4,682
edits
Safiyah: Difference between revisions
no edit summary
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=4|Content=4|Language=4|References=3}} | {{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=4|Content=4|Language=4|References=3}} | ||
'''Safiyah bint Huyayy''' (صفية بنت حيي, c. 610 - c. 670) (also spelled Saffiya, Safiyya, Safiya bint Huyai) was the bride of [[Kinana]] and the chief mistress of the Jewish tribes of [[Banu Qurayza|Quraiza]] and An-Nadir. According to the [[sira]] Muhammad captured and married her after killing her husband. She and her husband were both captured after the victorious conclusion of Muhammad's [[conquest of Khaybar]]. The narrations agree that Muhammad chose her due to her exceeding beauty, as had been his custom in other engagements where the believers took slave women as booty, such as the conquest of the [[Banu Qurayzah]]. There was apparently some concern for his safety on the part of his followers, as he had just that day murdered her husband and her father after taking them as prisoners of war, going so far as to torture her husband Kinana in order to ascertain the location of his treasure. Modern Muslims have found the story emberassing from the modern, liberal point of view, which supports the rights of people to not be slaves and to choose their own sexual and marriage partners. The story of | '''Safiyah bint Huyayy''' (صفية بنت حيي, c. 610 - c. 670) (also spelled Saffiya, Safiyya, Safiya bint Huyai) was the bride of [[Kinana]] and the chief mistress of the Jewish tribes of [[Banu Qurayza|Quraiza]] and An-Nadir. According to the [[sira]] Muhammad captured and married her after killing her husband. She and her husband were both captured after the victorious conclusion of Muhammad's [[conquest of Khaybar]]. The narrations agree that Muhammad chose her due to her exceeding beauty, as had been his custom in other engagements where the believers took slave women as booty, such as the conquest of the [[Banu Qurayzah]]. There was apparently some concern for his safety on the part of his followers, as he had just that day murdered her husband and her father after taking them as prisoners of war, going so far as to torture her husband Kinana in order to ascertain the location of his treasure. Modern Muslims have found the story emberassing from the modern, liberal point of view, which supports the rights of people to not be slaves and to choose their own sexual and marriage partners. The story of Safiyah flies in the face of these norms, instead reflecting a world where powerful men like Muhammad take women as prizes in war use them sexually to their own advantage with little regard to the women's emotional well being. Rather than admit this rather plain reading of source texts, many Muslim [[Dawah]] and apologists rather seek to use isolated narratives to recast Safiyah as a women deeply in love with the man who had just killed her father, brother, and new husband (including torturing her husband in order to find his gold) and profoundly possessed by the conviction that he was a prophet of [[Allah (God)]]. | ||
==Story of Her Capture and Marriage to Muhammad== | ==Story of Her Capture and Marriage to Muhammad== | ||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
Upon seeing her, Muhammad said, "Take any slave girl other than her from the captives"<ref>{{Bukhari|1|8|367}}</ref> and he selected her for himself (as was his custom, he had done similarly with Rayhana after [[The Massacre of the Banu Qurayza]]).<ref>{{Bukhari|3|34|437}}</ref> The Muslims left Khaybar to return to Medina and on the way they stopped at a place called Sidd-as-Sahba; it was at this time Safiyah became clean from her menses.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|522}}</ref> {{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|52|143}}|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.}} | Upon seeing her, Muhammad said, "Take any slave girl other than her from the captives"<ref>{{Bukhari|1|8|367}}</ref> and he selected her for himself (as was his custom, he had done similarly with Rayhana after [[The Massacre of the Banu Qurayza]]).<ref>{{Bukhari|3|34|437}}</ref> The Muslims left Khaybar to return to Medina and on the way they stopped at a place called Sidd-as-Sahba; it was at this time Safiyah became clean from her menses.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|522}}</ref> {{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|52|143}}|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.}} | ||
The prophet decided to marry her, and he considered her manumission to be an adequate [[Mahr (Marital Price)|mahr]] (dowry).<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|512}}</ref> The "marriage banquet" consisted of haris (a kind of dish) served on a small leather sheet and a gathering of those who were conveniently nearby.<ref>{{Bukhari|4|52|143}}</ref> Another narrator describes the banquet in this way: "...there was neither meat nor bread in that banquet, but the Prophet ordered Bilal to spread the leather mats on which dates, dried yogurt and butter were put."<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|524}}</ref> Muhammad stayed three nights there and consummated his marriage with Safiyah.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|524}}</ref> According to Tabari, there was apparently some fear amongst the believers that she would kill him in revenge for her husband and father:{{Quote|{{citation|title=The History of al-Tabari|trans_title=Ta’rikh al-rusul wa’l-muluk|volume=vol.XXXIX|ISBN=0-88706-344-6|year=1987|publisher=SUNY Press|author=al-Tabari (d. 923)|editor1=W. Montgomery Watt|editor2=M. V. McDonald|url=https://archive.org/details/HistoryAlTabari40Vol/History_Al-Tabari_10_Vol/page/n1805/mode/2up|page=187}}<br>{{citation|title=تاريخ الرسل والملوك|author=أبو جعفر الطبري|url=https://app.turath.io/book/9783|publisher=al-Maktabah al-Shamilah|volume=vol. 2|page=407}}|Ibn ‘Umar [al-Waqidi] – Kathir b. Zayd – al-Walid b. Rabah – Abu Hurayrah: While the Prophet was lying with | The prophet decided to marry her, and he considered her manumission to be an adequate [[Mahr (Marital Price)|mahr]] (dowry).<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|512}}</ref> The "marriage banquet" consisted of haris (a kind of dish) served on a small leather sheet and a gathering of those who were conveniently nearby.<ref>{{Bukhari|4|52|143}}</ref> Another narrator describes the banquet in this way: "...there was neither meat nor bread in that banquet, but the Prophet ordered Bilal to spread the leather mats on which dates, dried yogurt and butter were put."<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|524}}</ref> Muhammad stayed three nights there and consummated his marriage with Safiyah.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|524}}</ref> According to Tabari, there was apparently some fear amongst the believers that she would kill him in revenge for her husband and father:{{Quote|{{citation|title=The History of al-Tabari|trans_title=Ta’rikh al-rusul wa’l-muluk|volume=vol.XXXIX|ISBN=0-88706-344-6|year=1987|publisher=SUNY Press|author=al-Tabari (d. 923)|editor1=W. Montgomery Watt|editor2=M. V. McDonald|url=https://archive.org/details/HistoryAlTabari40Vol/History_Al-Tabari_10_Vol/page/n1805/mode/2up|page=187}}<br>{{citation|title=تاريخ الرسل والملوك|author=أبو جعفر الطبري|url=https://app.turath.io/book/9783|publisher=al-Maktabah al-Shamilah|volume=vol. 2|page=407}}|Ibn ‘Umar [al-Waqidi] – Kathir b. Zayd – al-Walid b. Rabah – Abu Hurayrah: While the Prophet was lying with Safiyah Abu Ayyub stayed the night at his door. When he saw the Prophet in the morning he said "God is the Greatest." He had a sword with him; he said to the Prophet, "O Messenger of God, this young woman had just been married, and you killed her father, her brother and her husband, so I did not trust her (not to harm) you." The Prophet laughed and said "Good".}} | ||
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
==Analysis== | ==Analysis== | ||
From the information provided in the Hadith, it can be reasonably concluded that Safiyah did not have a choice in this marriage; rather she was war booty for Muhammad, a not uncommon practice at the time. There do exist passages in ibn Sa'd's "Tabaqat" or lives that indicate that Muhammad gave | From the information provided in the Hadith, it can be reasonably concluded that Safiyah did not have a choice in this marriage; rather she was war booty for Muhammad, a not uncommon practice at the time. There do exist passages in ibn Sa'd's "Tabaqat" or lives that indicate that Muhammad gave Safiyah the choice between marrying him and returning to her people:{{Quote|ibn Sa'ad Life of Muhammad 8/123|فقال: لها رسول الله: اختاري، فإن اخترت الإسلام أمسكتك لنفسي وإن اخترت اليهودية فعسى أن أعتقك فتلحقي بقومك. فقالت: يا رسول الله لقد هويت الإسلام وصدقت بك قبل أن تدعوني حيث صرت إلى رحلك وما لي في اليهودية أرب وما لي فيها والد ولا أخ، وخيرتني الكفر والإسلام فالله ورسوله أحب إلي من العتق وأن أرجع إلى قومي | ||
... So, the Prophet said to her: ‘Make your choice, if you will choose Islam, I’ll select you for myself and if you chose Judaism, I’ll set you free and send you to your people.’ She said; ‘O Allah’s Messenger indeed I felt affection for Islam and testified for you even before you gave me this invitation when I came to you. I have no guardian among the Jews, neither father nor brother and I prefer Islam over disbelief. Allah and His Messenger are dear to me then freedom and to return to my people. | ... So, the Prophet said to her: ‘Make your choice, if you will choose Islam, I’ll select you for myself and if you chose Judaism, I’ll set you free and send you to your people.’ She said; ‘O Allah’s Messenger indeed I felt affection for Islam and testified for you even before you gave me this invitation when I came to you. I have no guardian among the Jews, neither father nor brother and I prefer Islam over disbelief. Allah and His Messenger are dear to me then freedom and to return to my people. | ||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
Allah's Apostle emancipated Safiyya, and made her emancipation her wedding gifgt. And in the hadith of Muadh from his father he (Muhammad) married | Allah's Apostle emancipated Safiyya, and made her emancipation her wedding gifgt. And in the hadith of Muadh from his father he (Muhammad) married Safiyah and gave her as her wedding gift her manumission. | ||
}} | }} | ||
| Line 60: | Line 60: | ||
The Prophet stayed for three nights between Khaibar and Medina and was married to Safiya. I invited the Muslims to his marriage banquet and there was neither meat nor bread in that banquet but the Prophet ordered Bilal to spread the leather mats on which dates, dried yogurt and butter were put. The Muslims said amongst themselves, "Will she (i.e. Safiya) be one of the mothers of the believers, (i.e. one of the wives of the Prophet) or just (a lady captive) of what his right-hand possesses?" Some of them said, "If the Prophet makes her observe the veil, then she will be one of the mothers of the believers (i.e. one of the Prophet's wives), and if he does not make her observe the veil, then she will be his lady slave." So when he departed, he made a place for her behind him (on his camel) and made her observe the veil.}} | The Prophet stayed for three nights between Khaibar and Medina and was married to Safiya. I invited the Muslims to his marriage banquet and there was neither meat nor bread in that banquet but the Prophet ordered Bilal to spread the leather mats on which dates, dried yogurt and butter were put. The Muslims said amongst themselves, "Will she (i.e. Safiya) be one of the mothers of the believers, (i.e. one of the wives of the Prophet) or just (a lady captive) of what his right-hand possesses?" Some of them said, "If the Prophet makes her observe the veil, then she will be one of the mothers of the believers (i.e. one of the Prophet's wives), and if he does not make her observe the veil, then she will be his lady slave." So when he departed, he made a place for her behind him (on his camel) and made her observe the veil.}} | ||
As such it would appear that Muhammad broke the rules of Islamic 'iddah in order to have sex with | As such it would appear that Muhammad broke the rules of Islamic 'iddah in order to have sex with Safiyah so soon after he had tortured her husband to death. The issue is muddied, though, due to the fact that Safiyah was taken as a slave. Since her husband was killed and not taken with her as her husband in slavery, Muhammad might not have had to follow the rules of [[Shari'ah]] regarding the [[iddah]] of a widow when marrying her and taking her to bed. In such a case, waiting one menstrual cycle might have sufficed. <ref>{{Cite web| title = Two Issues Around Prophet Muhammad's Marriage With Safiyya {{!}} ICRAA.org| author = | work = ICRAA.org| date = | access-date = 25 March 2022| url = https://www.icraa.org/two-issues-around-prophet-muhammads-marriage-with-safiyya/#_ftn14| quote = }}</ref> | ||
==Modern Perspectives== | ==Modern Perspectives== | ||
| Line 74: | Line 74: | ||
This version is remarkable for the very selective reading of the sources and outright recasting of some of the material. Gone are the accounts of Safiah being grieved at the death of her husband and the slaughter of her tribe. This clearly shows the contemporary Muslim drive to reconcile elements of the Prophet's biography which clash with contemporary liberal mores about war, slavery, and sexual consent. | This version is remarkable for the very selective reading of the sources and outright recasting of some of the material. Gone are the accounts of Safiah being grieved at the death of her husband and the slaughter of her tribe. This clearly shows the contemporary Muslim drive to reconcile elements of the Prophet's biography which clash with contemporary liberal mores about war, slavery, and sexual consent. | ||
The following quotes are from [http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archives/2005/umm-ul-mukminin- | The following quotes are from [http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archives/2005/umm-ul-mukminin-Safiyah-the-jewish-wife-of-muhammad/ "Umm ul-Mukminin Safiyah: The Jewish Wife of Muhammad"] by Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi, September 20, 2005: | ||
{{Quote|2=There has been some criticism going around as to the nature of marriage of | {{Quote|2=There has been some criticism going around as to the nature of marriage of Safiyah(R), the Jewish wife of Muhammad(P). A rabid missionary hostile to the Prophet Muhammad(P) had in fact the audacity to say that:<br> | ||
''Muhammad forced himself on a captured woman on the same day that he killed her father, husband and many of her relatives. He was a rapist.''<br> | ''Muhammad forced himself on a captured woman on the same day that he killed her father, husband and many of her relatives. He was a rapist.''<br> | ||
This statement made by this ignorant missionary is due not only to the gutter environment that he was brought up and subjected to, but also because of his inability to understand the circumstances surrounding this event. Insha’allah, our purpose here is to explain the circumstances and the nature of the marriage of | This statement made by this ignorant missionary is due not only to the gutter environment that he was brought up and subjected to, but also because of his inability to understand the circumstances surrounding this event. Insha’allah, our purpose here is to explain the circumstances and the nature of the marriage of Safiyah to the Prophet(P).}} | ||
The above author clearly views a plain retelling of the facts as related by the tradition to be themselves attack up on the character. | The above author clearly views a plain retelling of the facts as related by the tradition to be themselves attack up on the character. | ||
{{Quote|2='''The Marriage of the Prophet(P) to | {{Quote|2='''The Marriage of the Prophet(P) to Safiyah(R)'''<br> | ||
Safiyah was the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the undisputed leader of the Banu al-Nadir as well as a Jewish rabbi. Hence, she was of noble regal and rabbinical heritage. She became a captive of the Muslims when they seized al-Qamus, the fortress of Khaybar. When a Companion of the Prophet(P) heard of Safiyah’s captivity, he approached the Prophet(P) with a suggestion that since she was a lady of Banu al-Nadir, only the Prophet(P) was fit enough to marry her. The Prophet(P) agreed to this suggestion and hence granted her freedom and married her.|Muhammad Husayn Haykal, The Life of Muhammad (North American Trust Publications, 1976), p. 373}} | |||
The author above makes no mention of the role played by | The author above makes no mention of the role played by Safiyah's beauty in the story. | ||
{{Quote|2=This significant act of marrying | {{Quote|2=This significant act of marrying Safiyah(R) was indeed a great honour for her, for this not only preserved her dignity, it also prevented her from becoming a slave. Haykal notes that: | ||
:The Prophet granted her freedom and then married her, following the examples of great conquerors who married the daughters and wives of the kings whom they had conquered, partly in order to alleviate their tragedy and partly to preserve their dignity.<sup>1</sup>|John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, pp. 19-20 | :The Prophet granted her freedom and then married her, following the examples of great conquerors who married the daughters and wives of the kings whom they had conquered, partly in order to alleviate their tragedy and partly to preserve their dignity.<sup>1</sup>|John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, pp. 19-20 | ||
}} | }} | ||
Conquerors in pre-modern times generally married the daughters and wives of the kings whom they had conquered to give themselves legitimacy as the new rulers (in addition, of course, to slaking their lust with women who could not refuse their offers of marriage). The feelings and dignity of the girls and women were the least of a conqueror's concern. In medieval England, for example, the Norman conquerors occasionally used intermarriage to claim land. The marriage to | Conquerors in pre-modern times generally married the daughters and wives of the kings whom they had conquered to give themselves legitimacy as the new rulers (in addition, of course, to slaking their lust with women who could not refuse their offers of marriage). The feelings and dignity of the girls and women were the least of a conqueror's concern. In medieval England, for example, the Norman conquerors occasionally used intermarriage to claim land. The marriage to Safiyah has a political significance as well, as it helps to reduce hostilities and cement alliances. John L. Esposito notes that | ||
{{Quote|2=As was customary for Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to cement alliances. Others were marriages to the widows of his companions who had fallen in combat and were in need of protection.<sup>2</sup>|}} | {{Quote|2=As was customary for Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to cement alliances. Others were marriages to the widows of his companions who had fallen in combat and were in need of protection.<sup>2</sup>|}} | ||
Esposito posits peacemaking as a goal of the marriage, yet the tribe that Saffiyyah hailed from was and continued to be at war with the Muslims and was eventually expelled from Arabia according to traditional sources. | Esposito posits peacemaking as a goal of the marriage, yet the tribe that Saffiyyah hailed from was and continued to be at war with the Muslims and was eventually expelled from Arabia according to traditional sources. | ||
{{Quote|2=Indeed, when Bilal ibn Rabah(R), a Companion of the Prophet, brought | {{Quote|2=Indeed, when Bilal ibn Rabah(R), a Companion of the Prophet, brought Safiyah along with another Jewess before him(P) by passing through the Jews that were slain in the battle, Muhammad(P) personally chided Bilal and said “Have you no compassion, Bilal, when you brought two women past their dead husbands?”<sup>3</sup>|3. A. Guillaume (trans.), The Life of Muhammad: A translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah (Oxford University Press, 1978), p. 515 | ||
}} | }} | ||
In the above passage, one might surmise that Kinana was killed in battle, when actually he was murdered after the battle while he was a prisoner of war. | In the above passage, one might surmise that Kinana was killed in battle, when actually he was murdered after the battle while he was a prisoner of war. | ||
{{Quote|2=As for the accusation that | {{Quote|2=As for the accusation that Safiyah was coerced into marriage or taken advantage of, as alleged by a known Islamophobic, this claim has no basis at all. It is known that Safiyah(R) remained loyal to the Prophet until he passed away.<sup>4</sup> We have in fact the Prophet(P) making the following offer to her, as recorded by Martin Lings: | ||
:He '''[the Prophet Muhammad - Ed.]''' then told | :He '''[the Prophet Muhammad - Ed.]''' then told Safiyah that he was prepared to set her free, and he offered her the choice between remaining a Jewess and returning to her people or entering Islam and becoming his wife. “I choose God and His Messenger,” she said; and they were married at the first halt on the homeward march.<ref>5. Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based On The Earliest Sources (George Allen & Unwin, 1983), p. 269</ref>|[https://web.archive.org/web/20190613050745/http://noor.kalemasawaa.com/sbeelalislam/www.sbeelalislam.com/Eng/Q%26A/Proph/new_page_16.html;"Safiyah, the Wife of Muhammad" By Bassam Zawadi ]}} | ||
Ling doesn't cite any source for this assertion. In contrast to Ling's assertion, we have Sahih Hadith that indicate that Safiyah was chosen for her beauty and kept captive up until her "wedding" night with Muhammad. | Ling doesn't cite any source for this assertion. In contrast to Ling's assertion, we have Sahih Hadith that indicate that Safiyah was chosen for her beauty and kept captive up until her "wedding" night with Muhammad. | ||
{{Quote|2=The other wives of the Prophet(P) used to show their jealousy of her by making slights upon her Jewish origin. But the Prophet(P) always defended her. Once | {{Quote|2=The other wives of the Prophet(P) used to show their jealousy of her by making slights upon her Jewish origin. But the Prophet(P) always defended her. Once Safiyah was vexed to the extreme by the taunts of all the Arab wives of the Prophet(P). She took the complaint to the Prophet(P), who felt great compassion for her. He consoled and encouraged her. He equipped her with logic by saying: “Safiyah, take courage and be bold. They are in no way superior to you. Tell them: I am a daughter of the Prophet Harun, a niece of the Prophet Musa, and a wife of the Prophet Muhammad”. This is thus an excellent example of the Prophet Muhammad(P) trying to wipe out pre-Islamic anti-Semitism amongst the Arabs.|[http://prophetlawyermtg.blogspot.com/2018/03/prophets-pbuh-marriage-with-safiya-ra.html"Prophet's (PBUH) marriage with Safiya (RA)" (in tr)]}} | ||
"...trying to wipe out pre-Islamic anti-Semitism amongst the Arabs" is a an assertion that's not supported by the primary texts we have. In fact according the traditional sources Muhammad eventually expelled all of the Jews from Arabia, save the [[Banu Qurayza]] whom he slaughtered and enslaved to the last. | "...trying to wipe out pre-Islamic anti-Semitism amongst the Arabs" is a an assertion that's not supported by the primary texts we have. In fact according the traditional sources Muhammad eventually expelled all of the Jews from Arabia, save the [[Banu Qurayza]] whom he slaughtered and enslaved to the last. | ||
{{Quote|2='''Conclusion'''<br> | {{Quote|2='''Conclusion'''<br> | ||
With the evidences laid bare before us, we do not see the justification of accusing the Prophet(P) of being a “rapist”, as those anti-Islamic critics allege. That the Prophet(P) himself married | With the evidences laid bare before us, we do not see the justification of accusing the Prophet(P) of being a “rapist”, as those anti-Islamic critics allege. That the Prophet(P) himself married Safiyah(R) so as to avoid the certainty of her being a slave of the Muslims and helped her to defend herself from the taunts of her co-wives is enough proof that the Prophet(P) was a man of exemplary conduct and remained honourable even to relatives of his most bitter foes.|[https://www.islamicboard.com/companions-of-the-prophet/1016-safiyya-bint-huyayy-radiallahu-anha.html|"Safiyya Bint Huyayy (RadiAllahu Anha)", IslamicBoard]}} | ||
The above shows a clear apologetic bias at work; no modern person, especially given contemporary concerns about sexual consent prevalent in modern culture, would cast the marriage of a woman taken as a slave to the man who had just defeated her tribe in battle and murdered her husband as an example of fair and equal consent. The author above is clearly more concerned with modern perceptions of Muhammad and how they conform to contemporary mores around things like sexual consent than the plain facts of what is written in the texts. | The above shows a clear apologetic bias at work; no modern person, especially given contemporary concerns about sexual consent prevalent in modern culture, would cast the marriage of a woman taken as a slave to the man who had just defeated her tribe in battle and murdered her husband as an example of fair and equal consent. The author above is clearly more concerned with modern perceptions of Muhammad and how they conform to contemporary mores around things like sexual consent than the plain facts of what is written in the texts. | ||
Meraj Mohiuddin's book 2015 Revelation: The Story of Muhammad provides only a single paragraph on the story of | Meraj Mohiuddin's book 2015 Revelation: The Story of Muhammad provides only a single paragraph on the story of Safiyah's capture and betrothal to Muhammad, summarizing it as such: | ||
{{Quote|2=While the people of Khaybar return to their homes, Kinanah's 17-year-old widow, | {{Quote|2=While the people of Khaybar return to their homes, Kinanah's 17-year-old widow, Safiyah bin Huyay, approaches the Prophet and relates a dream in which she saw a brilliant moon over the city of Medina. The moon moved to Khaybar and then fell into her lap. The Prophet interprets her dream by giving her the choice of returning to her people or embracing Islam and joining his household as his 10th wife. Safiyah readily chooses the latter.|Meraj Mohiuddin. Revelation: The Story of Muhammad : Peace and Blessings be Upon Him. Whiteboard Press. pp. 291. ISBN 978-0-9896288-0-8. OCLC 1069569279, 2015.}}No passages are cited by ''Revelation'' to support this story but the following hadith is probably in mind here{{Quote|2=There was a green scar in an eye of Safiyya. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked her, ‘What is this scar in your eye?’ She said, “I mentioned before my husband my dream that a moon fell into my lap upon which he slapped me and said; ‘Do you long for the King of Yathrib [the Prophet].’” She said: ‘There was none more hateful to me than the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as he had my father and husband killed. The Prophet (ﷺ), however, kept on explaining, ‘Safiya! Your father instigated the Arabs against me and did such and such.’ He kept doing so till all my harsh feelings for him vanished.|al-Tabarani, Abu al-Qasim, al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, (Cairo: Maktaba Ibn Taimiya, 1994) Vol.24, 67 Hadith 177; rated as as sahih by Albani in Silsala al-Ahadith al-Sahiha, (Riyadh: Dar al-Ma‘rif, 1996) Vol.6, Hadith 2793}}It should be noted that the tradition seems to contradict the other traditions which show that Safiyah was in great anguist at the death of her family at the hands of Muhammad and his believers, and also that at least one other version of the tradition exists in the same hadith collection where it is the sun, not the moon, that falls into her lap: {{Quote|2=نَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَيْبَرَ وَصَفِيَّةُ عَرُوسٌ فِي مَجَاسِدِهَا، فَرَأَتْ فِي الْمَنَامِ كَأَنَّ الشَّمْسَ نَزَلَتْ حَتَّى وَقَعَتْ عَلَى صَدْرِهَا، فَقَصَّتْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى زَوْجِهَا، فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا تَمَنَّيْنَ إِلا هَذَا الْمَلِكَ الَّذِي نَزَلَ بنا، فَفَتَحَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَضَرَبَ عُنق زوجها صبرا، وتعرض من هناك من فتية النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ليتزوجها | ||
When Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) reached Khyber while Safiya was a bride at her place. She saw in her dream that a sun came into her lap. She mentioned it before her husband. He said; ‘By Allah you do not wish for anyone except the King who has come upon us.’ Allah’s Messenger conquered Khyber and her husband was killed. From that time (of dream) she loved that the Prophet (pbuh) may marry her.|(Tabarani Kabeer, Hadith 19667)}}''Revelation'' makes no mention of the numerious traditions mentioned above which indicate that | When Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) reached Khyber while Safiya was a bride at her place. She saw in her dream that a sun came into her lap. She mentioned it before her husband. He said; ‘By Allah you do not wish for anyone except the King who has come upon us.’ Allah’s Messenger conquered Khyber and her husband was killed. From that time (of dream) she loved that the Prophet (pbuh) may marry her.|(Tabarani Kabeer, Hadith 19667)}}''Revelation'' makes no mention of the numerious traditions mentioned above which indicate that Safiyah was filled with sadness at the murder of her family relations by the Muslims (and their torture in her husband Kinana's case) and also leaves out the tradition that it was the sun and not the moon that fell into her lap. Rather than dealing with the wide range of sources available on Safiyah ''Revelation'' chooses to cherry pick a single tradition which casts her marriage to Muhammad as divinly pre-ordained and in accordance with her personal wishes, which is what modern liberal audiences would expect of a man claimed to be [[Uswa Hasana]]. Again, these modern Muslims seem embarrassed to admit the truth about the multiple different narrations that exist about Safiyah and instead of present the tradition as it exists seem to whitewash it to suit modern, liberal sensitivities around consent and slavery. | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
| Line 127: | Line 127: | ||
*[{{Reference archive|1=http://alisina.org/muhammad-raped-safiyah/|2=2011-11-04}} Did Muhammad rape Safiyah?] ''- [[Ali Sina]]'' | *[{{Reference archive|1=http://alisina.org/muhammad-raped-safiyah/|2=2011-11-04}} Did Muhammad rape Safiyah?] ''- [[Ali Sina]]'' | ||
*[https://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/rebuttaltoalisina10.htm " | *[https://www.answering-christianity.com/bassam_zawadi/rebuttaltoalisina10.htm "Safiyah, the Wife of Muhammad"-Rebuttal to Ali Sina] ''- Bassam Zawadi, Answering Christianity'' | ||
*[https://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/Inconsistent/ | *[https://www.answering-islam.org/Muhammad/Inconsistent/idda_Safiyah.html Muhammad and the Law of 'Iddah] ''- Sam Shamoun, Answering Islam'' | ||
*[https://www.answeringislam.org/Responses/Osama/ | *[https://www.answeringislam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_Safiyah.htm Muhammad’s Marriage to Safiyah] ''- Sam Shamoun, Answering Islam'' | ||
*[https://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/ | *[https://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_Safiyah2.htm Muhammad’s Marriage to Safiyah Revisited] ''- Sam Shamoun, Answering Islam'' | ||
*[https://www.icraa.org/two-issues-around-prophet-muhammads-marriage-with-safiyya/#_ftn14 Two Issues Around Prophet Muhammad’s Marriage With Safiyya] - ''Waqar Akbar, ICRAA.org'' | *[https://www.icraa.org/two-issues-around-prophet-muhammads-marriage-with-safiyya/#_ftn14 Two Issues Around Prophet Muhammad’s Marriage With Safiyya] - ''Waqar Akbar, ICRAA.org'' | ||
*[https://atheism-vs-islam.com/index.php?view=article&id=79:safiya-bint-huyai-s-father-husband-brother-killed-by-prophet-muhammad-and-next-night-he-had-sex-with-her&catid=9\= Safiya bint Huyai's father, husband & brother killed by Prophet Muhammad] ''- Lehrasap, Atheism vs Islam'' | *[https://atheism-vs-islam.com/index.php?view=article&id=79:safiya-bint-huyai-s-father-husband-brother-killed-by-prophet-muhammad-and-next-night-he-had-sex-with-her&catid=9\= Safiya bint Huyai's father, husband & brother killed by Prophet Muhammad] ''- Lehrasap, Atheism vs Islam'' | ||