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'And some of the females held my banner' (qasida 6:6) This is the motto for this section, which is either for the women view points or for the things that matter the most for them. You can find all special expressions in the Glossary. We need your comments to develop this site for you.
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The mother of believers Safiya [AAH]
She is mother
of believers Safiya bent Hayey ibn Akhtab,
of a Jewish origin yet a Muslim in
heart and mind. She was
a child, 10 years old when the Prophet [PPBUH]
came into Madina, which at that time was called Yathrib, but then it
became enlightened by his coming so its name became the Enlightened
Madina. Her father Hayey ibn Akhtab was the head of his Jewish
tribe; Bany an-Nodayr, which was settled in the suburbs of Yathrib
beside its Arabs inhabitance: al-Aws and al-Khazrag. When the
Prophet [PPBUH]
came to Qeba' on his way to Enlightened Madina, Hayey, the head of
Bany an-Nodayr and father of Safiya, with his brother Abo-Yasir,
went to Qeba' to see and hear from the Prophet. Of course they
intended to confirm his description against the descriptions
mentioned in Torah about the expected Later Safiya found out that the reason behind this hatred and enmity is tribalism, arrogance, and conflict of interests. Because in spite of the fact that the Jews were waiting impatiently for the Prophet [PPBUH] to be sent. They were also bragging of him to all Arab people of Madina, from Aws and Khazrag. They used to say to them "It is time for the promised prophet to be sent, we will fight you under his command, and we will drive you out your homes humble and defeated". But they were surprised when they found out that the Prophet was sent from the Arabs and not from sons of Israel as they thought. As Allah sent the last of His prophets and messengers from the Arabs. That is why the Jews refused to believe in him in spite of their total conviction that all the signs of the prophecy existed in him exactly as mentioned in Torah.
(The Jews have what we have and give what we give. They are a nation with the believers. Jews have their religion and Muslims have theirs). Safiya was content with that covenant which is filled with justice, mercy, and peace between Muslims and her people, the Jews. She was hoping that this covenant would remove the enmity and grudge of her people. However, she was disappointed and her hoped were lost, as the Jews had a journey of grudge with the Prophet [PPBUH] ever since the first day he lied his feet on the ground of Madina. At that time there were three tribes of Jews living in Madina (Bany Qayneqa', Bany Qurayza, and Bany an-Nadir). Bany an-Nadir as we mentioned before were the people of Safiya [AAH]. Bany Qayneqa' were the first of the Jews to betray the Prophet [PPBUH]. They revoked his covenant after just one year of his coming to Yathrib, i.e. in the second year of Hijra. The Prophet [PPBUH] punished them by evacuating them out of Madina because of their treason. Muslims thought that this would be a lesson for both other tribes. But they were disappointed as betrayal is the nature of some people, especially those Jews tribes. Bany an-Nadir tried to kill the Prophet [PPBUH] when he came to their houses to visit them, but thanks to Allah, their efforts went in vain and Allah protected His Messenger from being harmed.
The Prophet
made his decision to drive them out of the Enlightened Madina to
Khaybar which was an area away from Madina by 150 Km to the north.
They went out of Madina carrying their money and luggage and
carrying also their black grudge. At that time Safiya was married to
the Jewish Salam ibn Meshkam. She was one of those who
In the fifth year of Hijra, i.e. after one year of the evacuation of Bany an-Nadir of Madina, there came the conquest of al-Ahzab. Hayey ibn Akhtab was one of those how turn the Arabs against the Prophet [PPBUH] and encouraged them to fight him [PPBUH]. Hayey used the houses of Bany Qurayza as a base for his moves, as they were still settled in the Enlightened Madina unaffected by the treason of Bany an-Nadir and Bany Qayneqa'. The Prophet [PPBUH] did no evacuate them out of Madina as he did with the other Jews. That is because Allah said [Every soul will be held in pledge for its deeds] al-Muddaththir 74:38, and [no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another] al-An'am 6:164. However the betrayal and ingratitude moved for Bany Qurayza, so they cooperated with Hayey ibn Akhtab and responded to his grudge and enmity, and they conspired with him against Muslims from inside Madina. When the conquest of al-Ahzab was concluded and Allah turned the cunning of the polytheists away from the Muslims, there came the time of accountability and punishment. The Prophet [PPBUH] headed for the fortresses of Bany Qurayza and besieged them with a 1600 fighters, until the siege wore them down and Allah threw the terror in their heart. So they gave up without a fight. What would the Prophet [PPBUH] do with those betrayers? He asked them (Do you accept the judgment of Saad ibn Mo'az)? They said: Yes. As Saad was their ally and friend before Islam. Yet Saad judged them with what pleases Allah and His Messenger, and his judgment came appropriate to their betrayal which happened in a very critical time. He judged their fighters, who were armed, to be killed, and their women and children to be enslaved according to the war logic at that time. His judgment was executed immediately. So their men were taken to the trenches of Madina and killed there. Hayey ibn Akhtab, the leader of Bany an-Nadir, was one of those who were killed with Bany Qurayza.
So what happened there? ... That is to be continued next time ...
Written by Samia as-Sa'id Translated by Mohamed
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prophet. At sundown they came
back home, Hayey and his brother, troubled and dispirited, walking
slowly, with sorrow all over their faces. Safiya ran to them with
cheerfulness and joy as she used to. She was the most loved one to
her father and her uncle of all their children. They used to hold
her, kiss her and listen to her sweet talk, however, this time, and
to her surprise, they did not. She saw them took a side in the house
and were talking to one another. She could not help hearing them, to
know what was that matter they were concerned of, which made them
meet her so calm with no interest. She heard them talking about
Mohammad ibn Abdullah, that prophet who came to Yathrib. Her uncle,
Abo-Yasir, was asking her father, with a sharp angry tone: O, Hayey,
is it he the one mentioned in Torah? Hayey said: Yes, by Allah, he
is. Her uncle said: Are you sure about it? Hayey said: Yes, of
course I am sure. Her uncle said: So what are you going to do about
it? Hayey said with words that showed anger and grudge: I intend to
be enemy with as long as I live. Safiya was surprised, in spite of
her young age, at the position of her father and uncle from Mohammad
ibn Abdullah. As she used to hear them talk about a prophet who is
about to be sent. She used to detect from their conversation that
they were eagerly waiting for him and prepared to believe in him. So
why is it that when this prophet appears they became angry and
insist on being his enemies? 
were
evacuated to Khaybar with her father, Hayey, and her husband Salam.
This was in the forth year of Hijra. We can imagine the deep sorrow
that Safiya had when she saw what happened to her people. We can
also picture how she was astonished at the hard enmity that her
people carried for the Prophet [
No
doubt, Safiya was very sad that her father was killed. She was 17
years old at that time, and she had been divorced from Salam ibn
Meshkam with whom she spent years without giving birth to any
children. Then after some time she had a ceremony for the wedding of
another man, Kenanah ibn ar-Rabi'. In the morning of the day of the
ceremony, she woke up pleased with a dream she saw. She told her
dream to her cousin Kenanah who was to marry her that day. She saw
as if the moon fell down to her lap. When Kenanah heard her, he
slapped her a slap that evaporated hey pleasure and joy. He shouted
to her face and said: Lo, Safiya, do you wish for the king of Hegaz,
Mohammad to be your husband? Safiya were astonished of this strange
deduction. She went away with her thoughts towards the Prophet of
Islam. She always looked for his news and the news of his religion
and call, secretly from her father and first husband. Could this
dream, which sounds impossible, come true as her cousin interpreted
it? So when Safiya fell in the hands of Muslims with the other Jews
and her husband Kenanah was killed, she was driven with all the
captives to the Prophet [