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Safiyya bint Huyayy

Safiyya bint Huyayy (Arabic: صفية بنت حيي Ṣafiyya bint Ḥuyayy) was a Jewish woman from the Banu Nadir tribe. After the Battle of Khaybar in 628, she was widowed and taken captive by the early Muslims and subsequently became Muhammad's tenth wife.^[1] Like all other women who were married to Muhammad, Saffiya was known to Muslims as a Mother of the Believers.^[2] Their marriage produced no children and ended with Muhammad's death in Medina in 632.

Safiyyah was born in MedinatoHuyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir. Her mother, Barrah bint Samawal, was from the Banu Qurayza tribe. Her maternal grandfather was Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya, a celebrated pre-Islamic Arabian Jewish poet from the Banu Harith tribe.^{[citation needed]} According to a source, she was married off to Sallam ibn Mishkam, who later divorced her.^[3]

When the Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina in 625, her family settled in Khaybar, an oasis 153 kilometers from Medina.^[3] Her father and brother went from Khaybar to join the Meccan and Bedouin forces besieging Muhammad in Medina during the Battle of the Trench. When the Meccans withdrew Muhammad besieged the Banu Qurayza. After the defeat of the Banu Qurayza in 627 Safiyya's father, a long-time opponent of Muhammad, was captured and executed by the Muslims.^[4]

In 627 or early 628, Safiyya was married to Kenana ibn al-Rabi, treasurer of the Banu Nadir; she was about 17 years old at that time.^[3] Muslim sources claimed that Safiyya is said to have informed Kenana of a dream she had in which the moon had fallen from the heavens into her lap. Kenana 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.^[2][5]

In May 628, Muhammad and the Muslims invaded Khaybar, and several Jewish tribes (including the Banu Nadir) were defeated and surrendered. Some of the Jewish tribes were allowed to remain in the city on the condition that they give half of their annual produce to the Muslims. The land itself became the property of the Muslim state.^[6] This settlement, according to Stillman, did not extend to the Banu Nadir tribe, who were given no mercy.^[7]

Safiyya's then-husband, Kenana ibn al-Rabi, who was the custodian of the Banu Nadir's treasure, was summoned by Muhammad to reveal its location. Despite Kenana's professed ignorance, a Jew disclosed his habitual presence around a particular ruin. Consequently, Muhammad ordered excavations in that area, uncovering a portion of the treasure. When questioned about the remaining wealth, Kenana refused to divulge. Muhammad then ordered Zubayr ibn al-Awwam to torture him with hot steel applied to his chest until he was almost dead. Muhammad subsequently took him to Muhammad ibn Maslama, who beheaded him in revenge for his brother Mahmud, who had been killed in the battle.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Dihya al-Kalbi, one of Muhammad's companions, requested a slave from the captives, and Muhammad granted him the choice. Dihya thus went and took Safiyya. Witnessing this, another companion informed Muhammad, highlighting Safiyya's beauty and her status as the chief mistress of Banu Qurayza and the Nadir. The companion believed she was fit only for Muhammad, leading Muhammad to give the order to call them.^[12][13]

When Safiyya was delivered, she came along with another woman. Confronted with the sight of the headless corpses of the beheaded Banu Nadir men, the woman cried out wildly, smacked herself in the face, and poured sand on her head.^[14][15] Muhammad ordered that what he considered a "she-devil" be taken away.^[16] He directed that Safiyyah be placed behind him, with his cloak covering her, indicating to the Muslims that He had chosen her for himself, and told Dihya to take any other slave girl from the captives.^[13] It was reported that Dihya got seven slaves in exchange.^[17] Muhammad married Safiyya.^[18][19]

According to Muhammad al-Bukhari, 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 slave or a wife. The former speculated that they would consider Safiyya as Muhammad's wife, and thus a "Mother of the Believers".

Muhammad advised Safiyya to convert to Islam, she accepted and agreed to became Muhammad's wife.^[20] Safiyya did not bear any children to Muhammad.^[21]

Regarding Safiyya's Jewish descent, Muhammad once said to his wife that if other women insulted her for her Jewish heritage and were jealous because of her beauty, she was to respond: "My father (ancestor) Harun (Aaron) was a prophet, my uncle (his brother) Musa (Moses) was a prophet, and my husband (Muhammad) is a prophet."^[22]

Regarding the consummation of their marriage and her 'idda (waiting period), several authentic hadith addressed this topic.^[23]

Her marriage was nullified after her husband was killed and she was taken as a slave, which is different from a divorce or normal death of a husband. Because of this, consummation was based on istibra' (assurance of being free of pregnancy via menses) rather than 'idda.^[23] Numerous authentic hadith reports describe this:

Ahadith attributed to Ruwaifi‘ ibn Thabit al-Ansari reports:^[24]

Sunnis tend to view this as Hasan and have included it in Abu Dawud.

Ahadith attributed to Anas bin Malik reports:^[25]

Sunnis tend to view this as Sahih and have included it in Sahih Bukhari.

Ahadith attributed to Anas bin Malik reports:^[26][27]

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.^[3] In 656, Safiyya sided with caliph 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.^[3]

Safiyya died in 670 or 672, during the reign of Mu'awiya I, and was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi graveyard.^[28] She left an estate of 100,000 dirhams 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.^[3]

Her dream was interpreted as a miracle, and her suffering and reputation for crying won her a place in Sufi works. She is mentioned in all major books of hadith for relating a few traditions and a number of events in her life serve as legal precedents.^[3]

• Wives of Muhammad
  • Rayhanah bint Zayd, another Jewish woman who was Muhammad's concubine or twelfth wife
• Companions of the Prophet
  • List of non-Arab Sahabah
• Jewish views on Muhammad
• Safiya (given name)

• Awde, Nicholas Women in Islam: An Anthology from the Qur'an and Hadits, Routledge (UK) 2000, ISBN 0-7007-1012-4
• John Esposito and Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, Islam, Gender, and Social Change, Oxford University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-19-511357-8
• Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical roots of a modern debate, Yale University Press, 1992
• Valentine Moghadam (ed), Gender and National Identity.
• Karen Armstrong, "The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam", London, HarperCollins/Routledge, 2001