Safiyah bint Huyayy (صفية بنت حيي, c. 610 – c. 670) (also spelled Saffiya, Safiyya, Safiya bint Huyai) was the bride of Kinana and the chief mistress of the Jewish tribes of Quraiza and An-Nadir. Muhammad captured and married her after killing her all the men in her tribe including her family.
When the Islamic fighters 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. Kinana was tortured and executed in order to discover the hiding places of treasure, and one source relates that he and Safiyah had been married only one day. She was so beautiful, that the fighters began praising her in the presence of Muhammad, 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” and he selected her for himself. The fighters 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. The “marriage banquet” consisted of haris served on a small leather sheet and a gathering of those who were conveniently nearby.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.” Basically, Muhammad could not wait. Muhammad stayed three nights there and consummated his marriage with Safiyah. Despite this banquet, many followers 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. He considered her manumission from slavery to be an adequate mahr (dowry)!
This story is backed by the authentic hadith. Isn’t Muhammad a symbol of humanity and compassion for all mankind? Where is Disney to make a love story out of this???