Barra binte Samawal

Barra binte Samawal was the mother of a prominent figure in the life of Muhammad and a member of an Arab Jewish tribe that interacted with Muhammad.

Biography

Barra came from a very distinguished family from among the Jews of Arabia. Her father was the poet al Samaw'al ibn Adiya known as "Samuel the faithful" whose son was caught outside the castle and slaughtered when he refused to turn over the treasure entrusted to him. She was married to Huyayy ibn Akhtab, who was the chief of the Banu al-Nadir—one of the biggest Jewish tribes of its time. [jewishencyclopedia.com [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=992&letter=H] ] Together, they had a daughter named Safiyya bint Huyayy.

Safiyya was initially married to Ka'b ibn As'ad, the leader of the Banu Qurayza, another prominent Jewish tribe. When the Banu Qurayza tribe surrendered, all its men were executed by the Muslims, at which point she became a prisoner of war ("Ma malakat aymanukum"). Actually, she was married to Kinana ibn al-Rabi ibn Abu al-Huqayq who was tortured and killed for refusing to turn over his tribe's treasure after the battle of Khaybar. However, Muhammad took another young Jewish woman, Raihana of Banu Qyrayza who refused to convert, as a concubine.

Her prisoner of war status ended with her marriage to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Thus Barra binte Samawal became what is known today as a "mother-in-law" to Muhammad.

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