Muhammad The Merciful

Cafe Alpha asks:

Wow. Mohammad raped a women - and took her as a slave "wife" immediately after torturing her husband to death and killing her father.

What's the source for this one?

This occurred at the end of the Battle of Khaybar in 629.

A Jewish tribe called Banu Nadir was present at Khaybar during that time. Safiyya was the daughter of the chief of Banu Nadir. She was married to the treasurer of the tribe. Muhammad had interrogated her husband but he refused to divulge any information about their precious belongings.

So, Muhammad had him tortured.

The fellow died and took the secret to his grave.

Muhammad on the same day beheaded all the adult males of the tribe. Safiyya lost her father and husband within a few hours.

Then Muhammad took her as his wife and raped consummated the marriage on the same night. Truly what a glorious example of morality!

Update
Islamic sources follow:

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 8, Number 367. An excerpt:

Anas said, 'When Allah's Apostle invaded Khaibar, we offered the Fajr prayer there yearly in the morning) when it was still dark. The Prophet rode and Abu Talha rode too and I was riding behind Abu Talha. The Prophet passed through the lane of Khaibar quickly and my knee was touching the thigh of the Prophet . He uncovered his thigh and I saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet. When he entered the town, he said, 'Allahu Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. Whenever we approach near a (hostile) nation (to fight) then evil will be the morning of those who have been warned.' He repeated this thrice. The people came out for their jobs and some of them said, 'Muhammad (has come).' (Some of our companions added, "With his army.") We conquered Khaibar, took the captives, and the booty was collected. Dihya came and said, 'O Allah's Prophet! Give me a slave girl from the captives.' The Prophet said, 'Go and take any slave girl.'

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 2, Book 14, Number 68. An excerpt:

Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) offered the Fajr prayer when it was still dark, then he rode and said, 'Allah Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. When we approach near to a nation, the most unfortunate is the morning of those who have been warned." The people came out into the streets saying, "Muhammad and his army." Allah's Apostle vanquished them by force and their warriors were killed; the children and women were taken as captives.

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 34, Number 437. An excerpt:

The Prophet came to Khaibar and when Allah made him victorious and he conquered the town by breaking the enemy's defense, the beauty of Safiya bint Huyai bin Akhtab was mentioned to him and her husband had been killed while she was a bride. Allah's Apostle selected her for himself and he set out in her company till he reached Sadd-ar-Rawha' where her menses were over and he married her.

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 5, Book 59, Number 513.

Anas bin Malik said, "The Prophet took Safiya as a captive. He manumitted her and married her." Thabit asked Anas, "What did he give her as Mahr (i.e. marriage gift)?" Anas replied. "Her Mahr was herself, for he manumitted her."

How generous of him. A Muslim man gives her wife a gift. Muhammad provided Safiyya a simple one: he freed her from slavery.

Who was her owner? Muhammad.

Sahih Bukhari: Volume 5, Book 59, Number 523.

The Prophet stayed with Safiya bint Huyai for three days on the way of Khaibar where he consummated his marriage with her. Safiya was amongst those who were ordered to use a veil.

But, I thought that these women wore the veil by choice.

Comments

[Cafe Alpha]

When I asked for the source, I really mean which scriptures. Bakhari etc. If you want to rub things in the faces of Muslims you have to use the books they credit.

[MikeT]

This reminds me of a recent article I found from Afghanistan about a court that said that even though a woman was kidnapped, held hostage and raped, she was guilty of adultery. When I read it, the only thing I could think of was that it would be a righteous act to take that prosecutor, and stone him to death for doing such a horrible thing to an innocent woman. As we southerners sometimes say about men like him, "some people just need killin'."

[MikeT]

FYI

[Saul Wall]

Cafe Alpha said: "If you want to rub things in the faces of Muslims you have to use the books they credit."

That is true. Also, many Muslims, like Christians seem to have only passing familiarity with their own sources. One of the best ways to help Muslims become free from Islam is to show it to them (them as a population since no specific individual is guaranteed to be open to persuasion - getting the information out to where it can be noticed is goal). Those who can be reached by the truth will benefit and those who can not will be angered and offended at the presentation of embarrassing facts - and they deserve to be angry and offended.

The ordinary adherents are told to concentrate on the Koran since it is Allah's "direct words" but it is out of context, chronologically shuffled and difficult to understand. The Hadith (sacred scripture that Islam can not deny since they are the only source for the "perfect example" of Mohamed's words and deeds which Muslims are commanded to follow) give that nasty context of chronological events which show Mohamed to be the nastiest of people.

I am still looking for a good English translation of the Hadith. The one that Isaac quoted from is a good one but, like others, is in an online format. Something one could download like a .PDF and read on a Pocket PC would be great. An audio version would be better with Bukhari being high on my wish list.

[Isaac Schrödinger]

Cafe Alpha: I've searched for some time but haven't found an explicit Islamic source for this story in its entirety. Muhammad took Safiyya as a slave the day her husband was killed and forced a marriage within a few days is all I've found.

Either the whole tale is fragmented among numerous hadeeth within Sahih Bukhari or Bukhari itself does not contain the full story.

I'll keep on searching and see what I get.

[relucta]

where does it say torchuring the husband? or did you just add that to add to the demonizing of muhammad ?

[Stogie]

Relucta,

I read that Hadith. It says Muhammad tortured the husband by putting burning sticks on his chest. Afterwards, he ordered the man beheaded. No one needs to demonize Muhammad. He did a great job all by himself.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I was just reading this article of yours and clicked on the battle of Khaber which lead me to wikipedia and there I read about Safiya, her husband etc.

My question: Some of the hadiths you have listed state she was married.

Logically speaking a woman made a widow, her husband tortured, having lost her brother and father at the hands of the opposing tribe (Muhammad's tribe) would not sleep with the very man who is responsible for her tribe losing. Or else it gives a new meaning to Sleeping with the Enemy. It is called selfrespect and dignity I believe.

Everytime I have posed the question whether a muslim girl/woman would sleep with a man who is her enemy and to whom her husband has lost a war. The answer has been sheer silence.

While on wikipedia, the article for Safiyya reads that she was married to the prophet Muhammad. But prior to this marriage, when she was married to her jewish husband Kinana, she had a dream where appearently the moon fell into her lap. Her husband allegedly interpreted this as her marrying Muhammad (?) and allegedly struck her. She displayed bruise/mark even at the time she came face to face with Muhammad.

The reference listed is this : Stowasser, Barbara. The Mothers of the Believers in the Hadith. The Muslim World, Volume 82, Issue 1-2 AND cf. Muir (1912) pp. 378-379

Can you comment on these and what you think as well your view on these sources validity?