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'''Zayd ibn Harithah''' ({{lang-ar|زيد بن حارثة}}) or ''Zayd [[mawla]] [[Muhammad]]'' (c. 588-629 CE) was a prominent figure in the early [[Islam]]ic community and the only one of ''[[sahaba]]'' whose name is spelled directly in the [[Qur'an]]. As he was the [[Islamic adoptional jurisprudence|adopted]] son of the [[Prophets of Islam|Islamic prophet]], [[Muhammad]], before Islam abolished adoption in exchange of '''Kafala'''. He was an early [[Conversion_to_Islam|convert to Islam]] and later, a military leader. He died c. 629 CE at the [[Battle of Mu'tah]].

==Early life==
Zayd bin Harith was the son of Harith, of the tribe Makhdhoom tribe that lived to the north of Mecca. During a raid, raiders had captured the boy, Zayd. He was taken as a slave and sold at the great fair of Ukaz. At the festival of Ukaz, Zayd along with a few other slaves were purchased by Hakim bin Hizam and taken back to Mecca. Hakim bin Hizam then offerred to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad, to choose any slave for herself. She chose Zayd, who was then taken to her household. On the occasion of her marriage to the Prophet Muhammad, Muhammad had set free his slave Baraka. Baraka was a slave woman who was owned by the late father of the Prophet Muhammad, Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib. After the passing away of his father, this slave Baraka, had come into the custody of Muhammad. He had set her free on the occasion of marriage to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. He often referred to (Baraka) her as his ummi (mother) in later days. Also on the occasion of marriage, Khadijah had given Zayd as a gift to her new husband.

On one occasion, some people of Makhdhoom were passing through Mecca. Zayd, having seen his own people, composed some poetry, which he left with them to take home to his family. Zayd's father and uncle were searching for their son and nephew and when they received the news of him along with this poetry, they immediately set out for Mecca. Upon entering Mecca, they were informed of Muhammad (in whose custody Zayd was), and set out to find Muhammad. Upon meeting Muhammad, Muhammad first asked Zayd to confirm the identity of these men. After Zayd confirmed the identity of his father and uncle, they offered to pay any price Muhammad wished for the boy Zayd. However, Muhammad presented another offer. He offered a choice to Zayd, that if he wished, he could leave with his father and uncle for no fee, but if he chose to remain in Mecca, he would remain in the custody of Muhammad (as a slave) and his father and uncle would return without dispute.

Zayd, a young man of tender age, surprised everyone, by choosing slavery at the hands of Muhammad over freedom and being re-united with his family. This came as a shock to his father and uncle, who had no choice but to accept the decision of this young man.

Muhammad then set out for the Kabah, where he proclaimed his manumitting (freeing) and adoption of Zayd as his own son. This action of Zayd was very heart moving and beloved to Muhammad.

Zayd was the natural son of a man named Harithah and was adopted by Muhammad. Many years later Harithah found Zayd and asked if his son wanted to go home with him. Zayd said no and that he would stay due to the great love that Muhammad had shown him. Little is known of Zayd's natural father. Some sources say that Harithah was descended from the [[Arab people|Arab]] poet [[Imru' al-Qais]]. One or more of his ancestors may have been of [[Africa]]n descent, as he is said to have had very dark skin.<ref>[http://www.islamanswers.net/moreAbout/racism.htm Islam and racism]</ref>

Zayd is said to have been captured in an inter-tribal war and sold as a slave. He was given as a present to Muhammad's first wife [[Khadijah bint Khuwaylid]]. she gave him to Muhammad as also a present and he freed him and treated him as a son; he was then known as Zayd ibn Muhammad, Zayd son of Muhammad. He lived with Muhammad and Khadijah in their household in the city of [[Mecca]] in the [[Hejaz]] region of western [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]]. Zayd's father and uncle came to take him back home from Muhammad, but he preferred living with his adoptive family.

==Conversion to Islam==
When Muhammad reported that he had received a revelation from the angel [[Gabriel]], his wife Khadijah believed and thus became the first convert to Islam. While the [[Identity of the first male Muslim|identity of the first male convert]] is disputed, Zayd is a strong possibility, as are [[Ali]] and [[Abu Bakr]]. Regardless, Zayd was clearly among the first Muslims. As Muhammad's adopted son he quickly became an important figure in the small community of [[Muhammad in Mecca|pre-Hijra Meccan]] Muslims.

==Adoption abolished==
Later on, this form of adoption became [[forbidden]]. [[Quranic]] revelation <ref>http://al-quran.info/?x=y#&&sura=33&aya=5&trans=en-yusuf_ali&show=both,quran-uthmani&ver=2.00</ref><ref>http://al-quran.info/?x=y#&&sura=33&aya=40&trans=en-yusuf_ali&show=both,quran-uthmani&ver=2.00</ref> carried the new legislation which is known as Kafala. afterwords, he retained his name Zayd ibn Harithah but continued to live with the prophet.

==Marriage==
[[Zaynab bint Jahsh ]] was his wife and later he divorced her. [[Allah]] ordered Mohammad to marry her to reinforce the cancellation of that form of adoption.<ref>http://al-quran.info/?x=y#&&sura=33&aya=37&trans=en-yusuf_ali&show=both,quran-uthmani&ver=2.00</ref>

==The Hijra==
In 622, Zayd, as part of the ''[[Hijra (Islam)|Hijra]]'', emigrated to the [[oasis]] of Yathrib (later called [[Medina]]) with the rest of the small Muslim community.

==Martyrdom==
Zayd took part in an expedition in 629 CE. A Muslim force of 3,000 men set out to raid the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] city of [[Bosra]]. They were intercepted at a place called Muta'h. The [[Battle of Mu'tah]] was a rare reverse for the Muslims. Zayd was martyred as he held the standard, as were two other leaders, [[Ja`far ibn Abī Tālib]] and [[`Abd Allah ibn Rawahah]]. He was the first Muslim to be martyred on foreign soil.

==Legacy==
Zayd was the father of [[Usama ibn Zayd|Usama bin Zayd bin Harithah]].

==See also==
*[[Islamic adoptional jurisprudence]]
*[[Sunni view of the Sahaba]]
{{sahaba}}

==Further reading==
* [[William Montgomery Watt|Watt, Montgomery]], ''[[Muhammad at Mecca (book)|Muhammad at Mecca]]'', Oxford University Press, 1953
* Watt, Montgomery, ''[[Muhammad at Medina (book)|Muhammad at Medina]]'', Oxford University Press, 1956

* Lings, Martin. The life of Muhammad from the earliest sources.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zayd Ibn Harithah}}
[[Category:629 deaths]]
[[Category:Converts to Islam]]
[[Category:Arab people]]
[[Category:Sahaba]]
[[Category:Family of Muhammad]]

Lings, M. The life of Muhammad, from the earliest sources.

[[ar:زيد بن حارثة]]
[[fa:زید پسر حارثه]]
[[fr:Zayd ibn Harithah]]
[[id:Zaid bin Haritsah]]
[[it:Zayd ibn Haritha]]
[[ms:Zaid ibn Harithah]]
[[tr:Zeyd bin Harise]]
[[uk:Зайд ібн Харіса]]
[[ur:زید بن حارثہ]]