Zaynab bint Maz'un

Zaynab bint Maẓʿūn (Arabic: زينب بنت مظعون) was the first wife of Umar, the second Rashidun caliph.

Biography

She was the daughter of Maz'un ibn Habib of the Jumah clan of the Quraysh in Mecca; hence she was a sister of Uthman ibn Maz'un. and bore him three children: Hafsa, Abd Allah and Abd al-Rahman. Later Umar added two more wives to his household: Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal, who bore him two sons, Umar said that Quraysh men at that time "had the upper hand over their wives," and "did not pay attention to women".

Zaynab's attitude to Islam is unknown and the date of her eventual conversion is not recorded. Her brother Uthman was one of the earliest converts;

Zaynab's daughter Hafsa married Muhammad in 625. An altercation occurred when Umar had to make a decision, and his wife advised him. Umar shouted at her to mind her own business. The wife answered back, and he expressed displeasure. The wife responded: "How strange you are! You don't want to be argued with, whereas your daughter Hafsa argues with Allah's Messenger so much that he remains angry for a full day". He did not divorce Zaynab, so, if she was still alive, she must have become a Muslim. However, Zaynab probably died before 641, as four other women are listed as Umar's wives by that date.