Safiyya bint Huyayy
Encyclopedia
Safiyya bint Huyayy (c. 610 – c. 670) was a Jewish woman captured from the Banu Nadir
tribe at age 17, who became Muhammad
's wife. She was, along with all other wives of Muhammad, titled Umm-ul-Mo'mineen or the "Mother of Believers".
After Muhammad's death, she became involved in the power politics of the early Muslim
community, and acquired substantial influence by the time of her death.
to Huyayy ibn Akhtab
, the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir. Her mother, Barra bint Samawal
, was from the Banu Qurayza
tribe. According to a source, she was married off to Sallam b. Mishkam, who later divorced her.
When the Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina in 625, her family settled in Khaybar
, an oasis
near Medina. Her father and brother went from Khaybar to join the Mecca
n and Bedouin
forces besieging Muhammad in Medina during the Battle of the Trench
. When the Meccans withdrew Muhammad besieged the Banu Qurayza.
In 627 or early in 628, Safiyya married Kinana ibn al-Rabi
, treasurer of the Banu Nadir; she was about 17 years old at that time. Safiyya is said to have informed Kinana of a dream she had in which the moon had fallen from the heavens into her lap. Kinana interpreted it as a desire to marry Muhammad and struck her in the face, leaving a mark which was still visible when she first had contact with Muhammad.
.The Jews had surrendered, and were allowed to remain in Khaybar on the provision that they give half of their annual produce to the Muslims. The land itself became the property of the Muslim state. This agreement, Stillman says, did not extend to the Banu Nadir tribe, who were given no quarter.
In the aftermath, the female captives were divided amongst Muhammad and his followers. Safiyya was assigned to Dihya ibn Khalifa, but Muhammad selected her while compensating Dihya with two of her cousins, or, according to other sources, seven head of cattle, and according to a differing source, seven female slaves. She then converted to Islam
, thereby becoming Muhammad's wife; her dowry being her emancipation. On the way back from Khaybar, the Muslims camped at a place called Sadd al-Rauha. By now, Safiyya was clean from her menstrual period
, and the marriage was thus consummated. Thereafter, Muhammad held a banquet of dates and butter in celebration of the marriage, and then returned to Medina.
, Muhammad stayed for three days between Khaybar and Medina, where he consummated his marriage to Safiyya. His companions
wondered if she was to be considered a captive or a wife. The former speculated that they would consider Safiyya as Muhammad's wife, and thus "Mothers of the Believers", if Muhammad ordered her to veil herself, else she would be his slave-girl.
Some modern scholars opine that Muhammad chose to marry Safiyya, the only surviving member of Banu Nadir's ruling family, as part of reconciliation with the Jewish tribe.
Muhammad suggested that Safiyya convert to Islam, which she did, and thus she become Muhammad's wife. Safiyya did not bear any children to Muhammad.
Despite her conversion, Muhammad's other wives teased Safiyya of her Jewish origin. Doubts about Safiyya's loyalty to Islam and the suspicion that she would avenge her slain kin are themes in the Sirah Rasul Allah (biographies of Muhammad). In these stories, Muhammad or Umar
express great displeasure at such doubts and reaffirm her loyalty.
Regarding Safiyya's Jewish descent, Muhammad once said to his wife, "If they discriminate you again, tell them that your husband is Muhammad, your father was the prophet Aaron and your uncle was prophet Musa
. In this case I'm superior to you."
Uthman ibn Affan, and defended him at his last meeting with Ali
, Aisha
, and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. During the period when the caliph was besieged
at his residence, Safiyya made an unsuccessful attempt to reach him, and supplied him with food and water via a plank placed between her dwelling and his.
Safiyya died in 670 or 672, during the reign of Muawiyah
, and was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi
graveyard. She left an estate of 100,000 dirham
s in land and goods, one-third of which she bequeathed to her sister's son, who followed Judaism
. Her dwelling in Medina was bought by Muawiyya for 180,000 dirhams.
Safiyya is said to have a dream which predicted her marriage with Muhammad, and she was beaten by her husband for desiring another man. Thus, the dream (interpreted as a miracle), her suffering, and her reputation to cry has won her a place in Sufi
works. She appears in all major books of hadith
and rolls of hadith transmitters.
Banu Nadir
The Banu Nadir were a Jewish tribe who lived in northern Arabia until the 7th century at the oasis of Yathrib . The tribe challenged Muhammad as the leader of Medina. and planned along with allied nomads to attack Muhammad and were expelled from Medina as a result. The Banu Nadir then planned the...
tribe at age 17, who became Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
's wife. She was, along with all other wives of Muhammad, titled Umm-ul-Mo'mineen or the "Mother of Believers".
After Muhammad's death, she became involved in the power politics of the early Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community, and acquired substantial influence by the time of her death.
Early life
Safiyya was born in MedinaMedina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
to Huyayy ibn Akhtab
Huyayy ibn Akhtab
Huyayy ibn Akhtab was a chief of the Banu al-Nadir, a Jewish tribe of pre-Islamic Arabia.-Family:Huyayy ibn Akhtab had a daughter with Barra bint Samawal: Safiyya bint Huyayy. Barra bint Samawal was from distinguished Arabian Jewish family...
, the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir. Her mother, Barra bint Samawal
Barra binte Samawal
Barra binte Samawal was the mother of a prominent figure in the life of Muhammad and a member of an Arab Jewish tribe that interacted with Muhammad.-Biography:Barra came from a very distinguished family from among the Jews of Arabia...
, was from the Banu Qurayza
Banu Qurayza
The Banu Qurayza were a Jewish tribe which lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib , until the 7th century, when their conflict with Muhammad led to their demise, after the Invasion of Banu Qurayza, took place in the Dhul Qa‘dah, 5 A.H i.e. in February/March, 627 AD...
tribe. According to a source, she was married off to Sallam b. Mishkam, who later divorced her.
When the Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina in 625, her family settled in Khaybar
Khaybar
Khaybar is the name of an oasis some 153 km to the north of Medina , Saudi Arabia. It was inhabited by Jews before the rise of Islam, and was conquered by Muhammad in 629 AD.-Pre-Islamic Khaybar:...
, an oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
near Medina. Her father and brother went from Khaybar to join the Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
n and Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
forces besieging Muhammad in Medina during the Battle of the Trench
Battle of the Trench
The Battle of the Trench also known as Battle of Ahzab, Battle of the Confederates and Siege of Medina , was a fortnight-long siege of Yathrib by Arab and Jewish tribes. The strength of the confederate armies is estimated around 10,000 men with six hundred horses and some camels, while the...
. When the Meccans withdrew Muhammad besieged the Banu Qurayza.
In 627 or early in 628, Safiyya married Kinana ibn al-Rabi
Kinana ibn al-Rabi
Kinana ibn al-Rabi was a Jewish leader of seventh-century Arabia and an opponent of Muhammad; son of the poet al-Rabi ibn Abu al-Huqayq. Ibn al-Rabi' was killed during early Muslim clashes with the Banu Nadir.-Biography:...
, treasurer of the Banu Nadir; she was about 17 years old at that time. Safiyya is said to have informed Kinana of a dream she had in which the moon had fallen from the heavens into her lap. Kinana interpreted it as a desire to marry Muhammad and struck her in the face, leaving a mark which was still visible when she first had contact with Muhammad.
Battle of Khaybar
In May 629, the Muslims defeated several Jewish tribes (including the Banu Nadir) at the Battle of KhaybarBattle of Khaybar
The Battle of Khaybar was fought in the year 629 between Muhammad and his followers against the Jews living in the oasis of Khaybar, located from Medina in the north-western part of the Arabian peninsula, in modern-day Saudi Arabia....
.The Jews had surrendered, and were allowed to remain in Khaybar on the provision that they give half of their annual produce to the Muslims. The land itself became the property of the Muslim state. This agreement, Stillman says, did not extend to the Banu Nadir tribe, who were given no quarter.
In the aftermath, the female captives were divided amongst Muhammad and his followers. Safiyya was assigned to Dihya ibn Khalifa, but Muhammad selected her while compensating Dihya with two of her cousins, or, according to other sources, seven head of cattle, and according to a differing source, seven female slaves. She then converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, thereby becoming Muhammad's wife; her dowry being her emancipation. On the way back from Khaybar, the Muslims camped at a place called Sadd al-Rauha. By now, Safiyya was clean from her menstrual period
Menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is the scientific term for the physiological changes that can occur in fertile women for the purpose of sexual reproduction. This article focuses on the human menstrual cycle....
, and the marriage was thus consummated. Thereafter, Muhammad held a banquet of dates and butter in celebration of the marriage, and then returned to Medina.
Marriage to Muhammad
According to Muhammad al-BukhariMuhammad al-Bukhari
Muhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari , popularly known as Bukhari or Imam Bukhari, , was a Sunni Islamic scholar of Persia...
, Muhammad stayed for three days between Khaybar and Medina, where he consummated his marriage to Safiyya. His companions
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
wondered if she was to be considered a captive or a wife. The former speculated that they would consider Safiyya as Muhammad's wife, and thus "Mothers of the Believers", if Muhammad ordered her to veil herself, else she would be his slave-girl.
Some modern scholars opine that Muhammad chose to marry Safiyya, the only surviving member of Banu Nadir's ruling family, as part of reconciliation with the Jewish tribe.
Muhammad suggested that Safiyya convert to Islam, which she did, and thus she become Muhammad's wife. Safiyya did not bear any children to Muhammad.
Despite her conversion, Muhammad's other wives teased Safiyya of her Jewish origin. Doubts about Safiyya's loyalty to Islam and the suspicion that she would avenge her slain kin are themes in the Sirah Rasul Allah (biographies of Muhammad). In these stories, Muhammad or Umar
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
express great displeasure at such doubts and reaffirm her loyalty.
Regarding Safiyya's Jewish descent, Muhammad once said to his wife, "If they discriminate you again, tell them that your husband is Muhammad, your father was the prophet Aaron and your uncle was prophet Musa
Islamic view of Moses
Musa , known as Moses in the Old Testament, is considered an Islamic prophet, messenger, lawgiver and leader in Islam. Moses is mentioned more in the Quran than any other individual, and his life is narrated and recounted more than that any other prophet...
. In this case I'm superior to you."
Legacy
In 656, Safiyya sided with caliphCaliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Uthman ibn Affan, and defended him at his last meeting with Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
, Aisha
Aisha
Aisha bint Abu Bakr also transcribed as was Muhammad's favorite wife...
, and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. During the period when the caliph was besieged
Siege of Uthman
The Third Rightly Guided Caliph, Uthman, was assasinated at the end of a Siege. When the rebels besieged the house of Uthman, the siege was not severe at the early stage. The rebels merely hovered around the house of Uthman, and did not place any restrictions on the movements of Uthman. Uthman went...
at his residence, Safiyya made an unsuccessful attempt to reach him, and supplied him with food and water via a plank placed between her dwelling and his.
Safiyya died in 670 or 672, during the reign of Muawiyah
Muawiyah I
Muawiyah I was the first Caliph of the Umayyad Dynasty. After the conquest of Mecca by the Muslims, Muawiyah's family converted to Islam. Muawiyah is brother-in-law to Muhammad who married his sister Ramlah bint Abi-Sufyan in 1AH...
, and was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi
Jannat al-Baqi
Maqbaratu l-Baqī is a cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia, located to the southeast of the Masjid al-Nabawi. The mosque is built where the Islamic prophet Muhammad used to live, built a mosque and is currently buried. The cemetery therefore holds much significance. It contains many of Muhammad's ...
graveyard. She left an estate of 100,000 dirham
Dirham
Dirham or dirhem is a unit of currency in several Arab or Berber nations, and formerly the related unit of mass in the Ottoman Empire and Persian states...
s in land and goods, one-third of which she bequeathed to her sister's son, who followed Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Her dwelling in Medina was bought by Muawiyya for 180,000 dirhams.
Safiyya is said to have a dream which predicted her marriage with Muhammad, and she was beaten by her husband for desiring another man. Thus, the dream (interpreted as a miracle), her suffering, and her reputation to cry has won her a place in Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
works. She appears in all major books of hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
and rolls of hadith transmitters.
See also
- Saffiyah (name)Saffiyah (name)Saffiyah is a female Arabic given name.People named Saffiyah include:*Safiyyah bint ‘Abd al-Muttalib — Zubayr ibn al-Awwam's mother*Safiyyah bint Abi al-'As*Safiyya bint Huyayy...
- RayhanaRayhanaRayhāna bint Zayd ibn ʿAmr was a Jewish woman from the Banu Qurayza tribe. Her relationship with Muhammad is disputed.Rayhana was originally a member of the Banu Nadir tribe who married a man from the Banu Qurayza...
- Judaism's view of MuhammadJudaism's view of MuhammadJudaism has no special or particular view of Muhammad, and very few texts in Judaism directly refer to or take note of Muhammad. Judaism rejects his self-proclamation of receiving divine revelations from God and labels him instead as a false prophet....
- List of non-Arab Sahaba
- Sunni view of the Sahaba
Further reading
- Awde, Nicholas Women in Islam: An Anthology from the Qur'an and Hadits, Routledge (UK) 2000, ISBN 0-7007-1012-4
- John EspositoJohn EspositoJohn Louis Esposito is a professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University...
and Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, Islam, Gender, and Social Change, Oxford University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-195-11357-8 - Leila AhmedLeila AhmedLeila Ahmed is an Egyptian American writer on Islam and Islamic feminism as well as being the first women's studies professor at Harvard Divinity School.- Background :...
, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical roots of a modern debate, Yale University Press, 1992 - Valentine Moghadam (ed), Gender and National Identity.
- Karen ArmstrongKaren ArmstrongKaren Armstrong FRSL , is a British author and commentator who is the author of twelve books on comparative religion. A former Roman Catholic nun, she went from a conservative to a more liberal and mystical faith...
, “The Battle for GodThe Battle for GodThe Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam is a book by best-selling author Karen Armstrong published in 2000 by Knopf/HarperCollins which the New York Times described as "one of the most penetrating, readable, and prescient accounts to date of the rise of the...
: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam”, London, HarperCollins/Routledge, 2001