The Noble Wives of the Holy Prophet^sa – Hazrat Safiyyah^ra Part 1

The lives of the Prophet Muhammad^sa, his wives and the women of early Islam are often portrayed by numerous Western historians and scholars largely based on inaccurate historical material or without consulting original sources. This misinformation has been disseminated in the media, magazines and news reports forming an adverse image of the women of early Islam to the world. The Review of Religions has commissioned a special series on the wives and female Companions of the Holy Prophet^sa to present the true life stories of the noble women of early Islam. Our purpose is not to individually respond to such historians, but only to present the actual history and to let our readers make up their own minds.

This article details the life of Safiyyah^ra.

Translated from the Urdu by Murtaza Ahmad

Background

Hazrat Safiyyah bint Huyayy’s^ra lineage can be traced back to the son of Jacob^as, from the Levi tribe, and Aaron^as, the brother of Moses^as.¹ Safiyyah^ra belonged to the wealthy and influential household of a Jewish chief; her father, Huyayy bin Akhtab, was the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir. Her mother’s name was Barra bint Shamoeel.² She personally owned around a hundred female slaves who had been appointed to serve in the house.³ Safiyyah^ra was known as Zainab before marriage. After entering the house of the Messenger of Allah, she became known as “Safiyyah.” The meaning of “Safiyyah” is “a pure, holy and clean person who is also a sincere friend.”⁴ Hazrat Safiyyah^ra was undoubtedly an embodiment of this, because after having accepted Islam her heart was purified and saturated with Divine love and the love of the Prophet Muhammad^sa. Her first marriage was to a renowned Jewish-Arab poet, Sallam bin Mishkam al Qurzi.⁵ This marriage ended when Sallam divorced Safiyyah^ra. Her second marriage was to the Jewish chief and poet, Kinanah bin Abi Al Haqiq. This marriage took place close to the time of the besiegement of Khaibar, during which Kinanah was killed in the battle.⁶ There were no offspring from either marriage.

After the conquest of Khaibar, Safiyyah^ra was taken as a prisoner of war and handed over to Bilal^ra. As he escorted them past the dead Jewish bodies, Safiyyah^ra and another female prisoner became extremely distressed. When this came to the notice of the Holy Prophet^sa, he expressed his anger and instructed that women captives should not have been escorted past the dead bodies of their own people, and should be protected from having to witness such distressing scenes.^sa A companion, Dihya Al Kalbi^ra, requested that the Holy Prophet⁷ allow him to have a slave-girl from the prisoners of war. The Prophet^sa stated that he could choose any slave, upon which Dihya^ra chose Safiyyah^ra for himself. Albeit slavery connotes the harsh reality of the deprivation of rights after wars, this incident took place at a time when slavery was not only prevalent among the greatest civilisations; it was also the foundation and fabric of economies and societies. Islam was the first religion which paved the way for the gradual emancipation of slavery. No other scripture contains any teaching comparable to the Qur’an regarding slavery. At the time, the punishment for the subjugated party was that their female prisoners were turned into slaves with no rights. This led to many moral lapses. The Prophet^sa never kept any slaves in this context however did not prevent His Companions from doing so, because the Prophet^sa ultimately aimed to eliminate slavery gradually. This situation needs to be understood in the context of it being times of war which were fought in self-defence, after the enemies of Islam had perpetrated untold atrocities towards Muslims, committing horrific and barbaric crimes against them. It should also be borne in mind that in Islam, slaves commanded great respect in Muslim society for their faith and righteousness. Hazrat Bilal^ra, Hazrat Salman^ra and Hazrat Saleem^ra, all highly respected companions of the Holy Prophet^sa, were all freed slaves.⁸

Marriage with the Prophet Muhammad^sa

The Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa later learnt that there was a noblewoman from the Jewish clan among the prisoners of war. According to the customs of the time, if such a woman was treated with due respect and regard it could serve as a means to reducing the enmity brewing among the Jews. As Dihya Al Kalbi^ra had already chosen her for himself, the Holy Prophet^sa sought advice from his companions as to what ought to be done with this Jewish noblewoman. The companions suggested that if the Prophet^sa were to marry Safiyyah^ra himself, this decision may attract the Jewish people towards Islam. The Holy Prophet^sa decided to accept this suggestion, and with Safiyyah’s^ra consent and choice, the Holy Prophet^sa brought her into the home. Although Safiyyah^ra was free to leave, she had observed the Holy Prophet’s^sa impeccable character and had become greatly impressed by it. Since Dihya Al Kalbi^ra had taken Safiyyah^ra into his custody with the permission of the Holy Prophet^sa, the Holy Prophet^sa gave him seven servants in exchange for her. He readily accepted this. The Holy Prophet^sa had freed Safiyyah^ra from slavery, which was understood as a dowry⁹

In this sense, this marriage was necessitated by the requirements of the nation just as it was in the case of marrying Umme Habibah^ra, the daughter of the chief of Makkah Abu Sufyan; Juwairiyah^ra, the daughter of Haarith, the chief of Banu Mustaliq; and Mariah Qibtiyyah^ra, the Egyptian Coptic Christian. As per tradition, marriages were the age-old custom for building bridges between tribes. According to the Bible, it was with a similar motive, that Solomon^as married the daughter of the Pharaoh of Egypt which resulted in Egypt not posing a threat to Israel.¹⁰ Seen from this context, the Prophet Muhammad’s^sa marriage with Safiyyah^ra cannot be objected to as has been the case with some orientalists. Indeed it was a favour and mark of respect for the enemy, and thus an act of compassion and mercy.

Hazrat Maulana Hakeem Maulawi Nur-Ud-Din, Khalifatul Masih I^ra, the first Successor to the Promised Messiah^as, in response to a criticism made by William Muir with regards to the wedding of Hazrat Safiyyah^ra stated:

“Mr. Muir raised an objection. However little did he realise that in Arabia it was a custom to marry the daughter or wife of the chiefs in areas which had been conquered, in order for peace and order to be established and love nurtured for the influential people of its country. All subjects and the royal family would feel content that now there would be no threat. Therefore, after the conquest of Khaibar, all Jews wished to live there.”¹¹

Before the wedding, the Holy Prophet^sa entrusted Safiyyah^ra to the care of Umme-Sulaim^ra, a woman who belonged to a sincere Ansari household, so that when her menstrual period of waiting came to an end, she may prepare Safiyyah^ra for her marriage with the Prophet Muhammad^sa.¹² Upon returning from Khaibar, the Holy Prophet^sa stopped at a place called Sadul Sahbaa’ and stayed there for three nights. It was here that Umme-Sulaim^ra prepared Safiyyah^ra, with her consent and happiness, for her marriage to the Holy Prophet^sa.¹³ According to the customs of the time, the veiling of slave-women was not very strictly observed; whereas the standard of veiling observed by the wives of the Prophet^sa was much stricter. As Safiyyah^ra was a prisoner of war, a separate Nikah (marriage announcement) was not required in order to include her in the harem. Thus, when the Holy Prophet^sa asked Safiyyah^ra to wear the veil in the same way as his other wives did, this very action was considered to be sufficient as an announcement of Nikah.¹⁴

Walima [Marriage] Ceremony

The Holy Prophet’s^sa companions enjoyed a degree of openness with him, which was a mark of their love and affection. Upon the occasion of marrying Hazrat Safiyyah^ra, a companion asked the Prophet Muhammad^sa, “O Messenger of Allah! When will you invite us to the Walima?” The Holy Prophet^sa replied, “A Walima is a [due] right and this will definitely take place.” The Holy Prophet^sa then arranged for the Walima during their journey. The companions state that upon returning from the conquest of Khaibar, they stopped at a place called Saddul Sahbaa’a and after the marriage with Safiyyah^ra, the Holy Prophet^sa arranged a Walima.¹⁵This was a simple but dignified function, despite it having occurred during a journey. The Holy Prophet^sa said for the companions to collect whatever provisions they had. The Holy Prophet^sa brought wheat and dates, carried in a loose robe. The food was laid out on a mat, and the Holy Prophet^sa said to the companions, “Eat the food from your spiritual mother.”¹⁶ Hazrat Safiyyah^ra soaked some dates in a stone dish. In the morning, this nabeez (i.e., the sherbet of dates) was given to the guests to drink.¹⁷ According to some narrations, on his return to Madinah the Holy Prophet^sa arranged for a second Walima after this party.¹⁸

Good Morals Win Over Safiyyah^ra

Many of Safiyyah’s^ra friends and family were killed during the battle of Khaibar, including her father and husband.  Hazrat Safiyyah^ra spoke of the previous hatred she once had for the Holy Prophet^sa. However, the kindness and affection that he showed her won her heart over. She states herself:

“When the Holy Prophet^sa was about to depart for Khaibar and it was time for me to mount upon the camel, the Prophet^sa first prepared the howdah and he folded the [cloak] that he was wearing and laid it down on the howdah where I was to sit so that it softened even more.”

In order for her to mount upon her camel, the Holy Prophet^sa lowered his knee in front of her, and said, “Place your foot on this and mount upon the horse.”¹⁹ These small acts of kindness left an indelible mark upon Safiyyah^ra. She states:

“During a journey, an unlimited degree of affection was shown by the Holy Prophet^sa towards me. At the time I was a young woman and many a time, after sitting in the howdah for a long time, I would be overcome by slumber and my head would hit against the wooden howdah. The Holy Prophet^sa would support my head with much love and affection and make me go to sleep. He would say: ‘O daughter of Huyayy! Take care of yourself, lest in the state of sleep or slumber you get hurt.’”²⁰

The Family of Safiyyah’s^ra Enmity for Islam

Winning over Safiyyah’s^ra affections was indeed a great triumph for the Holy Prophet^sa. The Jews harboured a great enmity for the Muslims and this was especially so in Hazrat Safiyyah’s^ra household. In fact, Jewish scriptures prophesised a prophet appearing from the mountains of Faraan, in Arabia, through which they would be granted kingdom and conquest.²¹ Various Jewish tribes were in search of this prophet and came and settled in the orchard of Madinah. In the hope that the Prophet Muhammad^sa was this promised Prophet, some started naming their children Muhammad. As many signs had come in support of the Holy Prophet^sa, some of them accepted Islam. However, most of them rejected the Prophethood of Muhammed^sa on the basis that he was not from among the progeny of Isaac^as, son of Abraham^as and instead was from the progeny of the other son of Abraham^as, Ishmail^as. The Jewish elders resolved to oppose the Prophet Muhammad^sa. Safiyyah’s^ra father, Huyyay, was the leader of his tribe. Hazrat Safiyyah^ra narrated:

“My father and uncle loved me the most from among the children in the house. They would attend to me first, leaving the rest of the children aside. One day after the Prophet^sa had migrated to Madinah and was staying in Quba, my father Huyyay bin Akhtab, and my uncle Abu Yasir bin Akhtab, went to Madinah early in the morning to learn a few things about him.

“In the evening, they returned crestfallen. They were walking back slowly. As was my habit, I ran towards them but on this day, they did not pay any attention to me. I thought that their hearts were weighed down by some sorrow; they seemed extremely weak. Then I heard Uncle Abu Yasir say to my father, ‘Brother, is he that (promised prophet)? My father replied, ‘Yes. By God! It is him!’ Uncle said, ‘Have you really recognised him through his signs that all the signs are fulfilled in him?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ My uncle asked, ‘Then what did you think about it?’ Father replied, ‘By God! Until our last breath, we must oppose Muhammad.’”²²

This incident was clearly etched in her memory. While the Jewish family’s enmity for Islam is apparent, there is also an important lesson to be derived from this about the dangerousness of rejecting and opposing the one who is appointed by God. Such an act is synonymous to waging war against God and such prejudice and haste results in nothing but destruction and ruin. How clear was the verdict of the Holy Prophet^sa concerning these prejudiced Jewish chiefs who stopped their people from accepting the truth! He said, “If ten Jewish (chiefs) believed in me, then all the Jews would have believed.”²³ However, the Jews who had transgressed caused their people to drown as well as themselves. This incident certainly is a means of admonishment for today’s world. The other testimony regarding her family’s enmity for Islam is as follows:

“Right above my eye,” Hazrat Safiyyah^ra narrated, “There was a very deep yellow- or green-coloured mark. The Holy Prophet^sa noticed it and asked, ‘What happened to you?’ I related the whole incident to him:

“When the Holy Prophet^sa had besieged Khaibar, I saw in a dream that the moon of the fourteenth night fell into my lap. When I related the dream to my husband, he slapped me and asked, ‘Do you wish to marry the king of Yathrib [Madinah was called Yathrib before the advent of Islam]?’”²⁴

In another narration it is mentioned that Safiyyah^ra related the same dream to her father. However, in this version, the sun is mentioned as having fallen onto her chest. Her father became angry and admonished her, “Do you desire the king who has come and besieged us?”²⁵

It is possible that Safiyya^ra related the dream to both her husband and father in these narrations. In any case, Hazrat Safiyyah^ra witnessed the fulfilment of this dream during the besiegement at Khaibar and the incidents that transpired later, proving that the Holy Prophet^sa was in fact the “moon of the fourteenth night” and “the sun” as the king of Madinah. The flames of revenge must have been raging in the hearts of those Jews who had been conquered in Khaibar. Zainab, the sister of the chief of Khaibar and Marhab, and the wife of Sallaam bin Mishkam, invited the Holy Prophet^sa for dinner after the conquest of Khaibar, and mixed poison into the goat meat that she served him with. A companion of the Prophet^sa, Hazrat Bishr^ra, ate some of the meat and died. The Prophet^sa himself, up until his demise, experienced discomfort in his throat as a result of the poison. The Holy Prophet^sa asked Zainab why she had committed this treachery to which she replied, “I thought that if you were really a prophet, you would be saved from the effects of the poison and if you were not a prophet, then we would be saved from you [forever].” In spite of this the Holy Prophet^sa forgave her.

Enmity of the Jews and the Fears of the Companions

After this incident, some of the companions feared for the safety of the Holy Prophet^sa. Abu Ayub Ansari^ra states that:

“After returning from Ghazwah-e-Khaibar [Battle of Khaibar] when the Prophet^sa married Safiyyah^ra, the daughter of the Jewish Chief Huyyay bin Akhtab, in view of my passionate love for the Prophet^sa and his protection, fears arose in my mind. All night, I guarded the tent in which they [the Holy Prophet^sa and Hazrat Safiyyah^ra] spent their first night after marriage. In the morning, the Prophet^sa saw me and asked how I was. I told him ‘Throughout the night, I stood guarding you all on my own.’ At that very moment, the Holy Prophet^sa prayed, ‘O Allah! Always keep Abu Ayub^ra in your protection just as he was ready to protect me throughout the night.’”

This prayer was accepted as Abu Ayub^ra lived for a very long time. His grave is preserved in Constantine (Turkey) and is a place visited by many.²⁶

Safiyyah^ra in Madinah

A companion of the Prophet Muhammad^sa, Hazrat Anas bin Malik^ra, states:

“Upon returning from ‘Asfaan, we were travelling along with the Prophet^sa. The Prophet^sa mounted a camel and Hazrat Safiyyah^ra bint Huyyay was sitting behind him. The foot of the camel slipped and the Prophet^sa and Hazrat Safiyyah^ra both fell off. Abu Talha^ra jumped off his camel and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! I am sacrificed unto thee! Are you okay?’ He retorted, ‘Enquire about the lady first.’ Therefore Abu Talha^ra veiled his face and went to Hazrat Safiyyah^ra and covered her in a chaadar [cloth used as head-covering] and prepared the camel.”²⁷

Upon the arrival of the Holy Prophet^sa at Madinah from Khaibar, arrangements were made for Hazrat Safiyyah^ra to stay with his companion, Hazrat Haaritha bin Nu’maan^ra. ‘Ata bin Yassar narrates narrates that when the Ansari women heard of the arrival of a noble bride, they went to visit her. ‘A’ishah^ra, one of the wives of the Prophet^sa, also joined these women out of curiosity, but veiled herself so as not to be recognised. The Holy Prophet^sa recognised her and asked, “O ‘A’ishah! How do you find her?” ‘A’ishah^ra replied curtly, “She is just a Jewess from among the Jews.”

The Holy Prophet^sa said, “‘A’ishah! Do not say this. She has now accepted Islam and is a good Muslim.”²⁸ Indeed, even though ‘A’ishah^ra was much loved by the Prophet^sa due to her unique qualities and virtues endowed to her by God, he would occasionally admonish her for the sake of her moral training. Once she pointed her little finger at Hazrat Safiyyah^ra tauntingly, by way of saying that she was short in height. When the Prophet^sa learnt of this, he reprimanded her severely and said, “You have spoken a word such that, if it were mixed in the water of the ocean, it would darken it.”²⁹

Hazrat Safiyyah^ra states:

“The Prophet^sa always treated me kindly. Once, somebody from among the noble wives taunted me by saying, ‘You belong to a Jewish tribe i.e., you are from among the progeny of the Jews.’ The Prophet^sa came home and upon seeing me cry asked, ‘What’s the matter with you?’ I replied, ’O Messenger of Allah! Some of your wives are related to your family or to the Quraish [the dominant tribe in Makkah]. They said that they belonged to the family of the Quraish while I was the daughter of the Jews. The Prophet^sa said, ‘O daughter of Huyyay! What need is there to cry? You ought to have responded to them by saying, “How could you fare better than me, while Prophet Aaron^ra was my father, the prophet Moses^ra was my uncle and Muhammad^sa is my husband!”

That is to say, she enjoyed a relationship with three Prophets while they (the other wives) were taking pride over the one relation they had with the Prophet^sa.³⁰

Hazrat ‘A’ishah^ra states:

“I had never seen anyone cook better than Hazrat Safiyyah^ra. On one occasion, she sent some food to the Prophet^sa when it was my turn to be with him. I was overcome by jealousy and broke her dish. Afterwards, I mentioned to the Holy Prophet^sa of my feeling much ashamed, ‘O Messenger of Allah! What is the atonement for this mistake of mine?’ He replied, ‘A dish for a dish and food for food.’”³¹

Part II to follow in the next edition.

2.  Ibn Sa’d al-Baghdadi, Tabaqat-al-Kubra, vol. 8, n.d., 120.

3.  Azwaaj-un-Nabi (Madinah-tul-Munawarah: Daarul Turaath, n.d.), 214.

4.  “Safiy,” Al Munjid Qaamusul Muhdith, n.d.

5.  Usud-al-Ghaaba, 5:327.

6.  Imam Bukhari, “Kitabul Maghazi Bab Fathe-Khaibar,” in Sahih Bukhari, n.d.

7.  Ibn Hisham, Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, vol. 3 (Beirut: Daarul Kutubil Ilmiyyati, n.d.), 195.

8.  (For a full discussion on Islam and the emancipation of slavery, see article by Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra which will be published in our next edition)

9.  Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, “Kitabul Nikah Bab Fadheelati I’tikaaqu Umahu,” in Sahih Muslim, n.d.

10.  The Bible, Kings 1:3.

11. Hazrat Hakim Maulana Nur-Ud-Din, Khalifatul Masih I, Khutbaat-e-Nur, n.d., 532.

12.  The period after the death of a husband in which it may be confirmed whether the woman is carrying the deceased husband’s offspring. The menstrual cycle would confirm that the woman is not bearing any child and thus is free to get married.

13.  Imam Bukhari, “Kitabul Maghazi Bab Fathe-Khaibar”; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, “Kitabul Nikah Bab Fadheelati I’tikaaqu Umahu”; Ibn Hisham, Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, 3:197.

14.  Imam Bukhari, “Kitabul Maghazi Bab Ghazwah Khaibar,” in Sahih Bukhari, n.d.

15.  Imam Bukhari, “Kitabul Jihad Bab Ghazulsabi Al-Khidmati,” in Sahih Bukhari, n.d.

16.  Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vol. 9 (Beirut: Darul Fikri, n.d.), 405.

17.  Ibn Sa’d al-Baghdadi, Tabaqat-al-Kubra, 8:125.

18.  Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vol. 4 (Beirut: Darul Fikri, n.d.), 49.

19.  Imam Bukhari, “Kitabul Maghazi Bab Ghazwah Khaibar.”

20.  Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vol. 8 (Beirut: Darul Fikri, n.d.), 574.

21.  The Bible, Deuteronomy 18:18, 33:2.

22.  Ibn Hisham, Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya, vol. 1 (Beirut: Daarul Kutubil Ilmiyyati, n.d.), 517.

23.  Imam Bukhari, “Kitabul Fazailusahaaba babu ityaanul yahood,” in Sahih Bukhari.

24.  Al-Tabarani, al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, vol. 24, n.d., 67; Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, n.d., 9:404.

25.  Al-Tabarani, al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, 24:67.

26.  Al-Seerah al-Halabiyyah, vol. 3 (Beirut, n.d.), 44.

27.  Imam Bukhari, “Kitabul Jihad Bab Ma Yaqulu Izaa Raja’a Minal Ghazwah,” in Sahih Bukhari, n.d.

28.  Ibn Sa’d al-Baghdadi, Tabaqat-al-Kubra, 8:126.

29.  Abu Dawud, “Kitabul Adabi Bab Fil Gheebat,” in Sunan Abi Dawud, n.d.

30.  Muhammad ibn ’Isa at Tirmidhi, “Kitabul Manaaqib Bab Fadhlu Azwaajin Nabi,” in Al-Jami’ As-Sahih, n.d.

31.  Abu Dawud, “Kitabul Ujaarati Bab Fi Man Afsada Shaian,” in Sunan Abi Dawud, n.d.