Safiyyah bint Huyayy: Descendant of Prophets

13/05/2012| IslamWeb

Allah The Almighty granted Muslims a great victory over the Jews in the Battle of Khaybar, and Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, was one of the captives in this battle.

The Prophet said to her: "Your father remained the staunchest Jewish enemy to me until Allah The Almighty killed him. O Safiyyah, if you choose Islam, I will keep you as my wife; if you choose Judaism, I may release you and let you join your people."

She replied, "O Messenger of Allah, Allah The Almighty Says [(what means)]: {And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.} [Quran 39:7] I appreciate Islam and I have believed in you even before I ended up in your custody. Moreover, I am in no need of Judaism, nor do I have a father or a brother under it. Since you have given me the option to choose between Islam and disbelief, I do prefer Allah The Almighty and His Messenger to being freed and returned to my people." [Ibn Sa‘d]

When Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, wanted to ride a camel, the Prophet bent his knees for her to climb on, but she refused to put her feet on his thigh out of reverence. Instead, she put her knee on his thigh and mounted the camel. The Prophet rode beside her and put a veil over her. They traveled with the Muslim army until they were six miles from Khaybar, the home of the enemy where the battle had taken place, where they stopped to rest.

While they were resting, the Prophet wanted to consummate the marriage with her, but Safiyyah refused, which upset him. Reaching As-Sahbaa', which is sixteen miles away from Khaybar, Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, obeyed him. He asked: "Why did you refuse during the first rest?" She replied, "O Messenger of Allah, I was afraid for you because the Jews were too near.” The Prophet appreciated and respected her for that. [Ibn Sa‘d]

Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that the Prophet came one day after she had heard ‘Aa'ishah and Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with them, saying that they were more honored in the sight of the Prophet than her, for they were his wives as well as from his tribe.

She narrates, "When I told him about that, he said: ‘You should tell them, 'How could you be better than me when my husband is Muhammad, my father is Haaroon (Aaron) and my uncle is Moosa (Moses)?'" [At-Tirmithi]

She also said,

I went to visit the Prophet while he was in the state of I‘tikaaf (seclusion in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan). After having spoken to him for an hour, I stood up to return. The Prophet also stood up with me. When we reached the gate of the mosque near the door of Umm Salamah, two men from the Ansaar (Helpers) passed by at a quickened pace and greeted the Prophet . The Prophet said to them: "Do not hurry. She is Safiyyah, daughter of Huyayy [my wife].''

They said, "Subhaan Allah! (Glory be to Allah)'' They showed astonishment at the Prophet’s telling them who I was. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah said: "The devil [circulates] like blood does in the son of Aadam. I apprehended that the devil might drop some evil thoughts into your minds.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

When the Prophet was suffering from the fatal sickness due to which he died, Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I wish I were the one suffering instead of you." The other wives of the Prophet looked at each other (as if they mocked what she said). The Prophet saw them and said: "Wash your mouths.” They said, “From what?” He said: "From ridiculing her with your looks to each other. By Allah, she is truthful.” [Ibn Sa‘d]

Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, was always openhanded and generous. One day, she gave Faatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, and some of the Mothers of the Believers rings of gold and she gave the price of her house in charity before she died.

It was reported that once her slave-girl went to ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, and said, "Safiyyah loves the Sabbath and has good relations with the Jews." When ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, sent for her and asked her about that, she replied, "As for the Sabbath, I do not love it because Allah The Almighty has given me a better day [i.e. Friday]. As for the Jews, I have kindred among them so I maintain kinship ties with them." After that, she asked the slave girl why she had behaved that way, and when the girl told her that the devil had tempted her into carrying tales, Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, set her free. [Ibn Abdul-Barr]

Such was the Mother of the Believers, Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab, a descendant of Prophet Haaroon, may Allah exalt his mention. Her mother was called Barrah bint Samaw’al from Banu Quraythah. Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, married the Prophet at the age of 17, and, despite her young age, she had been married twice before that. She was first married to Salaam ibn Mishkam Al-Qurathi, the warrior of her tribe and one of its great poets. She then married Kinaanah ibn Ar-Rabee‘, the defender of the fort of Al-Qamoos, which was the strongest fort in Khaybar.

Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, related that when she married the Prophet he saw a bruise near her eye. So, he asked: "What is this, Safiyyah?" She said, "I saw in my dreams that a moon fell into my lap. When I told my husband about that dream, he slapped me very hard, saying, ‘You desire to be under the king who comes from Madeenah (referring to the Prophet ).” [Ibn Sa‘d]

Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, supported the truth when the Commander of the Believers ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan, may Allah be pleased with him, was put under siege in his home. She made a bridge between her house and that of ‘Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him, with pieces of wood through which she transferred water and food to him.

Safiyyah, may Allah be pleased with her, died in the month of Ramadan, 50 A.H. during the caliphate of Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan. She was buried in the cemetery of Al-Baqee‘ at the side of the other Mothers of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with them.