Lady Safiyah
The Prophet's Wife From the Jews
An Empowered Woman for All Times
As an
individual, Lady Safiyah represented qualities
which in today's times, could easily be defined as
a fine example for women's empowerment.
which in today's times, could easily be defined as
a fine example for women's empowerment.
Today when we think of empowered women, what's the image
we have in our minds: power suits, breaking the glass ceiling, raising children
and building a lucrative career, both with equal finesse?
What are the key qualities that come to mind:
knowledgeable and assertive perhaps? After all, these are common qualities that
all women today either possess or strive towards. But is it only women of
today?
There is nothing wrong with the above picture. And even if
not 100% accurate, it represents what many of us may define as today's
empowered woman. However, it is only part of the picture.
As hard as it may be to believe, such women are not solely
the result of modern society and even existed way back in 14th century Arabia,
in the time of the Prophet Muhammad and in the form of his wives, referred to
by Muslims as the Mothers of the Believers.
Sure, in that time, they didn't come suited and booted
ready to take on the world. But they did come fully clad in the attire the
Quran instructed for them, and were ready to take on the Arabian Peninsula, in
their own subtle but dynamic way.
Such is the story of Lady Safiyah, the ninth wife of
Prophet Muhammad and daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab and Barah bint Shamwal.
(Ghadanfar, 115)
A noble woman of Jewish lineage, she became a widow and
subsequently, a prisoner of war during the Battle of Khaibar. Upon receiving a
proposal of marriage from the Prophet Muhammad himself, she converted to Islam
and began a new life with him at the age of seventeen. (Debas 130; Ghadanfar
118)
Like the women of today, Safiyah managed a wide array of roles in
her lifetime and struck an amazing balance between each. She is an example for
all women, as to how Islam and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, if
imbibed properly, can be used fully to the advantage of womankind and become a
tool for empowerment.
Spiritual Role
Her studies of the Quran were so intense
that her eyes would fill with tears
that her eyes would fill with tears
Lady Safiyah was extremely spiritual and spent most of her
time reading the Quran, which Muslims believe to be the exact words of God, and
memorizing many chapters of it. (Ghadanfar 120)
Her studies of the Quran were so intense that her eyes
would fill with tears and she would weep (Ghadanfar 120). She recommended such an emotional reading of
the Quran to all believers. (Webb)
The purity in her faith in God is evident in her own
husband's testimony, in which he was quoted stating in defense of Lady Safiyah:
"She faithfully converted to Islam and became a good
Muslim." (Debas 132)
Role as an Individual
As an individual, Lady Safiyah represented qualities which
in today's times could easily be defined as a fine example for women's
empowerment. Most notable were her level of knowledge, well as her
assertiveness, and how she used one to strengthen the other. (Webb)
The fact that Safiyah was especially knowledgeable in the
area of Islam is evident from her avid reading of the Quran. However, in her
case this is especially commendable because she did not limit herself to
ritually reciting the verses of the Quran, but also made practical applications
of them.
While she memorized chapters of the Quran and wept at its
words and verses, she also used the Almighty's words as the very foundation for
understanding and interpreting religion for practice in her daily life.
Moreover, it was this very sound knowledge base of Islam
that gave her the confidence to be assertive in a number of areas in her life,
whether it was to demand fair treatment, to defend her practice of Islam, own
property, or even later, to participate in war and politics.
Her righteous nature was evident when Umar ibn Al-Khattab assigned twelve thousand dirhams (a currency of
the time) to each wife of the Prophet as their share of the spoils received
from recent Muslim conquests at the time. Every wife received the same amount,
except for Lady Safiyah and Lady Juwayriyah, both of whom were given only six
thousand dirhams.
both Safiyah and Juwayriyah objected to this
and even refused to accept the money
and even refused to accept the money
Umar defended his decision, stating that the other wives
received this amount because they had emigrated from Makkah to Madinah.
However, both Safiyah and Juwayriyah objected to this and even refused to
accept the money.
They countered Umar's argument and stated that the others
received the standard amount because they were Prophet Muhammad's wives.
Safiyah and Juwayriyah made it clear that because they shared equal status,
they deserved equal treatment. Upon this assertion, Umar reversed his decision
and allotted them the rightful amount. (Al-Hindi 5/594)
What's most impressive about this particular incident is
that the Prophet himself was not even there to aid Safiyah in demanding her
rights at this time, because this occurred after his death. However, her
knowledge of Islam and her rights within it supported her in being assertive,
and ensured that she received fair treatment, whether in the presence or
absence of her beloved husband.
Often subjected to the eye of accusation due to her Jewish
lineage, Lady Safiyah used her understanding of Islam to not only defend her
faith in Allah (Arabic for God) when need be, but also to balance it with the
rights of her heritage.
she still maintained relations with the Jews
who were her relatives
who were her relatives
There was an incident when her maid went and told the
Caliph Umar that even though Safiyah converted to Islam, she still observed the
Saturday Sabbath, and kept good terms with the Jews. As a result, the Caliph
questioned Safiyah regarding these accusations. (Ibn Hajar 7/741)
Again, based on her knowledge, she responded that after
Allah told the Muslims about the sanctity and blessings of Friday, she stopped
giving importance to Saturday.
She further added that indeed, she still maintained
relations with the Jews who were her relatives and by doing so, she was simply
following the command of Allah and His Messenger for maintaining good relations
with family. (Ibn Hajar 7/741)
These examples highlight how Lady Safiyah made full use of
the divine gift of knowledge. Not only did she actively seek knowledge of
Islam, but she also applied it widely to all areas of her life.
This knowledge, in turn, served as a fuel igniting her
assertiveness. Therefore, whenever she demanded her rights or defended herself,
she backed it up with solid evidence straight from the Quran and teachings of
the final Messenger.
Role as a Wife
"Oh, Prophet of Allah, I surely wish that what you
suffer
from might be in me rather than you!"
from might be in me rather than you!"
As a wife, she treated her marriage as a partnership, and
was not afraid to confide in the Prophet Muhammad or seek his advice when
necessary. Safiyah did not view seeking advice from her husband as submissive
or a reflection of her weaknesses. Rather, she intelligently made use of the
strengths he had, and drew upon them wherever relevant and necessary in her own
life.
In fact, it was her ability to confide in him that gave
her even more strength in dealing with criticisms of her Jewish lineage assertively.
At a point in her life, when Safiyah felt the taunts were unbearable, she
actually brought the issue to the Prophet's attention. (Webb)
Wiping her tears, he advised her: "Wouldn't it be better for you to say, 'How could
they be better then I, when my father is Prophet Aaron, my uncle is Prophet
Moses, and my husband is Prophet Muhammad'?" (At-Tirmidhi, 3894)
His intelligent response gave a tremendous boost to
Safiyah's abilities to handle such challenges boldly.
Despite the taunts or accusations she may have received,
her heart was filled with pure undiluted love for the Prophet Muhammad and
Allah. Moreover, the Prophet knew this very well and never even requested
evidence of loyalty from her.
As a result, Safiyah's devotion to the Prophet's
well-being continued up to his final moments of life. Seeing him in his
deathbed, Safiyah cried out in anguish,
"Oh, Prophet of Allah, I surely wish that what you
suffer from might be in me rather than you!"
Even when others remained skeptical of her remark, the
Prophet defended her without any hesitation or doubt:
"By Allah, I know that Safiyyah is loyal and truthful
and she meant what she just said." (Ibn Sa'd 8/128; Ibn Hajar 7/741)
The fact that the Prophet was consistently able to testify
of Safiyah's faithfulness, spoke volumes of her credibility as a wife. In
today's times, women often have to convince or even coerce their husbands into
taking their sides when it comes to controversial issues with in-laws or other
third parties surrounding a marriage.
Yet for Safiyah, her husband continually rose to her
defense, even without a request from her part to do so.
Her dignified and upright character was enough testimony
that she not only believed in Allah and His Messenger, but personified her
faith through her role as a dutiful wife to Prophet Muhammad.
Role in Society
She was also ready to go out to defend him
and prepared
her mule for this purpose
Safiyah was also an active participant in the civil
society of her time. An example of this is her participation in the political
battles which began in the time of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (Webb). Such was her
involvement that in fact, she tried her best to stop the great sedition. (Debas
135)
A supporter of Uthman, Safiyah's efforts were not limited
to only verbal statements. She was also ready to go out to defend him and
prepared her mule for this purpose. Her efforts were unfortunately countered by
opponents of Uthman.
Not one to be discouraged, she continued to support Uthman's
besieged family as best she could. To this end, she built a bridge between her
house and his, so she could provide his family with food and water while they
suffered from the battles. (Ibn Sa'd 8/128)
Safiyah's role as a philanthropist in her society also
branched out to her care for the poor, to whom she donated a house that she
herself owned, prior to her death. (Debas 138)
Conclusion
she did not merely live a life behind the curtains, so
to speak.
To conclude the story of Lady Safiyah, she was a woman who
was truly empowered. In her sixty years, she lived a full, thriving, and dynamic
life. Indeed, from the age of seventeen, the primary identity attributed to her
was that of Prophet Muhammad's wife.
Yet, by the will of God, the Prophet's support and her own
sheer talent and tenacity, she did not merely live a life behind the curtains,
so to speak.
Within the framework of Allah's word and her beloved
husband's teachings, she was able to set a fine example of what women's
empowerment really means. Safiyah struck a fine balance between all the
different roles she was called to play — and in fact chose to play — in her
lifetime.
Far from neglecting any of the essentials, Safiyah
established a strong relationship with her Creator, nurtured a loving partnership
with her husband, maintained healthy relations with her peers, family, and all
those that surrounded her, and played an active role in her society.
Perhaps most importantly, she also ensured her own rights
and cared for herself as an individual. Both assertive and diplomatic, Safiyah
was multidimensional and truly a woman of substance for her time.
Clad in her traditional attire, armed with the knowledge
of Islam, and fuelled with an assertive demeanor, Lady Safiyah's life and
character demonstrate that while we have some undeniably successful and
empowered women today, they are not merely a modern phenomenon.
Given today's context, perhaps we cannot entirely emulate
the life and times of this beloved wife of the Prophet Muhammad, but we can certainly
apply her exemplary principles of knowledge, assertiveness, and balance, to the
modern lives we lead.
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