Safiyya bint Huyayy
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| The Wives of Muhammad |
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Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya Safiyya bint Huyayy *succession disputed **disputed |
Safiyya bint Huyayy (Arabic: صفية بنت حيي, Ottoman Turkish: Safiyye bint Hâyy, c. 610 - c. 670) was a Jewish woman captured from the Banu Nadir tribe at age 17,[1] who became Muhammad's 11th wife. She was titled "Mother of the Believers" by Muslims.
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.[2]
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[edit] Early life
Safiyya was born in Medina to Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir. Her mother, Barra bint Samawal, was from the Banu Qurayza tribe.
When the Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina in 625, her family settled in Khaybar, an oasis near Medina.[2] 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 and Muhammad besieged the Banu Qurayza, Huyayy and his son fought alongside the latter. In the ensuing massacre both were killed by Muhammad's followers, together with all the men of the Banu Qurayza.[3]
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.[2]
[edit] Battle of Khaybar
In May 629 Muslims triumphed over the Jews (including Banu Nadir) at the Battle of Khaybar. Although the Jews put up fierce resistance, the lack of central command and their unpreparedness for an extended siege resulted in a Muslim victory. The Jews surrendered, but were remained at Khaybar on the terms they give one-half of their annual produce to the Muslims. The land itself became the collective property of the Muslim state.[4]
The agreement, however, did not cover the Banu Nadir tribe. After the Jews surrendered, the Muslims killed all the men of the Banu Nadir and took all the surviving women and children of the Banu Nadir as slaves.[5][dubious — see talk page]
Ibn Hisham writes about Kinana ibn al-Rabi, Safiyya's former husband:[6]
Kinana al-Rabi, who had the custody of the treasure of Banu Nadir, was brought to the apostle who asked him about it. He denied that he knew where it was. A Jew came (Tabari says "was brought"), to the apostle and said that he had seen Kinana going round a certain ruin every morning early. When the apostle said to Kinana, "Do you know that if we find you have it I shall kill you?" He said "Yes". The apostle gave orders that the ruin was to be excavated and some of the treasure was found. When he asked him about the rest he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr Al-Awwam, "Torture him until you extract what he has." So he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head, in revenge for his brother Mahmud
Al-Mubarakpuri maintians that al-Rabi was bound by agreements between Muhammad and Khaybar to not conceal anything from the Muslims.[7]
In the aftermath, the women were divided amongst Muhammad and his followers.[4] Safiyya was assigned to Dihya ibn Khalifa, but Muhammad, threw his mantle over her as a sign that he had chosen her for himself and compensated Dihya with Safiyya's two cousins[8] or, according to other sources, seven head of cattle,[2] and according to a differing source, seven female slaves.[9]
[edit] Marriage to Muhammad
According to Muhammad al-Bukhari, Muhammad stayed for three days between Khaybar and Medina, and there consummated his marriage to Safiya. His companions wondered if she was to be considered a captive (Arabic: ma malakat aymanukum) or a wife. The former speculated that they would consider Safiyya as the Prophet's wife, and thus "Mothers of the Believers", if Muhammad ordered her to veil herself, else she would be his slave-girl.[10]
Muhammad suggested that Safiyya convert to Islam, which she did, and thus she become Muhammad's wife, instead of his maid. [11] Muslim scholar Maulana Muhammad Ali holds that Muhammad married the widow, who had already fallen into his hands as a captive, as a gesture of goodwill.[12] Saffiya did not bear any children to Muhammad.[13]
Despite her conversion, Muhammad's other wives annoyed Safiyya for her Jewish origin. Doubts about Safiyya's commitment to Islam and the suspicion that she would avenge her slain kin are recurring themes in the numerous Muslim biographies of her.[14] In these stories, Muhammad or Umar admonish the doubters and reaffirm her devotion to Islam.[2]
[edit] Political involvement and estate
In 656, Safiyya sided with caliph Uthman, and defended him at his last meeting with Ali, Aisha, and 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.[2]
Safiyya died in 670 or 672, leaving 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 Caliph Muawiyya for 180,000 dirhams.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References and footnotes
- ^ Safiyya bint Huyay,Fatima az-Zahra by Ahmad Thompson
- ^ a b c d e f g Vacca, V. "Safiyya". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Ed. P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.
- ^ Stillman, Norman (1979). The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 0-8276-0198-0. , p.17
- ^ a b Veccia Vaglieri, L.. "Khaybar". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Ed. P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.
- ^ Stillman, Norman. The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. pp.14, 18. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1979. ISBN 0-8276-0198-0
- ^ Ibn Hisham. Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya (The Life of The Prophet). English translation in Guillaume (1955), pp. 145–146
- ^ Mubarakpuri (1996), pg. 372
- ^ Ibn Hisham Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya (The Life of The Prophet), translated in Stillman, Norman (1979). The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 0-8276-0198-0. , pp.145–146
- ^ Abu Dawud vol.2 no.2988 p.848; Abu Dawud vol.2 no.2985-2989 and footnote 2406 p.846-849
- ^ Al-Bukhari, Al-Sahih, vol. 7.1, as cited Hekmat, Anwar (1997). Women and the Koran The Status of Women in Islam. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 209. ISBN 1-57392-162-9.
- ^ Ibn Saad, al-Tabaqat, pp.120-123
- ^ Maulana Muhammad Ali, Muhammad the Prophet, p.67, 2004, Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 1-4179-5666-6
- ^ Peters, F. E., Muhammad and the Origins of Islam, State University of New York Press, 1994, pp.179, ISBN 0-7914-1876-6. "At Medina he also married Umar's daughter Hafsa, Hind, Zaynab daughter of Jahsh, 16 Umm Salama, Juwayriyya, Ramla or Umm Habiba, Safiyya, and Maymuna. None of them bore him children, however, though he had a son, Ibrahim, by his Coptic concubine Mary. Ibrahim too died an infant."
- ^ Abu Dawud vol.3 no.4588 p.1293
[edit] Futher reading
- Awde, Nicholas Women in Islam: An Anthology from the Qur'an and Hadits, Routledge (UK) 2000, ISBN 0-7007-1012-4
- Hekmat, Anwar, Women and the Koran The Status of Women in Islam, Prometheus Books, 1997, ISBN 1-57392-162-9
- John Esposito and Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad, Islam, Gender, and Social Change, Oxford University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-195-11357-8
- 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
