.] He became a successful merchant and was considered an important person in
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
.
[Muhammad ibn Ishaq. ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). ''The Life of Muhammad'', p. 313. Oxford: Oxford University Press.]
His aunt
Khadija
Khadija, Khadeeja or Khadijah ( ar, خديجة, Khadīja) is an Arabic feminine given name, the name of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In 1995, it was one of the three most popular Arabic feminine names in t ...
regarded him as her son,
[ and he frequently visited her home.] In due course Khadija asked her husband Muhammad to find him a wife. Muhammad gave Abu al-As their eldest daughter
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...
, Zaynab, apparently with some reluctance.[ Later, however, he spoke "warmly" of Abu al-As,][ "who told the truth and kept his promises" and in whom he "found no fault as an in-law."][ Abu al-As and Zaynab had two children: ]Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
, who died in childhood, and Umama, who was later married to the fourth Caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
.[
]
Opposition to Islam
When Muhammad, after declaring himself to be a prophet, lost popularity in Mecca, the Quraysh pressured Abu al-As to divorce Zaynab, saying they would give him any woman he liked in exchange. But Abu Al-As replied that he did not want any other woman and he remained with Zaynab.[ However, he refused to become a Muslim.][ Since Muhammad had no power of jurisdiction over Mecca, he too was unable to force his daughter to separate from her unbelieving husband. When the Muslims ]emigrated
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
to Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...
, Zaynab, although a convert, remained in Mecca with Abu al-As.[
In 624 Abu al-As fought in the ]Battle of Badr
The Battle of Badr ( ar, غَزْوَةُ بَدِرْ ), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ) in the Quran, Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan (calendar month), Ramadan, 2 Anno Hegirae, AH), near the ...
on the side of the Quraysh
The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Qur ...
and was captured by Abdullah ibn Jubayr al-Ansari.[ Zaynab sent a ransom for him via his brother Amr, including an onyx necklace that had been a wedding present from Khadija. At the sight of the necklace, Muhammad remembered Khadija and was moved. He sent Abu al-As back to Mecca without taking any of the ransom, on condition that Zaynab be sent to Medina. Hence Abu al-As was separated from Zaynab for the next four years.][ In her absence, he wrote poetry for her:
''I remember Zaynab when she leaned on the waymark.''
''I said to a person who lived in the Haram, "Water!''
''For the daughter of the Trustworthy." May Allah reward her!''
''Virtuous she is, and every husband praises what he knows.'']
Conversion to Islam
In October 627 Abu al-As was returning from Syria with a caravan of merchandise when he was attacked by Muslim raiders. He escaped capture, but the raiders took the merchandise, much of which belonged to other people in Mecca. Abu al-As crept into Medina by night and asked Zaynab to grant him protection, which she immediately provided.[
The next morning he asked about the stolen property. Muhammad gave the raiders a choice: he asked them as a favour to restore his relative’s property. The raiders agreed to return everything, including "old skins and little leather bottles and even a little piece of wood."][ Abu al-As was then asked if he would like to become a Muslim and keep the Meccans' property. He replied, "It would be a bad beginning to my Islam if I were to betray my trust."
Abu al-As continued his journey to Mecca and returned all his neighbours' investments to them. He then announced that he was a Muslim, "and I would have become a Muslim when I was with uhammad but that I feared that you would think that I only wanted to rob you of your property." He emigrated to Medina in May or June 628.][
Muhammad allowed Abu al-As to live with Zaynab again without requiring a new contract or dower.][ Alternative traditions, however, assert that Abu Al-As did make a new contract and pay a new dower.][ Their reconciliation only lasted about a year, for Zaynab died in mid-629.][
]
After Zaynab
As a widower, Abu al-As returned to Mecca. He married again to Fakhita bint Sa'id ibn Al-As ibn Abi Umayya, and they had a daughter, Maryam. He never fought in any of the Islamic wars. He died in Mecca in February 634.[Ibn Hajar, ''Al-Isaba'' vol. 7 #10176; vol. 8 #11567.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi'
Year of birth missing
634 deaths
Companions of the Prophet
Banu Abd Shams