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Safiyah: Difference between revisions
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"...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's companions eventually expelled all of the Jews from Arabia, save the [[Banu Qurayza]] whom Muhammad 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's companions eventually expelled all of the Jews from Arabia, save the [[Banu Qurayza]] whom Muhammad slaughtered and enslaved to the last. | ||
The following Islamic message board post attempts to take the marriage as a sign of the prophet's compassion: | |||
{{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 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]}} | 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 after an unprovoked surprise attack and murdered her husband, father, and brother 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 Safiyah's capture and betrothal to Muhammad, summarizing it as such: | 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: | ||