Safiyya Bint Huyay (The Relative of Prophets)

Towards Da Light

After the battle of Khaybar in which the Muslims defeated the Jews, two women were brought before the Prophet (SAW) by Bilal, one of the two women was shrieking, screaming and rubbing dust in her hair, while the other was silent. The silent one was Safiyya, the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab who was the chief of the Banu Nadir, the other woman was Safiyya's cousin. 

Safiyya could trace her lineage back to Harun (AS) (Aron). The Prophet (SAW) asked someone to look after the woman who was screaming and then took off his cloak and placed it over the shoulders of Safiyya, it was a gesture of sympathy. 

Angrily,  the Prophet (SAW) turned to 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?" This was considered a severe reprimand. 

Although Safiyya’s father was a staunch enemy of Islam, it was characteristic of the Prophet (SAW) that he did not bear any grudges. The Prophet (SAW) invited Safiyya to embrace Islam which she did and having given her her freedom, she then accepted to marry him. Safiyya bint Huyay (RA) married the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in 7 AH, when the Prophet was sixty years old and she was seventeen years old. Some people may have wondered how it was that Safiyya could accept Islam and marry the Prophet when her father had been his bitter enemy. The answer may be found in what she related of her early life as the daughter of the chief of the Banu Nadir. 

She narrates, "I was my father's favorite and also a favorite with my uncle. They could never see me with one of their children without picking me up. When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) came to Medina, my father and my uncle went to see him. It was very early in the morning, between dawn and sunrise. 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 heard Abu Yasir ask my father, “Is it him?” My father replied, “Yes, it is.” He asked again, “Can you recognize him? Can you verify it?” My father replied, “Yes, I can recognize him too well.' He asked again, “What do you feel towards him?” And my father replied, “Enmity, enmity as long as I live.” 

It was thanks to the descriptions in the Torah, that the most learned rabbi of the Jews, Abdullah ibn Salam, had embraced Islam on seeing Muhammad (SAW) and it was also because of these descriptions that Huyayy ibn Akhtab was also able to recognize the Prophet (SAW). 

However, Huyay like most of the others, was deeply disappointed that the last Prophet was a descendant of Isma'il and not of Ishaq, (the two sons of Ibrahim (AS), peace be upon them), this was because the Jews claimed exclusive descent from Ishaq. Huyay also he did not want to lose his position of power and leadership over his people. It was for these reasons that Huyay decided to oppose and fight the Prophet (SAW). While in public, he and the other leaders of the Jews made peace treaties with the Muslims and the Jews broke as soon as it seemed a favorable time to do so. 

Although Safiyya was Huyay's daughter, she had a pure heart and had always wanted to worship her Creator. Consequently, as soon as the opportunity arose, not only to follow the last Prophet, but also to be married to him, she took it. Though Safiyya had in Muhammad (SAW) a most kind and considerate husband, she was not always favorably accepted by some of his other wives. 

It is related by Anas that on one occasion, the Prophet (SAW) found Safiyya crying. When he asked her what the matter was, she replied that she heard that 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 (Musa), 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 Safiyya and Zaynab bint Jahsh when Safiyya' s camel went lame. Zaynab had an extra camel and the Prophet asked her if she would give it to Safiyya. Zaynab retorted, "Should I give it to that Jewess!" The Prophet (SAW) turned away from her in anger and would not have anything to do with her for the next two or three months just to show his disapproval of what she had said. 

Some three years later, when Muhammad (SAW) was in his final illness, Safiyya felt for him deeply. "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 demise of the Prophet (SAW). Once a slavegirl she owned went to Umar and said, "Amir al Muminin! Safiyya loves the Sabbath and maintains ties with the Jews!" 

Umar asked Safiyya 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 slavegirl what had possessed her to carry lies to Umar and the girl replied, "Shaytan!" Safiyya said, "Go, you are free." 

Safiyya was with the Prophet for nearly four years, She was only twenty-one when the Prophet (SAW) passed away, and lived as a widow for the next thirty-nine years. She passed away in 50 AH, at the age of sixty. May Allah be pleased with her.

LESSONS

1. It is not part of Islam to display corpeses to the relatives: Bilal did this and the Prophet (SAW) rebuked him. The likes of ISIS, Boko Haram and Al Qaeda violate Islamic injunctions by displaying executions in videos.
2. Safiyya married the Prophet (SAW) willingly: We see this in the sympathy she showed when the Prophet (SAW) was ill and he (SAW) confirmed her faith.
3. Equity between wives: The Prophet (SAW) never allowed his other wives maltreat Safiyya. 
4. Zero racism: Muhammad (SAW)-an Arab married Safiyya-a Jewess. They were bonded by Islam and Muhammad (SAW) rebuked any who talked about her on the grounds of her race.