Emigration to Medina
Abu al-As was one of the polytheists who was captured at the Battle of Badr. Zainab sent the money for his ransom, including the onyx necklace. When Muhammad saw the necklace, he refused to accept any cash ransom for his son-in-law. He sent Abu al-As home, and Abu al-As promised to send Zainab to Medina.[3]: 314 [4]: 22
Zainab accepted this instruction. About a month after the battle, Zainab's adopted brother, Zayd, arrived in Mecca to escort her to Medina. She entered a hawdaj and her brother-in-law, Kinana, led the camel to Zayd in broad daylight. The Quraysh perceived this as an unnecessary flaunting of Muhammad's triumph at Badr. A group of them pursued Zainab and overtook her at Dhu Tuwa. A man named Habbar ibn Al-Aswad threatened her with his lance[3]: 314–315 and pushed her. She fell out of the hawdaj onto a rock.[5]: 4 Kinana showed the arrows in his quiver and threatened to kill anyone who came any closer. Then Abu Sufyan arrived, telling Kinana to put away his bow so that they could discuss it rationally. He said that they had no intention of keeping a woman from her father in revenge for Badr, but that it was wrong of Kinana to humiliate the Quraysh further by parading her removal in public; he must do it quietly, when the "chatter" had died down. Kinana took Zainab home again. There she suffered a miscarriage, losing a great deal of blood, which she attributed to having been assaulted by Habbar.[3]: 314–315
A few nights later, Kinana took her quietly to meet Zayd, and he escorted her to Medina.[3]: 315 Anas ibn Malik recalled seeing Zainab in Medina wearing a striped silk cloak.[4]: 24
Reunion with Abu al-As
Zainab did not see her husband again until September or October 627,[4]: 23 when he entered her house in Medina by night, asking for protection. Muslim raiders had stolen some merchandise that he was keeping in trust for other Quraysh, and he wanted to try to recover it.[3]: 316 The next morning, Zainab sat among the women at dawn prayers and shouted: "I have given protection to Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi!" As soon as prayers were over, Muhammad confirmed that he had not known anything about it, but "We protect whomever she protects."[3]: 317 [4]: 22–23 He told Zainab to treat Abu al-As like a guest. Then he arranged for the Quraysh merchandise to be returned, and Abu al-As took it to its owners in Mecca.[3]: 317
Abu al-As then converted to Islam and returned to Medina. Muhammad restored his marriage to Zainab, and they resumed their married life.[3]: 317 [4]: 23
