There is a narration (or text) in السيرة الحلبية in volume 3, page no.377 that states that Zainab bint Jahsh (Radhi'allahu'anha) was supposedly married to our Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alaihi''Wa'alahi'wassalam) without her consent. The narratuion also supposedly says that our Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu'alaihi'Wa'alahi'wassalam) also married other women without their consent. I would like to know what is the authenticity of this narration? Here is the screenshot below of the said narration:-
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There's no narration mentioned it is just the authors statement. Note that as-Siyra al-Halabiyah is just a disconected mix of the interpretation of the author and narration snipets which have no isnad since the author mentiond his source 'Uyun al-Athar عيون الأثر of ibn Sayyid an-Naas ابن سيد الناس and Sirat a-Shams a-Shaami سيرة الشمس الشامي. The auhtor added poem verses from al-Busiri's al-Hamziyah and as-Subki's at_Ta#iyah and ibn Sayyid an-Naas's Bushra al-Labib.– Medi1Saif ♦Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 18:54
1 Answer
There is no clear narration here which can be authenticated. Rather this text lists the specialties of the Prophet ﷺ meaning the matters in which the law for him is different from the rest of the Ummah - according to the science of jurisprudence.
One of them is that the Prophet ﷺ could marry without the guardian (wali) of the bride and without witnesses and without formal consent. And this is how the marriage with Zainab bint Jahsh occurred. Because she was married to the Prophet ﷺ through revelation:
فلما قضى زيد منها وطرا زوجناكها
So when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We married her to you
This does not mean that Zainab disliked the marriage. Rather ahadith say that she left the decision to Allah and was happy with it:
فقلت يا زينب أرسل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يذكرك . قالت ما أنا بصانعة شيئا حتى أوامر ربي . فقامت إلى مسجدها ونزل القرآن وجاء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فدخل عليها بغير إذن
I said: “O Zainab, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent a proposal of marriage to you.” She said: “I will not do anything until I consult my Lord.’ Then she went to her prayer place. Then Qur’an was revealed, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and entered upon her without permission.
— Muslim
فكانت زينب تفخر على أزواج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تقول زوجكن أهاليكن، وزوجني الله تعالى من فوق سبع سموات
Zainab used to boast before the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) and used to say, "You were given in marriage by your families, while I was married (to the Prophet) by Allah from over seven Heavens."
— Bukhari
Further the text and some other manuals of fiqh also say that the Prophet ﷺ could marry (or give in marriage) a woman without her consent. But it does not give any other examples of this occurring. The evidence for it are the verses 33:6 and 33:36.
On a similar topic, scholars have noted that it was also a specialty of the Prophet ﷺ that he could not marry\keep a woman who disliked him. And for this they cited the example of the hadith of the daughter of Ibn Jaun and the claim that it was obligatory for the Prophet to give his wives the option of divorce because of 33:28 .