صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ حُيَيّ
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا
Safiyyah bint Huyayy
Of the house of Harun · Taken at Khaybar · Her freedom was her dower
may Allah be pleased with her
Banu an-Nadir, of the lineage of Harun · Khaybar and Madinah, up to about 50 AH
A chief's daughter of Banu an-Nadir, taken captive at Khaybar. She was freed, and her freedom was her dower. When her descent was used against her she was told what to answer, and it named her lineage rather than denying it.
Known for
She was freed, and her freedom was her dower
She was taken captive at Khaybar, where her husband was killed
Her father, Huyayy ibn Akhtab, had been killed earlier, after Banu Qurayzah.
Told to answer a slight about her descent by naming it
The report has her answer that her father was Harun, her uncle Musa, and her husband Muhammad ﷺ.
Her father was a chief of Banu an-Nadir
Her story in moments
Short episodes from her life, in order. Read one at a time.
Life & legacy
Khaybar
Safiyyah was the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, a chief of Banu an-Nadir, and traced her descent to Harun. She had been married before.
Her father, Huyayy ibn Akhtab, had been killed earlier, after Banu Qurayzah. At Khaybar in 7 AH her husband was killed and she was taken captive. She was then freed, and her freedom was her dower — that is, no property was given for the marriage; the release itself was the settlement.
This record does not narrate the campaign or what led to it.
Madinah
She lived in Madinah for the rest of her life. Her descent was raised against her at least once, and the answer she was given to make is the thing she is most remembered for.
She was present in Madinah through the years of division that followed Uthman's caliphate. The reports describe her acting during that period; this record names none of it, consistently with the rest of this dataset.
She died in Madinah. The sources give the year variously, generally around 50 AH.
How the sources describe her
She did not answer a slight by disowning where she came from
The reports describe her as slow to take offence and quick to let it go
Connect
People around her
Family
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺSpouse
He freed her, and her freedom was her dower.
Full timeline
- 7 AH
Taken captive at Khaybar
- 7 AH
Freed, her freedom standing as her dower
- The Madinan years
Answers a slight about her descent by naming it
- Around 50 AH approximate, reports differThe reports differ over the year.
Dies in Madinah
Part of
Sources & review
In reviewBased on the listed sources. See something to correct? Tell us.
Sahih al-Bukhariصحيح البخاري
Hadith collection · Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari
Sahih Muslimصحيح مسلم
Hadith collection · Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
Jami' at-Tirmidhiجامع الترمذي
Hadith collection · Muhammad ibn 'Isa at-Tirmidhi
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
References follow the citation detail available in the source material.
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