Kitab Al−Aiman Wa Al−Nudhur – Oaths and Vows

Sunan Abu-Dawud | Book 21

Hadeeth: SUNNAN ABU-DAWUD
Introduction to Partial Translation of Sunnan Abu-Dawud
Translator: Prof. Ahmed Hasan

Kitab Al−Aiman Wa Al−Nudhur | Oaths and Vows:

3236: Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone swears a false oath in confinement, he should make his seat in Hell on account of his (act).

3237: Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: He who swears an oath in which he tells a lie to take the property of a Muslim by unfair means, will meet Allah while He is angry with him. Al−Ash’ath said: I swear by Allah, he said this about me.

There was some land between me and a Jew, but he denied it to me; so I presented him to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) asked me: Have you any evidence? I replied: No. He said to the Jew: Take an oath. I said: Apostle of Allah, now he will take an oath and take my property. So Allah, the Exalted, revealed the verse, “As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allah and their own plighted word for a small price, they shall have no portion in the hereafter.”

3238: Narrated Al−Ash’ath ibn Qays:
A man of Kindah and a man of Hadramawt brought their dispute to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) about a land in the Yemen. Al−Hadrami said: Apostle of Allah, the father of this (man) usurped my land and it is in his possession. The Prophet asked: Have you any evidence? Al−Hadrami replied: No, but I make him swear (that he should say) that he does not know that it is my land which his father usurped from me. Al−Kindi became ready to take the oath. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone usurps the property by taking an oath, he will meet Allah while his hand is mutilated. Al−Kindi then said: It is his land.

3240: Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: One should not take a false oath at this pulpit of mine even on a green tooth−stick; otherwise he will make his abode in Hell, or Hell will be certain for him.

3242: Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do not swear by your fathers, or by your mothers, or by rivals to Allah; and swear by Allah only, and swear by Allah only when you are speaking the truth.

3245: Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
Sa’id ibn Ubaydah said: Ibn Umar heard a man swearing: No, I swear by the Ka’bah. Ibn Umar said to him: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: He who swears by anyone but Allah is polytheist.

3247: Narrated Buraydah ibn al−Hasib:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: He who swears by Amanah (faithfulness) is not one of our number.

3248: Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin:
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said about the futile oath: It is man’s speech in his house: No, by Allah, and Yes, by Allah.

3250: Narrated Suwayd ibn Hanzalah:
We went out intending (to visit) the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and Wa’il ibn Hujr was with us. His enemy caught him. The people desisted from swearing an oath, but I took an oath that he was my brother. So he left him. We then came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), and I informed him that the people desisted from taking the oath, but I swore that he was my brother. He said: You spoke the truth: A Muslim is a brother of a Muslim.

3252: Narrated Buraydah ibn al−Hasib:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone takes an oath and says: I am free from Islam; now if he is a liar (in his oath), he will not return to Islam with soundness.

3253: Narrated Yusuf ibn Abdullah ibn Salam:
I saw that the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) put a date on a loaf and said: This is a thing eaten with bread (condiments).

3255: Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone says when swearing an oath: “If Allah wills,” he makes an exception.

3256: Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone swears an oath and makes an exception, he may fulfil it if he wishes and break it if he wishes without any accountability for breaking.

3258: Narrated AbuSa’id al−Khudri:
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) swore an oath strongly, he said: No, by Him in Whose hand is the soul of AbulQasim.

3259: Narrated AbuHurayrah:
When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) swore an oath, it was: No, and I beg forgiveness of Allah.

3260: Narrated Laqit ibn Amir:
We came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) in a delegation. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) then said: By the age of thy god.

3261: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
AbuBakr adjured the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do not adjure an oath.

3266: Narrated Umar ibn al−Khattab:
Sa’id ibn al−Musayyab said: There were two brothers among the Ansar who shared an inheritance. When one of them asked the other for the portion due to him, he replied: If you ask me again for the portion due to you, all my property will be devoted to the decoration of the Ka’bah. Umar said to him: The Ka’bah does not need your property. Make atonement for your oath and speak to your brother. I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: An oath or vow to disobey the Lord, or to break ties of relationship or about something over which one has no control is not binding on you.

3267: Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al−’As:
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: A vow is binding in those things by which the pleasure of Allah is sought, and an oath to break ties of relationship is not binding.

3268: Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al−’As:
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: An oath or a vow about something over which a human being has no control, and to disobey Allah, and to break ties of relationship is not binding. If anyone takes an oath and then considers something else better than it, he should give it up, and do what is better, for leaving it is its atonement.

3269: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
Two men brought their dispute to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). The Prophet

(peace_be_upon_him) asked the plaintiff to produce evidence, but he had no evidence. So he asked the defendant to swear. He swore by Allah “There is no god but He.” The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Yes, you have done it, but you have been forgiven for the sincerity of the statement: “There is no god but Allah.”

3273: Narrated Safiyyah bint Huyayy:
Ibn Harmalah said: Umm Habib gave us a sa’ and told us narration from the nephew of Safiyyah on the authority of Safiyyah that it was the sa’ of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him). Anas ibn Ayyad said: I tested it and found its capacity two and half mudd according to the mudd of Hisham.

3277: Narrated Ash−Sharid ibn Suwayd ath−Thaqafi:
Sharid’s mother left a will to emancipate a believing slave on her behalf. So he came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Apostle of Allah, my mother left a will that I should emancipate a believing slave for her, and I have a black Nubian slave−girl. He mentioned a tradition about the test of the girl.

3279: Narrated Ikrimah ibn AbuJahl:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraysh; I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraysh; I swear by Allah, I shall fight against the Quraysh. He then said: “If Allah wills.”

3285: Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) as saying: No vow must be taken to do an act of disobedience, and the atonement for it is the same as for an oath.

3287: Narrated Imran ibn Husayn:
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: No vow must be taken to do an act of disobedience, and the atonement for it is the same as for an oath.

3288: Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:
Uqbah consulted the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) about his sister who took a vow to perform hajj barefooted and bareheaded. So he said: Command her to cover her head and to ride, and to fast three days.

3290: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
A man came to Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Apostle of Allah, my sister has taken a vow to perform hajj on foot. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Allah gets no good from the affliction your sister imposed on herself, so let her perform hajj riding and make atonement for her oath.

3297: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
The sister of Uqbah ibn Amir took a vow that she would perform hajj on foot, and she was unable to do so. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Allah is not in need of the walking of your sister. She must ride and offer a sacrificial camel.

3298: Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir al−Juhani:
Uqbah said to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him): My sister has taken a vow that she will walk to the House of Allah (the Ka’bah). Thereupon he said: Allah will not do anything of the walking of your sister to the House of Allah (i.e. the Ka’bah).

3299: Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
A man stood on the day of Conquest (of Mecca) and said: Apostle of Allah, I have vowed to Allah that if He grants conquest of Mecca at your hands, I shall pray two rak’ahs in Jerusalem. He replied: Pray here. He repeated (his statement) to him and he said: Pray here. He again repeated (his statement) to him. He (the Prophet)replied: Pursue your own course, then.

3300: Narrated AbdurRahman ibn Awf:
The tradition mentioned above (No.3299) has also been transmitted by Umar ibn AbdurRahman ibn Awf on the authority of his father and the Companions of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him).

This version has: “The Prophet(peace_be_upon_him) said: By Him Who sent Muhammad with truth, if you prayed here, this would be sufficient for you like the prayer in Jerusalem.”

3302: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
A woman made a voyage and vowed that she would fast one month if Allah made her reach her destination with peace and security. Allah made her reach her destination with security but she died before she could fast. Her daughter or sister (the narrator doubted) came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). So he commanded to fast on her behalf.

3306: Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al−’As:
A woman came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Apostle of Allah, I have taken a vow to play the tambourine over you. He said: Fulfil your vow. She said: And I have taken a vow to perform a sacrifice in such a such a place, a place in which people had performed sacrifices in pre−Islamic times. He asked: For an Idol? She replied: No. He asked: For an image? She replied: No. He said: Fulfil your vow.

3307: Narrated Thabit ibn ad−Dahhak:
In the time of the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) a man took a vow to slaughter a camel at Buwanah. So he came to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: I have taken a vow to sacrifice a camel at Buwanah. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) asked: Did the place contain any idol worshipped in pre−Islamic times? They (the people) said: No. He asked: Was any pre−Islamic festival observed there? They replied: No. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Fulfil your vow, for a vow to do an act of disobedience to Allah must not be fulfilled, neither must one do something over which a human being has no control.

3308: Narrated Maymunah, daughter of Kardam:
I went out with my father to see the hajj performed by the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). I saw the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). I fixed my eyes on him. My father came near him while he was riding his she−camel. He had a whip like the whip of scribes. I heard the bedouin and the people say: The whip, the whip. My father came near him and held his foot.

She said: He admitted his Prophethood and stood and listened to him. He said: Apostle of Allah, I have made a vow that if a son is born to me, I shall slaughter a number of sheep at the end of Buwanah in the dale of hill. The narrator said: I do not know (for certain) that she said: Fifty (sheep). The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Does it contain any idol? He said: No. Then he said: Fulfil your vow that you have taken for Allah. He then gathered them (i.e. the sheep) and began to slaughter them. A sheep ran away from them. He searched for it saying: O Allah, fulfil my vow on my behalf. So he succeeded (in finding it) and slaughtered it.

3311: Narrated Ka’b ibn Malik:
I said: Apostle of Allah, to make my repentance complete I should divest myself of my property as sadaqah (alms) for Allah and His Apostle. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Retain some of your property, for that will be better for you. So he said: I shall retain the portion I have at Khaybar.

3313: Narrated Ka’b ibn Malik:
Ka’b ibn Malik said to AbuLubabah; or someone else whom Allah wished; or to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him): To make my repentance complete I should depart from the house of my people in which I fell into sin, and that I should divest myself of all my property as sadaqah (alms). He said: A third (of your property) will be sufficient for you.

3315: Narrated Ka’b ibn Malik: I said:
Apostle of Allah, to make my atonement complete I should divest myself of my all property as sadaqah (alms) for Allah and His apostle. He said: No. I said: The half of it. He said: No. I said: Then a third of it. He said: Yes. I said: I shall retain the portion I have at Khaybar.

3316: Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone takes a vow but does not name it, its atonement is the same as that for an oath, if anyone takes a vow to do an act of disobedience, its atonement is the same as that for an oath, if anyone takes a vow he is unable to fulfil, its atonement is the same as that for an oath, but if anyone takes a vow he is able to fulfil, he must do so.

Safiyya bint Huyayy

Safiyya Bint Huyayy | صفية بنت حيي

Sahabiyat: Ummuhàtul-Mu’minnin
(Female Companions of the Prophet Mohammad time)

Ummul-Mo’mineen | Mother of Believers

Safiyya bint Huyayy (Arabic: صفية بنت حيي‎) (c. 610 – c. 670) was a Jewish woman captured from the Banu Nadir tribe at age 17, who became Muhammad’s wife. She was, along with all other wives of Muhammad, titled Umm-ul-Mo’mineen or the “Mother of Believers”. After Muhammad’s death, she became involved in the power politics of the early Muslim community, and acquired substantial influence by the time of her death.

Early life

Safiyya was born in Medina to Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir. Her mother, Barra bint Samawal, was from the Banu Qurayza tribe. According to a source, she was married off to Sallam ibn Mishkam, who later divorced her.

When the Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina in 625, her family settled in Khaybar, an oasis near Medina. Her father and brother went from Khaybar to join the Meccan and Bedouin forces besieging Muhammad in Medina during the Battle of the Trench. When the Meccans withdrew Muhammad besieged the Banu Qurayza.

In 627 or early in 628, Safiyya married Kenana ibn al-Rabi, treasurer of the Banu Nadir; she was about 17 years old at that time. Safiyya is said to have informed Kenana of a dream she had in which the moon had fallen from the heavens into her lap. Kenana interpreted it as a desire to marry Muhammad and struck her in the face, leaving a mark which was still visible when she first had contact with Muhammad.

Battle of Khaybar

In May 629, the Muslims defeated several Jewish tribes (including the Banu Nadir) at the Battle of Khaybar.The Jews had surrendered, and were allowed to remain in Khaybar on the provision that they give half of their annual produce to the Muslims. The land itself became the property of the Muslim state. This agreement, Stillman says, did not extend to the Banu Nadir tribe, who were given no quarter.

In the aftermath, the female captives were divided amongst Muhammad and his followers. Safiyya was assigned to Dihya ibn Khalifa, but Muhammad selected her while compensating Dihya with two of her cousins, or, according to other sources, seven head of cattle, and according to a differing source, seven female slaves. She then converted to Islam, thereby becoming Muhammad’s wife; her dowry being her emancipation.

On the way back from Khaybar, the Muslims camped at a place called Sadd al-Rauha. By now, Safiyya was clean from her menstrual period, and the marriage was thus consummated. Thereafter, Muhammad held a banquet of dates and butter in celebration of the marriage, and then returned to Medina.

Khaybar and Medina

According to Muhammad al-Bukhari, Muhammad stayed for three days between Khaybar and Medina, where he consummated his marriage to Safiyya. His companions wondered if she was to be considered a captive (Arabic: ma malakat aymanukum‎) or a wife. The former speculated that they would consider Safiyya as Muhammad’s wife, and thus “Mothers of the Believers”, if Muhammad ordered her to veil herself, else she would be his slave-girl.

Some modern scholars opine that Muhammad chose to marry Safiyya, the only surviving member of Banu Nadir’s ruling family, as part of reconciliation with the Jewish tribe.

Muhammad suggested that Safiyya convert to Islam, which she did, and thus she become Muhammad’s wife. Safiyya did not bear any children to Muhammad.

Despite her conversion, Muhammad’s other wives teased Safiyya of her Jewish origin. Doubts about Safiyya’s loyalty to Islam and the suspicion that she would avenge her slain kin are themes in the Sirah Rasul Allah (biographies of Muhammad). In these stories, Muhammad or Umar express great displeasure at such doubts and reaffirm her loyalty.

Regarding Safiyya’s Jewish descent, Muhammad once said to his wife, “If they discriminate you again, tell them that your husband is Muhammad, your father was the prophet Aaron and your uncle was prophet Musa. In this case I’m superior to you.”

Legacy

In 656, Safiyya sided with caliph Uthman ibn Affan, and defended him at his last meeting with Ali, Aisha, and Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr. During the period when the caliph was besieged at his residence, Safiyya made an unsuccessful attempt to reach him, and supplied him with food and water via a plank placed between her dwelling and his.

Safiyya died in 670 or 672, during the reign of Muawiyah, and was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi graveyard.[16] She left an estate of 100,000 dirhams in land and goods, one-third of which she bequeathed to her sister’s son, who followed Judaism. Her dwelling in Medina was bought by Muawiyya for 180,000 dirhams.

Safiyya is said to have a dream which predicted her marriage with Muhammad, and she was beaten by her husband for desiring another man. Thus, the dream (interpreted as a miracle), her suffering, and her reputation to cry has won her a place in Sufi works. She appears in all major books of hadith and rolls of hadith transmitters.

Safiyya bint Huyayy |Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Married Her in 7 AH.

Safiyya bint Huyayy, (may Allah be pleased with her) married the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 7 AH, when the Prophet was sixty years old and she was seventeen years old. As in the case of juwayriyya bint Harith, this marriage occurred after one of the Muslims’ decisive battles, in this case, the battle of Khaybar.

After the battle of Khaybar in which the Muslims defeated the Jews, two women were brought before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by Bilal, the black mu’adhdhin of Medina whose beautifully voice constantly called the Muslims to prayer right up until the Prophet’s death ( after which he could not bring himself to call the adhan anymore, until he was present at the surrender of Jerusalem to the khalif Umar in 17 AH. ) They had passed by those who had been killed in the fighting. One of the two women was shrieking and screaming, and rubbing dust in her hair, while the other was silent.

The silent one was Safiyya, the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Banu Nadir who had all been expelled from Medina in 4 AH after plotting to kill the Messenger of Allah by dropping a stone on his head as he sat talking with their leaders.

The other woman was Safiyya’s cousin. Safiyya could trace her lineage directly back to Harun, the brother of the Prophet Moses (peace be upon them). The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked someone to look after the woman who was screaming and then took off his cloak and placed it over the shoulders of Safiyya, whose husband had been killed in the battle.

It was a gesture of pity, but from that moment she was to be honored and given great respect in the Muslim community. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 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, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) rarely criticized the behavior of those who served him. Anas ibn Malik, for example once said, “I served the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for eight years. He never once scolded me for something that I had done or for something that I had not done.”

Like Umm Habiba, Safiyya was the daughter of a great chief. The only person who could save her from becoming a slave after having enjoyed such a high position was the Prophet. Although her father had planned to assassinate Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) after the battle of Uhud, and had conspired with the Banu Qurayza to exterminate all the Muslims during the battle of al-Khandaq, it was characteristic of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he did not bear any grudges. For those who did wrong, he felt pity rather than anger, and for those who had done no wrong, he had even greater compassion.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) invited Safiyya to embrace Islam, which she did, and having given her, her freedom, she then accepted to marry him. 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, and when bloody battles had taken place between the Jews and the Muslims. The answer may be found in what she has related of her early life as the daughter of the chief of the Banu Nadir.

She said, may Allah be pleased with her:

“I was my father’s favorite and also a favorite with my uncle Yasir. They could never see me with one of their children without picking me up. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Medina, my father and my uncle went to see him. It was very early in the morning and 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 head Abu Yasir ask my father, ‘Is it him?’ ‘Yes, it is.’ ‘Can you recognize him? Can you verify it?’ ‘Yes, I can recognize him too well.’ ‘What do you feel towards him?’ ‘Enmity, enmity as long as I live.’

The significance of this conversation is evident when we recall that in the Torah of the Jews, it was written that a Prophet would come who would lead those who followed him to victory. Indeed before the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to Medina, the Jews used to threaten the idol worshippers of Yathrib, as it was then called, that when the next Prophet came to the believers were going to exterminate them, just as the Jews had exterminated other tribes who refused to worship God in the past.

As in any case, of the Prophet Jesus, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who had been clearly described in the Torah – but rejected by many of the Jews when he actually came – the next and last Prophet was accurately described in the Torah, which also contained signs by which the Jews could easily recognize him. Thus Ka’b al-Ahbar, one of the Jews of that time who embraced Islam, relates that this Prophet is described in the Torah as follows:

‘My slave, Ahmad, the Chosen, born in Mecca, who will emigrate to Medina (or he said Tayyiba – another name given to Yathrib); his community will be those who praise Allah in every state.’

And ‘Amr ibn al-‘As said that it also says in the Torah:

‘O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good news and a warner and a refuge for the illiterate. You are My slave and My messenger. I have called you the one on whom people rely, one who is neither coarse nor vulgar, and who neither shouts in the markets nor repays evil with evil, but rather pardons and forgives. Allah will not take him back to Himself until the crooked community has been straightened out by him and they say, “There is no god but Allah.” Through him, blind eyes, deaf ears and covered hearts will be opened.’

It was thanks to these descriptions in the Torah, that the most learned rabbi of the Jews, ‘Abdullah ibn Salam, had embraced Islam on seeing Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and it was because of these descriptions that Huyayy ibn Akhtab was also able to recognize him. However Huyayy, like most of the other Jews, was deeply disappointed that the last Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a descendant of Isma’il and not of Ishaq, (the two sons of the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon them), since the Jews of that time claimed exclusive descent from Ishaq, through the twelve sons of his son Ya’qub (who was also known as Israel), from whom the twelve tribes of Israel had originated. Not only did Huyayy resent the fact that the last Prophet had appeared amongst the Arabs, but also he did not want to lose his position of power and leadership over his people.

It was for these reasons that Huyayy secretly decided to oppose and fight the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 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 Huyayy’s daughter, she had a pure heart and had always wanted to worship her Creator and Lord, the One who had sent Moses, to whom she was related, and Jesus, and finally Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

Thus as soon as the opportunity arose, not only to follow the last Prophet, but also to be married to him, she took it. Although Safiyya had in Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a most kind and considerate husband, she was not always favorably accepted by some of his other wives, especially when she had first joined the Prophet’s household. It is related by Anas that on one occasion, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) found Safiyya weeping. When he asked her what the matter was, she replied that she heard thHafsa had disparagingly described her as ‘the daughter of a Jew’.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) responded by saying, “You are certainly the daughter of a Prophet (Harun), and certainly your uncle was a Prophet (Moses), 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 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 to that Jewess!” The Prophet turned away from her in anger and would not have anything to do with her for two or three months not to show his disapproval of what she had said.

Some three years later, when Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was in his final illness, Safiyya felt for him deeply and sincerely. “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 death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Once a slavegirl she owned went to the Amir al Muminin 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 carries lie 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 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, and lived as a widow for the next thirty-nine years, dying in 50 AH, at the age of sixty (may Allah be pleased with her).

“How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.” (sahih muslim)

“Such is Allaah, your Lord in truth. So after the truth, what else can there be, except error? How then are you turned away?” [Yunus 10:32]

“Knowledge is a comforting friend in times of loneliness, it is the best companion during travels, and it is the inner friend who speaks to you in your privacy. Knowledge is the discerning proof of what is right and what is wrong, and it is the positive force that will help you surmount the trials of comfort, as well as those of hardships. Knowledge is your most powerful sword against your enemy, and finally, it is your most dignifying raiment in the company of your close companions.” Mu`adh ibn Jabal.