Safiyah: Difference between revisions

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When the Muslims invaded and conquered Khaybar, the fighting men were killed and Safiyah was taken captive (along with the rest of the women and children) and allotted as booty to Dihya Al-Kalbi, a Muslim.<ref>{{Bukhari|2|14|68}}</ref>  Kinana was tortured and executed by the Muslims in order to discover the hiding places of treasure,<ref>Ishaq. I (Author), Guillaume. A (Translator). (2002). [http://www.amazon.com/Life-Muhammad-I-Ishaq/dp/0196360331/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252901691&sr=8-1#reader ''The Life of Muhammad'']. (p. 515). Oxford University Press</ref><ref>Tabari vol. 8, p.123</ref><ref>Muir, Sir William. (1878). [http://books.google.com/books?id=5QMMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false ''The Life of Mahomet, New Edition'']. (pp. 390-391) London:Smith, Elder and Co.</ref> and one source relates that he and Safiyah had been married only one day.<ref>Muir, Sir William. (1878). [http://books.google.com/books?id=5QMMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false ''The Life of Mahomet, New Edition'']. (pp. 392) London:Smith, Elder and Co.</ref> She was so [[beauty|beautiful]], that the Muslims began praising her in the presence of [[Muhammad]]<ref>{{Muslim|8|3329}}</ref>, and so the prophet commanded that Dihya be brought before him along with Safiyah. Upon seeing her, Muhammad said, "Take any slave girl other than her from the captives"<ref>{{Bukhari|1|8|367}}</ref> and he selected her for himself.<ref>{{Bukhari|3|34|437}}</ref>  The Muslims left Khaibar to return to Medina and on the way they stopped at a place called Sidd-as-Sahba; it was at this time Safiyah became clean from her menses.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|522}}</ref>  The "marriage banquet" consisted of haris (a kind of dish) served on a small leather sheet and a gathering of those who were conveniently nearby.<ref>{{Bukhari|4|52|143}}</ref>  Another narrator describes the banquet in this way: "...there was neither meat nor bread in that banquet, but the Prophet ordered Bilal to spread the leather mats on which dates, dried yogurt and butter were put."<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|524}}</ref>  Muhammad stayed three nights there and consummated his marriage with Safiyah.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|524}}</ref>  Despite this banquet, the Muslims were still not sure whether she would be considered a wife or a right hand possession until Muhammad set off and forced her to wear a veil as she rode behind him on his camel.<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|524}}</ref>  He considered her manumission to be an adequate [[mahr]] (dowry).<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|512}}</ref>

This version is remarkable for the very selective reading of the sources and outright recasting of some of the material. Gone are the accounts of Safiah being grieved at the death of her husband and the slaughter of her tribe. This clearly shows the contemporary Muslim drive to reconcile elemtns of the Prophet's biography which clash with contemporary liberal mores about war, slavery, and sexual consent.  

The above author clearly views a plain retelling of the facts as related by the tradition to be themselves attack up on the character  

Ling doesn't cite any source for this assertion by Ling.  In contrast to Ling's assertion, we have Sahih Hadith that indicate that Safiyah was chosen for her beauty and kept captive up until her "wedding" nights with Muhammad.  

*[[Muhammad's Wives]]'' - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Muhammad's wives and concubines''

[[Category:Islam and Women]]

[[Category:Muslims]]