Safiyya bt. Huyayy: Difference between revisions

She was from the Jewish kinsman of [[Banu Nadir]] whose genealogy traces back to Lawi b. Ya'qub and Nadir b. Naham b. Yanhum from the progeny of [[Harun b. 'Imran (a)]] (Aaron), the brother of the prophet [[Moses (a)]].

When she was a child, she was closely taken care by her father and her uncle [[Abu Yasir b. Akhtab]] who were heads of the [[Banu Nadir]] Jews and were noblemen of [[Medina]]. When the [[Prophet (s)]] immigrated to Medina, her father and uncle turned into enemies of the Prophet (s).

Her mother, Barra, was the daughter of Samu'il and the sister of Rifa'a b. Samu'il who was a [[Banu Qurayza]] Jew.

Safiyya was born in [[Medina]]. She first got married with Sallam b. Mishkam al-Qurayzi, but they soon separated, and then she married Kinana b. al-Rabi' b. Abi l-Huqayq.

After the [[Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty]] in [[7]]/628, the [[Prophet (s)]] went to a battle with the Jews of [[Khaybar]]. The land was conquered by Muslims. [[Kinana b. al-Rabi']], Safiyya's husband, was killed in this battle. And Muslims won a lot of booties. In conquering the Qumus Fort, one of the seven forts of Khaybar in which Abu l-Huqayq's children resided, some women, including Safiyya, were captivated.

The [[Prophet (s)]] called Safiyya to [[Islam]], and she converted to Islam. He then emancipated her and then married her.

Safiyya was 17 years old when she married the Prophet (s). The marriage occurred on their way from Khaybar to [[Medina]]. The Prophet (s) settled Safiyya in the house of [[Haritha b. Nu'man]]. Women from [[Ansar]], as well as [[Aisha bt. Abi Bakr|Aisha]], went there to visit and welcome Safiyya.

According to some historical sources, when Safiyya was captivated, the Prophet (s) saw some bruise in her face and asked her: "What is this?", Safiyya answered: "O' the Prophet! I saw in my dream that a moon is coming from the sky of [[Yathrib]] to my lap. I told this to my husband, Kinana, and he told me: it seems that you like to marry a king from Yathrib! And then he stroke me hard in the face".

Safiyya is mentioned as a beautiful, virtuous, wise, and patient woman.

It is reported that at the time of her departure from [[Khaybar]], when the [[Prophet (s)]]'s camel was brought for Safiyya to ride, the Prophet (s) put his foot on the stirrup so that Safiyya could put her foot on it and ride on the camel, but as a matter of politeness, Safiyya put her knee on the Prophet (s)'s thigh and rode on the camel.

When the Prophet (s) was dying, Safiyya told him: "O' the Prophet! I swear to [[God]] that I had better be sick instead of you so that you recover".

There are accounts of offenses to Safiyya by other wives of the [[Prophet (s)]]. For example, it is reported that one day Safiyya was crying. The Prophet (s) asked her about the reason, and she said: "Two of your wives offended me with their talks; they say we are superior to Safiyya because we are the Prophet (s)'s cousins and his wives". The Prophet (s) replied: "Why did you not tell them that your father is [[Aaron]], your uncle is [[Moses]] and your husband is [[Muhammad]]?"

After the Prophet's (s) demise, [['Umar b. al-Khattab]] considered a 6,000 [[dirham]] annual salary for Safiyya.

In [[35]]/655 when the house of [['Uthman b. 'Affan|'Uthman]], the third caliph, was beset by protesters, Safiyya opened a path from her house to 'Uthman's house in order to supply him with food and water.

According to most accounts, she died in [[50]]/670 in [[Medina]], but according to some other accounts, she died in [[36]]/656 or [[52]]/672. [[Sa'id b. al-'As]] performed prayer on her corpse, and she was buried in [[al-Baqi']] cemetery. She is said to have been the last of the [[Prophet (s)]]'s wives who died.

In the [[hadith]] collections, there are ten hadiths that Safiyya has narrated from the Prophet (s). The following are some of the people who narrated hadiths from her:

* [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]]

* Her servant Kinana

* Ishaq b. 'Abd Allah b. al-Harith.

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