She concerned herself with the welfare of the poor and would go out of her way to help them whenever she could. It was on account of her caring nature that even before she embraced Islam she was endearingly referred to as "Mother of the Poor." A year had passed since Ubayda had been martyred and Zaynab had not remarried. When the Prophet (sa) proposed marriage to her she accepted and they were married in the 3rd year after the migration and a room was added onto the outside of the Mosque for her. Through his marriage a closer relationship between the Muslims and her tribe was established.

The Visit of Abu Bara

Shortly after their marriage they received a visit from Abu Bara, the elderly chieftain of Lady Zaynab's tribe. The Prophet (sa) welcome him and spoke to him of Islam, and his heart inclined toward it, although he was not as yet prepared to make a commitment.

Abu Bara recognized the high principals of Islam, and its mortality and knew its teachings would benefit his tribe so he asked the Prophet (sa) to send some of his companions to them so that they might learn. The Prophet (sa) agreed to the request but at the same time expressed his concern for the safety of his companions journey, for Abu Bara's tribe lay beyond the land belonging to the hostile tribes of Sulaym and Ghatafan, and it was this that caused his concern.

After Abu Bara's assurance that the companions would travel in safety under his protection, the Prophet (sa) agreed and appointed Mundhir, Amir's son from the tribe of Khazrah to lead the delegation. As a matter of precaution, the Prophet (sa) sent one of his companions with a letter on in advance to Abu Bara's tribe informing them of their chieftain's request for the presence of the delegation. Forty companions, known for their piety and knowledge, were chosen and set off across the desert on their mission.

The Treachery of Abu Bara's Nephew

During Abu Bara's absence, his ambitious nephew, who longed for tribal leadership, courted his fellow tribesmen in an attempt to overthrow their aging chieftain. When the Prophet's companion arrived at their village, Abu Bara's nephew set upon him and martyred him.

Then he called upon the rest of the tribe to do the same to the companions when they arrived. The majority of the tribe remained loyal to Abu Bara and when his nephew realized they were not going to follow his orders he sent a message to the tribe of Sulaym informing them that the Prophet's companions would soon journey across their land. The tribe of Sulaym, always anxious to take revenge, lost not time and set off in search of the unsuspecting companions.

The Attack of the Tribe of Sulaym

At the well of Maunah, the companions stopped to rest whilst Harith, As-Simmah's son and Amr from the tribe of Kinanah went off to tend to the camels. It was during this time that tribesmen from the Sulaym caught up with them and relentlessly attacked until they lay martyred by the well.

No sooner had the camels been settled and left to graze Harith and Amr made their way back to the well. As they approached, to their great distress, they noticed birds of prey circling above the well and fear for their companions engulfed their hearts.

They approached the well with caution and to their great distress their fear was realized as their eyes gazed upon their martyred companions laying where they had fallen whilst the Sulaym tribesmen stood around talking to one another. Amr thought it was best to return to Medina with the news, but Harith told him, "I cannot hold myself back from fighting here where Mundhir was martyred," whereupon he charged among the Sulaym and killed two of them. Amr joined in the fight and both were taken prisoner.

Harith's captors asked him what he thought they should do with him, to which he replied, "Take me to the body of Mundhir, give me a weapon and let me fight." Strange as it may seem, his captors agreed and Harith killed two more of their tribesmen before he himself was martyred.

The Missing Martyr

As for Amr, the Sulaym decided to release him and let him live, but before doing so they asked him to tell them the names of those whom they had killed. As Amr walked among his martyred companions he informed them of both their name and lineage, then someone asked if any were missing and Amr replied, "I did not find Amir, Fuhayrah's son, the freed man of Abu Bakr."

Whereupon the tribesman inquired what kind of position Amir had held amongst them. Amr replied, "He was among the best of us, one of the Prophet's earlier companions." Upon hearing this the tribesman turned to Amr and said, "Shall I tell you what happened to him?" then called for a fellow tribesman named Jabar.

Jabar had been the one to martyr Amir and related how he had thrust his spear into Amir's back with such force that it had gone straight through his chest, and that with his last breath Amir had cried out, "By Allah, I have triumphed!" Jabar told Amr that he was surprised to hear such words from a dying man, and as he removed his spear from his chest, he witnessed Amir's body being lifted gently into the air and taken away by unseen hands high into the sky until it was no longer visible. Amr explained that by "triumph" Amir had referred to his attainment of Paradise.

When Jabar heard this he embraced Islam. Just before Amr returned to Medina he was told that his aggressors had learned of their presence from one of Abu Bara's tribe. Amr was grieved by what appeared to be a treacherous act of the tribe and with a heavy heart set off for Medina. As he journeyed, Amr came across two men from Abu Bara's tribe. Amr was unaware of the attempt to overthrow Abu Bara and that most of his fellow tribesmen had distanced themselves from the treachery of his nephew.

Supposing the tribesmen were among those responsible for the loss of his companions, Amr attacked and killed both of them. It was a regrettable incident, both men were in fact loyal to Abu Bara. When the Prophet (sa) learned of the martyrdom of his companions and how Amir had been taken away, he told those around him that it was the angels that had taken him to Illiyyun which is among the highest of residences in Paradise. As for the dead tribesmen, the Prophet (sa) was deeply saddened and justly ordered blood-money to be paid to their next of kin in restitution.

Seeds of Belief

When the tribesmen of the Sulaym returned to their people they related what had happened by the well and told how they had stood in awe as Amr's body was carried away up into the sky and watched until he was no longer visible. The miraculous event was told and retold many times, and so the seeds of Islam were sown in the hearts of the tribe of Sulaym.