Abu al-Aas ibn al-Rabiah
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Abu al-Aas ibn al-Rabiah (Arabic: أبو العس بن الربيعة) was a companion of Muhammad belonging to the Banu Abd Shams clan of the Quraish.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Family
His maternal aunt was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the wife of Muhammad. He married Zaynab bint Muhammad, the daughter of Muhammad prior to accepting Islam.
[edit] Muhammad's era
He participated in the battle of Badr with the Quraish and was taken captive by the Muslims. Zaynab sent her messenger to Medina bearing the ransom to free her husband which included a necklace her mother, Khadijah, had given to her before she died. When Muhammad saw the necklace he felt a surge of tenderness for his daughter and he set a condition on Abu-l Aas's freedom, that his daughter Zaynab be sent to him without delay.
As soon as he reached Mecca, Abu-l Aas ordered his wife to prepare herself for the journey, telling her that her father's messengers were waiting. The Quraish pursued Zaynab and Amr until they caught up with them. Abu Sufyan explained that they had no need to detain his wife but wished that she be taken in secret so as to not cause embarrassment to the recently defeated Quraish. Amr agreed and a few days later he took Zaynab to Muhammad's emissaries.
After the departure of his wife, Abu-l Aas remained in Mecca for several years. Then, in 630 shortly before the Conquest of Mecca, he left for Syria on a trading engagement. As his returning caravan approached Medina, a detachment of Muslims impounded the camels and took the men as captives. Abu-l Aas managed to escape and during the night entered Medina until he came to Zaynab's house. He asked her for protection and she gave it to him.
Muhammad instructed his daughter: "Prepare a place of rest for Abu-l Aas and let him know that you are not lawful for him."
Abu-l Aas returned to Mecca with the caravan and handed over all the wealth and goods to their rightful owners. Then Abu-I Aas announced that he was now Muslim and that the only thing preventing him from declaring his acceptance of Islam while in Medina was fear that they would assume he did so only to appropriate their wealth. Abu-l Aas then left for Medina where Muhammad received him hospitably and returned his wife to him.
[edit] Legacy
[edit] Sunni view
Sunnis narrate [1]: {{QuoteHadith|Al-Miswar ibn Makhrama|Ali demanded the hand of the daughter of Abu Jahl. Fatima heard of this and went to Allah's Apostle saying, "Your people think that you do not become angry for the sake of your daughters as 'Ali is now going to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl. "On that Allah's Apostle got up and after his recitation of Tashah-hud. I heard him saying, "Then after! I married one of my daughters to Abu Al-'As bin Al-Rabi' before Islam and he proved truthful in whatever he said to me. No doubt, Fatima is a part of me, I hate to see her being troubled. By Allah, the daughter of Allah's Apostle and the daughter of Allah's Enemy cannot be the wives of one man." So 'Ali gave up that engagement. 'Al-Miswar further said: I heard [Muhammad] talking and he mentioned a son-in-law of his belonging to the tribe of Banu Abd-Shams. He highly praised him concerning that relationship and said (whenever) he spoke to me, he spoke the truth, and whenever he promised me, he fulfilled his promise."
