Safiyyah bint Huyayy: Wives of the Prophet ﷺ

Tribe: Banu al-Nadir, of the lineage of the Prophet Harun (Aaron) عليه السلام
Married: 7 AH (c. 628 CE), after the conquest of Khaybar
Before this marriage: Widow; her husband was killed at Khaybar according to the sirah books
Children with the Prophet ﷺ: None
Died: About 50 AH (c. 670 CE); reports differ
Buried: Al-Baqi', Madinah

Safiyyah bint Huyayy was the daughter of a leader of Banu al-Nadir. After the conquest of Khaybar in 7 AH, Dihyah al-Kalbi chose her from the captives. A man told the Prophet ﷺ that she was the noblewoman of Qurayzah and al-Nadir and that she suited no one but him. The Prophet ﷺ called Dihyah, told him to take another captive, and took Safiyyah (Sahih al-Bukhari 371).

He freed her and married her. When Thabit asked Anas what her dowry was, Anas said: 'Herself. He freed her and married her' (Sahih al-Bukhari 371). Her freedom was thus her dowry, a clear sign of the esteem in which he held her. On the road Umm Sulaym prepared her and she was brought to him at night, and the Prophet ﷺ awoke as a bridegroom (Sahih al-Bukhari 371).

When Safiyyah heard that other wives had spoken of themselves as more honoured by the Prophet ﷺ, she told him, and he said: 'Why did you not say: How can you be better than me, when my husband is Muhammad, my father is Harun and my uncle is Musa?' (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3892). Scholars see in this a gentle way of comforting a wife and an acknowledgement of the honour of her lineage.

She once visited the Prophet ﷺ while he was in spiritual retreat in the mosque, and he walked her home at night. Two men of the Ansar passed; he said: 'This is Safiyyah bint Huyayy.' When they were taken aback, he said: 'Satan reaches a person as the blood does, and I feared he would cast something in your hearts' (Sahih al-Bukhari 2035).