"It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter"—meaning: when Allah and His Messenger have ordained a thing—"that they should have [any] choice"—meaning: the ability to choose for themselves—"about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error." The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, wanted to marry Zaynab bint Jahsh to Zayd ibn Harithah, but she refused and said, "Shall I marry a man who was your servant yesterday?" She was a woman of nobility. When this verse was revealed, she committed her affair to the Messenger of Allah, so he married her to him. It then became a precedent thereafter in all matters of the religion; no one has a choice against the decision and judgment of the Messenger of Allah.
Muhammad said: Zaynab bint Jahsh was the daughter of the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا﴾ يَعْنِي: إِذَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ شَيْئا ﴿أَن تكون لَهُم الْخيرَة﴾ يَعْنِي: التخير ﴿من أَمرهم﴾ ﴿وَمن يَعْصِي اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالا مُبينًا﴾ أَرَادَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عليه السلام إِنَّ يُزَوِّجَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ جَحْشٍ زَيْدَ بْنَ حَارِثَةَ؛ فَأَبَتْ وَقَالَتْ: أُزَوِّجُ نَفْسِي رَجُلًا كَانَ عَبْدَكَ بِالْأَمْسِ. وَكَانَتْ ذَاتَ شَرَفٍ، فَلَمَّا أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ جَعَلَتْ أَمْرَهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فَزَوَّجَهَا إِيَّاهُ، ثُمَّ صَارَتْ سُنَّةً بَعْدُ فِي جَمِيعِ الدِّينِ، لَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ خِيَارٌ عَلَى قَضَاء رَسُول الله وَحُكْمِهِ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: كَانَتْ زَيْنَبُ بِنْتُ جَحْشٍ بِنْتُ عَمَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ.
