He said: When they divorce them. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had adopted Zayd ibn Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him). "There is not to be upon the Prophet any discomfort concerning that which Allah has ordained for him. [This is] the way of Allah with those who passed on before." He said: Just as the Prophet David (peace be upon him) desired the woman he looked at and then desired her, so he married her. Likewise, Allah decreed for Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he should marry Zaynab, just as it was the way of Allah regarding David that He would marry him to that woman. "And ever is the command of Allah" a decree that is ordained regarding the affair of Zaynab (1).

17695 - From Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jud'an, he said: Ali ibn al-Husayn said to me: What does al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) say regarding His saying: "And you were concealing within yourself that which Allah was to disclose"? I said to him... He said: No, but Allah had informed His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) would be one of his wives before he married her. So when Zayd came to him complaining about her, he said: "Fear Allah and keep your wife to yourself." He said: [Allah] had already informed you that I am marrying her to you, "And you were concealing within yourself that which Allah was to disclose" (2).

17696 - From al-Suddi (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding His saying: "And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor," he said: It reached us that this verse was revealed concerning Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her). Her mother was Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib, the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He intended to marry her to Zayd ibn Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him), but she disliked that. Then she became content with what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had done, so he married her to him. Then Allah informed His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) afterward that she was among his wives. He used to feel shy to command Zayd ibn Harithah to divorce her. There would always be some of what occurs between people between Zayd and Zaynab, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would command him to keep his wife and to fear Allah. He feared the people, that they would criticize him and say: He married the wife of his son, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had adopted Zayd (3).

His saying, the Almighty: "Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah."

17697 - From Ali ibn al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding His saying: "Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah," he said: It was revealed regarding Zayd ibn Harithah (4).