Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh

Who is Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh?

Ubayd-Allah ibn Jahsh was one of the four monotheistic hanifs mentioned by Ibn Ishaq, the others being Waraqah ibn Nawfal, Uthman ibn Huwarith and Zayd ibn Amr.

He was the son of Jahsh ibn Riyab and Umama bint Abdulmuttalib, hence the brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh, Hammanah bint Jahsh and Abd-Allah ibn Jahsh. He married Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan, and they had one daughter, Habibah bint Ubayd-Allah.

He and his wife became Muslims and, in order to escape from the Meccan persecution, they emigrated to Abyssinia. At Axum, part of the Aksumite Empire the Christian king, Aṣḥama ibn Abjar, gave sanctuary to the Muslims. There Ubayd-Allah eventually converted to Christianity and testified his new faith to the other Muslim refugees. Ibn Ishaq relates:

Due to his conversion, he separated from his wife. He eventually died in Abyssinia in 627.

Later on the Islamic prophet Muhammad married his widow, Ramlah. Muhammad also married Ubayd-Allah's sister Zaynab.