Forum Index › Forums › ISLAMIC FAITH (AQEEDAH FORUMS) › Pillars of Faith (Iimaan) › Sunnah Forum › Story of Safiyyah bint Huyay ibn Akhtab
Tagged: biography, Safiyyah, Safiyyah bint Huyay ibn Akhtab, story
- This topic has 0 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 9 months, 3 weeks ago by Aminatu.
-
AuthorPosts
-
-
Mon 9 Dhul Qidah 1444AH 29-5-2023AD at 3:54 am #90079
Biography – 141
الحمد لله ربّ العالمين
This is a brief Biography of Safiyyah Radhi’Allāhu’anha; we ask Allāh to benefit us thereby.
17. Safiyyah (رضي الله عنها) The Mother of The Believers
“By Allah, She is Truthful”It is our duty as Muslims to know the names, attributes and life stories of the Ummahat al Mu’minin (Mothers of the Believers). They are the noble Consorts, great women, and guiding stars. Discussing their lives is discussing the Prophet ﷺ, the most virtuous of discussions. Here is a glimpse into a life of another one of these stalwarts of Islam who Prophet ﷺ had elected his spouse. Umm al Mu’minin Safiyyah bint Huyay ibn Akhtab رضي الله عنها, she converted to Islam from a Jewish clan, her father the chief of the clan—the Banu Nadir—who are descendants of the Prophet Harun عليه السلام.
She is the daughter of Huyayy bin Akhtab from the descendants of the Messenger of Allah Hārūn, peace be upon him. Before her acceptance of Islam, she was married to Salām bin Al-Haqiq. After that Kinānah bin Al-Haqiq took her over. They were both poets of the Jews. Kinānah was killed at the battle of Khaybar, and she was captured. She fell to the lot of Dihya Al- Kalbi. It was said to the Prophet ﷺ regarding her: “It is not fitting for her to be for anybody other than you.” So, he took her from Dihya and replaced in lieu of her seven heads (of slaves).” [Sahih: Reported by Muslim and Ahmad]
Thereafter, after she became pure, the Prophet ﷺ married her and made her emancipation her mahr (dowry).
Anas bin Mālik narrated: “The Prophet ﷺ took Safiyyah from Dihya Al-Kalbi in lieu of seven heads and then entrusted her to Umm Sulaim so that she may embellish and prepare her (for marriage). Her walimah was clarified butter, cheese and dates.”[Sahih: Reported by Muslim (1365) (87)]
She was noble, intelligent and a woman of noble descent, beauty and pious. She was gentle and dignified.
Umm al Mu’minin Safiyyah bint Huyay رضي الله عنها relates an incident of her childhood before her Islam. She says: I was my father’s favourite and a favourite of my uncle Yasir. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Madinah and was in Quba’, my father and my uncle went to see him. It was very early in the morning and between dawn and sunrise. They had gone to see this man, if he is true in his claim of prophethood and what his attributes and qualities are. They did not return until the sun was setting. They came back worn out and depressed, walking with slow, heavy steps. I smiled to them as I always did, but neither of them took any notice of me because they were so miserable.
I head Abu Yasir ask my father, “Is it him?”
“Yes, it is,” he replied.
Abu Yasir then asked, “Can you recognize him? Can you verify it?”
“Yes, I can recognize him well,” my father answered.
“What do you feel towards him?” Abu Yasir asked.
My father replied, “Enmity, enmity as long as I live.” [Sirah Ibn Hisham: vol. 2 pg. 363]These are the Jews. The name Muhammad ﷺ is clearly mentioned in the Torah just as the name Ahmed is clearly mentioned in the Gospel, but oh such disdain, denial, and rejection.
Or did they not know their Messenger, so they are toward him disacknowledging? [Surah al Mu’minun: 69]
Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it]. [Surah al Baqarah: 146]
On the of day Khaybar, a battle between the Muslims and Jews took place in which Kinanah the husband of Safiyyah was killed. She was taken with the other prisoners of war and Rasulullah ﷺ took her for himself, giving her the option of becoming a Muslim or remaining on her religion.
He said to her thus, “Choose between Islam and Judaism, if you do become a Muslim I intend to marry you and if you choose to remain on your religion I will free you and you can return to your people.”
She replied, “O Rasulullah! I love Islam and have deemed you to be true before you even spoke to me and gave me the choice between Kufr and Islam. Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and his Messenger are more beloved to me than returning to my people.” [Tabaqat ibn Sa’d vol. 8 pg. 132]
This intelligent woman then came into the fold of Islam after which she was freed and married to Rasulullah ﷺ who stipulated her freedom as her dowry.[Sahih al Bukhari, 1539; Sahih Muslim, 1365] The walimah meal consisted of dates, dried yoghurt, and butter. An easy blessed marriage. The intent of Rasulullah ﷺ marriage to her was to raise her status, honour her, and replace her loss of family and clan with that which was better. Together with this another objective was to build relations with the Jews, perhaps it might lessen their enmity and bring them closer to accepting the truth.
She was a woman of outstanding qualities, from a noble lineage, and the beauty which her family was famed for had reached its pinnacle in her features. It was this beauty that kindled the sentiments of possessiveness in the other wives of Messenger of Alllah ﷺ. This did not go unnoticed by him and now and again he would pacify her. On one such occasion our mother Hafsah رضي الله عنها slighted Safiyyah رضي الله عنها because of her Jewish ancestry and this was simply due to the possessiveness co-wives feel from time to time. After some time Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to her home and found her crying. Upon inquiring the source of her sorrow, she related the incident of Hafsah رضي الله عنها calling her the daughter of a Jew. Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said to her:
Certainly, you are the daughter of a Prophet (Harun), your uncle is a Prophet (Musa), and you are married to a Prophet (himself); so what is she boasting to you about?”
Subhan Allah! This was the character of Messenger of Allaah ﷺ in his household, resolving disputes between his wives with a few well delivered words of wisdom. He wiped her tears, brought out her brilliant smile, and gave her a reason to take pride in which the other wives could not attain. Messenger of Allaah ﷺ did not stop there, he reprimanded Hafsah رضي الله عنها saying to her, “Fear Allah O Hafsah!” [Jami’ al Tirmidhi, 3894]
Her forbearance and intelligence shines through in an incident recorded in the books of history thus, once a slave girl she owned went to the Amir al Mu’minin ‘Umar and said, “Amir al Mu’minin! Safiyyah loves the Sabbath and maintains ties with the Jews!” ‘Umar رضي الله عنه asked Safiyyah رضي الله عنها about that and she said, “I have not loved the Sabbath since Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى replaced it with Friday for me, and I only maintain ties with those Jews to whom I am related by kinship.”
Subhan Allah her character does not allow her to break ties with them even after her Islam. She then asked her slave girl what had possessed her to carry lies to ‘Umar and the girl replied, “Shaitan!” Safiyyah رضي الله عنها said, “Go, you are free.” [Al Isti’ab, vol. 1 pg. 605]
Fervency of Her Love for the Prophet ﷺ
Zayd bin Aslam said that: “When the Prophet ﷺ was in his last illness (prior to his death) his wives gathered around him. Safiyyah bint Huyayy said: ‘By Allah, O Prophet of Allah, I wish it was I who was suffering instead of you.’ The wives of the Prophet winked at that, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked at them and said, ‘Rinse out your mouths!’ They said: ‘For what?’ He said: ‘Because of your winking at her. By Allah, she spoke truthfully.” [Reported by Ibn Sa’d (7/128) and its narrators are trustworthy but it is mursal.]
The Prophet’s (ﷺ) Concern for Her
Anas رضي الله عنه, narrated: “We were returning with Allah’s Messenger; myself, and Abū Talhah. Safiyyah was riding behind him. His camel tripped and he fell, and she fell too. Abu Talhah jumped from his horse and rushed to the Prophet ﷺ. He said: “O Prophet of Allah, are you hurt?” He said: “No, take care of the lady.” Abu Talhah drew his cloth over his face and went toward her. He threw a cloth on her and supported her on to his camel. She rode and the Prophet also rode.” [Its chain is Sahih: Reported by Al-Bukhari (6/134) Muslim (1365)]
Observe this lofty manner. Abu Talhah covering his face, throwing a cloth on her so that he does not touch her directly with his hands. We are in no need of anything more than these kinds of manners at a time when manners are comatose and putrefied characters became manifest in its most base pictures and shapes.
A Few Narrations:
Narrated Anas bin Mālik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Abu Talha, “Choose one of your boy servants to serve me in my expedition to Khaibar.” So, Abu Talha took me letting me ride behind him while I was a boy nearing the age of puberty. I used to serve Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) when he stopped to rest. I heard him saying repeatedly, “O Allah! I seek refuge with You from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men.” Then we reached Khaibar; and when Allah enabled him to conquer the Fort (of Khaibar), the beauty of Safiya bint Huyai bin Akhtab was described to him. Her husband had been killed while she was a bride. So, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) selected her for himself and took her along with him till we reached a place called Sa`d-AsSahba,’ where her menses were over and he took her for his wife. Haris (a kind of dish) was served on a small leather sheet. Then Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) told me to call those who were around me. So, that was the marriage banquet of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and Safiya. Then we left for Medina. I saw Allah’s Messenger folding a cloak round the hump of the camel so as to make a wide space for Safiya (to sit on behind him) He sat beside his camel letting his knees for Safiya to put her feet on so as to mount the camel. Then, we proceeded till we approached Medina; he looked at Uhud (mountain) and said, “This is a mountain which loves us and is loved by us.” Then he looked at Medina and said, “O Allah! I make the area between its (i.e. Medina’s) two mountains a sanctuary as Abraham made Mecca a sanctuary. O Allah! Bless them (i.e. the people of Medina) in their Mudd and Sa (i.e. measures). [Sahih al-Bukhari 2893]Narrated Anas: The Prophet (ﷺ) stayed for three days at a place between Khaibar and Medina, and there he consummated his marriage with Safiyyah bint Huyay. I invited the Muslims to a banquet which included neither meat nor bread. The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered for the leather dining sheets to be spread, and then dates, dried yogurt and butter were provided over it, and that was the Walima (banquet) of the Prophet. The Muslims asked whether Safiyyah would be considered as his wife or as a slave girl of what his right hands possessed. Then they said, “If the Prophet (ﷺ) screens her from the people, then she Is the Prophet’s wife but if he does not screen her, then she is a slave girl.” So, when the Prophet (ﷺ) proceeded, he made a place for her (on the camel) behind him and screened her from people. [Sahih al-Bukhari 5159]
Her DeathShe died in the 50th year (of Hijrah). It is also said that she died in the 52nd year of hijrah and it is also said that her date of death is other than that. She was buried at Al-Baqi.
[The End]
May Allāh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى be pleased with them and they with Him.
اَللّٰهُ أَعْلَم
(To be continued…)
ان شاء الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ
Please Share
🔹 Facebook: https://fb.me/BiographiesIslamic
🔹 Telegram: https://t.me/BiographiesIslamic
-
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.