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 and mother of az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam.

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. Safiyya saw a Jewish man circling it, plainly spying out its defences; she asked Hassan 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 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 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.