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جُوَيْرِيَةُ بِنْتُ الْحَارِث

رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا

Juwayriyah bint al-Harith

Her people were freed because of her · Daughter of a chief · Of Banu al-Mustaliq

may Allah be pleased with her

Banu al-Mustaliq, of Khuza'ah · Madinah, from about 6 AH

A chief's daughter taken captive when her tribe was defeated. She negotiated for her own freedom, and the marriage that followed led the Muslims to release every captive they held from her people.

Known for

  • The captives of her people were released because of her marriage

    Once she was married, the Muslims would not hold captive the relatives by marriage of the Prophet ﷺ, and let them go.

  • She came to negotiate her own release, and was offered better

    She had agreed terms with the man holding her and came to ask for help meeting them.

  • Her father was the chief of Banu al-Mustaliq

  • She would stay in one place remembering Allah for hours at a time

    The report has the Prophet ﷺ leaving her at prayer in the morning and finding her as he had left her when he returned near midday.

Story

Her story in moments

Short episodes from her life, in order. Read one at a time.

  1. A hundred householdsMadinah, after the campaign against Banu al-Mustaliq, with the captives of that tribe distributed among the Muslims.Around 6 AH2 min read

In full

Life & legacy

Captivity and after

Juwayriyah was the daughter of al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar, the chief of Banu al-Mustaliq. When that tribe was defeated, she was among the captives taken, and was allotted to one of the Muslims.

She did not wait. She agreed terms with the man holding her for her own release, and then came to the Prophet ﷺ to ask for help meeting them. What he offered instead is set out in the moment below.

Her name before this was Barrah. She was called Juwayriyah afterwards.

Madinah

She lived in Madinah for the rest of her life. What the reports return to about her is prayer: she is described staying in the same place, occupied with the remembrance of Allah, for stretches long enough that people noticed and remarked on it.

She narrated. The sources give her death in the 50s AH and do not agree on the year.

How the sources describe her

  • She acted on her own behalf rather than waiting to be acted upon

  • She kept at prayer far longer than was usual

Connect

People around her

Family

  • The Prophet Muhammad ﷺSpouse

    He settled the terms she had agreed for her release and married her; the captives of her tribe were freed in consequence.

Alongside

  • Aishah bint Abi BakrعَائِشَةCompanion

    Aishah is the source of the remark that no woman had been a greater blessing to her own people.

Full timeline

  1. Around 6 AH approximate, reports differThe campaign is dated to 5 and to 6 AH in different accounts.

    Taken captive when Banu al-Mustaliq are defeated

  2. Around 6 AH approximate, reports differDated with the campaign, which is itself given as 5 or 6 AH.

    Negotiates her release, is married, and her people's captives are freed

  3. The sources differ approximate, reports differReports give years across the 50s AH.

    Dies in Madinah

Part of

Sources & review

Draft content — undergoing review

This content was written for SahabaMate and has not yet been checked by a reviewer against the works below. Treat it as a starting point, not a citation.

  • Sahih Muslimصحيح مسلم

    Hadith collection · Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj

  • As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyahالسيرة النبوية

    Classical biography · Ibn Hisham, from the recension of Ibn Ishaq

  • Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى

    Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd

  • Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة

    Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani

  • Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء

    Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi

  • SahabaMate editorial summary

    Editorial summary

Where a reference names a work without a page or number, that is deliberate: SahabaMate does not publish a locator it cannot stand behind.

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