Hazrat Safiyyah bint
Huyayy (RA)
Early life
Hazrat
Safiyyah (RA) was the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir who
had all been expelled from Medina in 4 AH after plotting to kill the Messenger
of Allah by dropping a stone on his head as he sat talking with their leaders. Hazrat
Safiyyah (RA) could trace her lineage directly back to Harun, the brother of
the Prophet Moses (AS).
Became Ummul Momineen
Hazrat
Safiyyah bint Huyayy (RA) married the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in 7 AH, when the
Prophet was sixty years old and she was seventeen years old. This marriage occurred
after one of the Muslims' decisive battles, the battle of Khyber. After the
battle of Khyber in which the Muslims defeated the Jews, two women were brought
before the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by Hazrat Bilal (RA), They had passed by
those who had been killed in the fighting. One of the two women was shrieking
and screaming, and rubbing dust in her hair, while the other was mute with
shock. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked someone to look after the woman who was
screaming and then took off his cloak and placed it over the shoulders of Safiyyah,
whose husband Kinana had been killed in the battle. It was a gesture of pity,
but from that moment she was to be honored and given great respect in the
Muslim community. Then the Prophet (SAW) turned to Hazrat Bilal and said,
"Bilal, has Allah plucked mercy from your heart that you let these two
women pass by those of their menfolk who have been killed?"
Her Moral Values
Although
Hazrat Safiyyah (RA) was Huyayy's daughter, yet she had a pure heart and had
always wanted to worship her Creator and Lord, the One who had sent Moses, to
whom she was related, and Jesus, and finally Muhammad (SAW), may Allah be
pleased with all of them. Thus as soon as the opportunity arose, not only to
follow the last Prophet, but also to be married to him, she took it. Although Hazrat
Safiyyah had in Muhammad (SAW) a most kind and considerate husband, she was not
always favorably accepted by some of his other wives, especially when she had
first joined the Prophet's household. It is related by Anas that on one
occasion, the Prophet (SAW) found Safiyyah weeping. When he asked her what the
matter was, she replied that she heard Hafsa had disparagingly described her as
'the daughter of a Jew'.
The
Prophet (SAW) responded by saying, "You are certainly the daughter of a
Prophet (Harun), and certainly your uncle was a Prophet (Moses), and you are
certainly the wife of a Prophet (Muhammad), so what is there in that to be
scornful towards you?" Then he said to Hafsa, "O Hafsa, fear
Allah!"
Once
the Prophet (SAW) was accompanied on a journey by Hazrat Safiyyah and Hazrat
Zaynab bint Jahsh when Hazrat Safiyyah' s camel went lame. Hazrat Zaynab had an
extra camel and the Prophet asked her if she would give it to Safiyyah. Hazrat Zaynab
retorted, "Should I give to that Jewess!" The Prophet turned away
from her in anger and would not have anything to do with her for two or three
months not to show his disapproval of what she had said. Some three years
later, when Muhammad (SAW) was in his final illness, Safiyyah felt for him
deeply and sincerely. "O Messenger of Allah," she said, "I wish
it was I who was suffering instead of you." Some of the wives winked at
each other which made the Prophet cross and he exclaimed, "By Allah, she
spoke the truth!"
She
still underwent difficulties after the death of the Prophet (SAW). Once a slave
girl she owned went to the Amir al Momineen Umar (RA) and said, "Amir al Momineen!
Safiyyah loves the Sabbath and maintains ties with the Jews!" Umar asked Safiyyah
about that and she said, "I have not loved the Sabbath since Allah
replaced it with Friday for me, and I only maintain ties with those Jews to
whom I am related by kinship." She asked her slave girl what had possessed
her to carries lie to Umar and the girl replied, "Shaytan!" Safiyyah
said, "Go, you are free."
Hazrat Safiyyah
(RA) was a virtuous and pleasant woman, expressed her love for the Prophet by
saying, "I wish it was I who was suffering instead of you," when he
was on his deathbed.
Hazrat Safiyyah
(RA) was also known as a very courageous companion, and she sided with Hazrat Uthman
when his home was under siege. It is even reported that she secretly supplied
him with food and water.
She breathed her last
Hazrat
Safiyyah (RA) lived with the Prophet (SAW) for nearly four years, She was only
twenty-one when the Prophet (SAW) died, and lived as a widow for the next
thirty-nine years, dying in 50 AH, at the age of sixty and was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi
Cemetery. She narrated around 10 hadiths.
