"I Have Granted Him Protection"

Some years later, a Makkan caravan led by Abu al-'As was intercepted and its goods taken. He came into Madinah by night and sought protection from Zaynab, his former wife. At the dawn prayer, she called out from among the women that she had granted Abu al-'As protection.

After the prayer, the Prophet ﷺ asked whether the people had heard what he had heard, and said he had known nothing of it beforehand, but that the believers would honour the protection given by the least of them. He told Zaynab to treat Abu al-'As honourably, but that he was not lawful for her while he was not a Muslim. The Companions returned his goods of their own accord.

Abu al-'As went back to Makkah, handed every person their share of the caravan, and asked whether anyone was still owed anything. When none were, he declared his Islam and returned to Madinah. The Prophet ﷺ returned Zaynab to him (Jami' al-Tirmidhi 1143). Elsewhere he praised his son-in-law: "He spoke to me and was truthful, and promised me and kept his promise" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3729).