Hazrat Safiyya bint Abd al-Muttalib

Aunt of the Prophet ﷺ, Sister of Hamza

Safiyya bint Abd al-Muttalib was an aunt of the Prophet ﷺ — full sister of Hamza رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalibرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe Prophet's ﷺ uncle; the Lion of Allah and chief of the martyrsAhl al-Bayt · People of Badr · Martyrs and mother of az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwamرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe Disciple (Hawari) of the Prophet ﷺ; one of the ten promised ParadiseAshara Mubashara · Muhajirun · People of Badr.

The Tent-Peg at the Trench

At the Battle of the Trench, the women and children of Madinah were sheltered in the fort of Hassan ibn Thabit رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Hassan ibn Thabitرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe poet of the Messenger of Allah ﷺAnsar · Narrators of Hadith. Safiyya saw a Jewish man circling it, plainly spying out its defences; she asked Hassan رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Hassan ibn Thabitرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe poet of the Messenger of Allah ﷺAnsar · Narrators of Hadith to deal with him, and when he held back, she took up a tent-peg, climbed down, and struck the man dead — then returned and bade Hassan رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Hassan ibn Thabitرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe poet of the Messenger of Allah ﷺAnsar · Narrators of Hadith take his weapons. She is named in some reports the first woman of Islam to kill an enemy in battle. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 1 · pp. 570–571 — Kandhlawi — Safiyya kills the Jewish spy with a tent-peg at the fort of Hassan during the Trench; reported as the first woman to kill an enemy.

Patience at Uhud

When Hamza رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُHazrat Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalibرَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُThe Prophet's ﷺ uncle; the Lion of Allah and chief of the martyrsAhl al-Bayt · People of Badr · Martyrs was martyred at Uhud and grievously mutilated, Safiyya came to view his body. The Prophet ﷺ wished to spare her the sight, but she said she had brought two sheets to shroud him with, and would bear what she must; finding another Ansari needing a shroud, she gave one to him. She said “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” and made sabr. 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 2 · pp. 603–604 — Kandhlawi — Safiyya at the body of Hamza at Uhud; her patience and her sharing of the shrouds.

Death & Legacy

Safiyya died in Madinah in 20 AH, aged about seventy-three. 3 Stories of the Sahabah · pp. 225–227 — Zakariyya Kandhlawi — Safiyya's death in 20 AH at about 73.