Adoption is forbidden in Islam, yet for approximately 15 years Muhammad had an adopted son, Zayd, known as “the Beloved of the Messenger of God.” Zayd was the first adult male to become a Muslim and the only Muslim apart from Muhammad to be mentioned by name in the Quran.

Although Zayd is a little-known and marginal figure in the standard account of the rise of Islam, he was originally a key figure in the Islamic foundation narrative, according to David S. Powers, professor of Near Eastern studies. His new book, “Zayd” (University of Pennsylvania Press, part of the “Divinations: Rereading Late Ancient Religion” series) aims to restore Zayd’s place in history.

Much of Zayd’s biography comprises after-the-fact literary constructions driven by political and theological imperatives, contends Powers, and the figure of Zayd is modeled on characters in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament.

As a youth Zayd is like Joseph, albeit with a twist: Unlike the biblical figure who welcomed family reunification, Zayd rejected his birth family in favor of his slave master, explains Powers. Just as Dammesek Eliezer, Abraham’s trusted servant, became his master’s surrogate son and heir, after being freed Zayd became Muhammad’s adopted son and heir. Like Ishmael, Zayd was repudiated by his adoptive father. Like Uriah the Hittite, he was sent to certain death on a battlefield in southern Jordan by the man who fell in love with his wife. And like Isaac and Jesus, Zayd became a prototype of the martyr who gains immortality as a consequence of his willingness to lay down his life for the sake of his God, his prophet and his religion.

“Zayd may have been a real historical person,” says Powers, “but there is little or no correlation between the historical person and the spectacular figure we read about in the Islamic sources.”

Zayd was absolutely devoted to the prophet who had freed him. Muhammad was equally devoted to Zayd, says Powers: When Zayd wanted to marry Zaynab, a woman above his class, Muhammad helped arrange the marriage. When Zayd later wanted to divorce Zaynab, his father tried to help, but Muhammad fell in love with Zaynab himself. The ever-loyal Zayd divorced his wife so that his father might marry her. As a reward for this selfless act, Zayd was unadopted – repudiated – by Muhammad.

The real reason for this story, according to Powers, was to create a pretext for Muhammad to unadopt Zayd, thereby ensuring that Muhammad would be sonless.

“Had Zayd continued to be Muhammad’s son, he would have inherited the mantle of prophecy,” explains Powers. “In order to secure the theological doctrine that Muhammad was not just another prophet but the last prophet, it was necessary to ‘sacrifice’ Zayd – and, along the way, to abolish the institution of adoption.”

Powers’ research highlights the complex interplay between biblical, post-biblical and Islamic narratives, a subject that is attracting increasing attention from historians of late antiquity.

Linda B. Glaser is staff writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.