Many years before, when Zayd and his mother from the Syrian tribe of Kalb were visiting his maternal grandparents from the tribe of Tayy, the village had been attacked by marauders from the tribe Kayn and Zayd, who was young, had been seized and taken to Mecca to be sold.

Upon the arrival of the tribesmen in Mecca they proceeded to auction the boy off to the highest bidder. When Lady Khadijah saw him she took pity on him and paid the price. Upon her wedding day she gave Zayd to the Prophet (sa) as part of her wedding gift to him.

Zayd, like other members of the household, was never treated as or thought of being a slave as he would have been in other households. He grew to love his new family dearly and had chosen to remain with the Prophet (sa) in preference to returning with his father who, when he learned of his son's whereabouts, traveled to Medina to buy him back. But money wasn't the issue, the Prophet (sa) told Zayd's father that if Zayd desired he was free to return with him as he did not want any compensation.

However, to the astonishment of Zayd's father he told him he was very happy and did not wish to return. The Prophet (sa) was greatly touched by Zayd's reaction and took him to the Ka'ba where he not only announced that from that moment onward was he free, but that he had taken him to be his son. When Zayd's father realized just how happy his son was he accepted the matter and returned home happy in the knowledge that his son was not only free but loved and well cared for.

Zayd had been amongst those who had converted to Islam in its very early days and now that he had come of age the Prophet (sa) suggested that he might like to marry Zaynab, a relative of the Prophet (sa). Zayd was agreeable, however, Zaynab was not sure if she wanted to marry him so the Prophet (sa) did not press the matter any further. After some time, Zaynab decided that she would accept Zayd's proposal and so the young couple were married. Not long after their marriage, problems arose between them.

For a year or so they tried to resolve these differences but they remained unresolved and their lives were not in harmony with one another. One day Zayd became very upset and went to the Prophet (sa) to tell him of their problems and asked his permission to divorce his wife, but the Prophet (sa) advised him not to do so and to fear Allah. However, their circumstances did not improve and he went to the Prophet (sa) on several other occasions, but each time the Prophet (sa) gave him the same advice.

Matters deteriorated further between them to the extent that Zayd went yet again to the Prophet (sa) but this time he entreated him to let him divorce her, whereupon the Prophet (sa) finally gave Zayd his permission. The waiting period of four months had elapsed and the Prophet (sa) contemplated upon marrying Zaynab. However, at that time in Arabia, when someone proclaimed that they had taken a non-blood outsider to be their son, it was considered that the outsider was now as closely related as their own flesh and blood, and as it was forbidden to marry the wife of your son, he kept his thoughts to himself fearing the talk of people until Allah clarified the situation. Then Allah send down the following verse:

"And when you said to he (Zayd) whom Allah had favored and yourself have favored: 'Keep your wife and fear Allah,' and you sought to hide in yourself what Allah was to reveal, fearing people: although Allah has a better right for you to fear Him. And when Zayd had accomplished what he would of her (divorce), We gave her to you (Prophet Muhammad) in marriage, so that there is no fault in believers concerning (marriage to) the former spouse of their foster children if they divorced them. The decree of Allah must be done." (Koran, 33:37)

Then, referring to the relationship between the Prophet (sa) and Zayd, Allah tells us:

"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men. He is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. Allah has knowledge of all things." (Koran, 33:40)

And so, the Prophet (sa) took Lady Zaynab to be his wife. To celebrate the Prophet’s marriage, Anas’ mother, Umm Sulaim prepared some cakes made with dates and flour and put them in an earthenware container then asked her son to take it with her greetings to the Prophet (sa).

The Prophet (sa) and Lady Zaynab were touched by the kind gesture and the Prophet (sa) asked Anas to go out and invite everyone he met to come and partake of the food. Later, when Anas was asked how many guests there were he replied that there had been about three hundred people, and all miraculously ate their fill of cake, yet after they had departed the earthenware container remained full.

Lady Zaynab had many fine qualities, she was known for her piety and fasting. She was also affectionately referred to as "The Mother of the Poor" as more often than not she would give away her earnings as a skilled leather worker to those in need. The love the Prophet (sa) held for his foster son continued to flourish but Zayd reverted to his original name, Zayd, the son of Haritha, as Allah had made it very clear that adoption is forbidden in Islam, however fostering is highly recommended but the child must retain its biological father’s name.