Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (5/433)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

Rayḥānah bint Zayd of the Banū al-Naḍīr (1) had been married among her own people (2). The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, chose her for himself as his personal share of the booty; she was a woman of striking beauty. He invited her to embrace Islam, but she insisted on remaining a Jew. The Prophet therefore kept his distance from her and felt distressed. He sent for Ibn Saʿiyyah (3) and told him what had happened.

Ibn Saʿiyyah said, “May my father and mother be your ransom—she will certainly accept Islam!” He went to her and urged: “Do not follow your people. You have seen what Huyayy ibn Akhṭab brought upon them. Accept Islam, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, will single you out for himself.”

While the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was sitting with his Companions, he heard the sound of footsteps and said,

“Those are surely the sandals of Ibn Saʿiyyah, coming to give me the good news of Rayḥānah’s Islam.”

Ibn Saʿiyyah arrived and said (4), “O Messenger of Allah, Rayḥānah has embraced Islam.” This gladdened the Prophet.

Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq (5) relates: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, conquered Qurayẓah, he chose Rayḥānah bint ʿAmr ibn Khunāfah for himself. She remained with him until he died, still in his possession. He had offered her Islam and marriage, but she persisted in Judaism, and then he recounted her conversion as mentioned above.

Al-Wāqidī (6) reports: ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Sulaymān told me, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ṣaʿṣaʿah, from Ayyūb ibn Bashīr al-Muʿāwī, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent her to the house of Salmā bint Qays, Umm al-Munḏir. She stayed there until she had completed one menstrual cycle and become pure. Umm al-Munḏir then informed the Prophet, so he came to her in that house and said:

“If you wish, I will set you free and marry you; but if you prefer to remain in my ownership and I will approach you as a slave-girl, I shall do so.” (7)

She replied, “O Messenger of Allah, it is easier for you and for me that I remain in your ownership.” Thus she stayed in the possession of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he continued to have relations with her until she died.

Al-Wāqidī (8) also stated: Ibn Abī Ḏhiʾb told me that he asked al-Zuhrī about Rayḥānah. Al-Zuhrī answered, “She was a bondwoman of the Messenger of Allah (9); he emancipated her and married her. She then secluded herself among her family, saying, ‘No one shall see me after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.’”

Al-Wāqidī added (10): “This is, in our view, the more reliable of the two reports. Her husband before the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—was al-Ḥakam.”

(1) Edition: “It is said: she was from Banu Qurayza. Al-Waqidi states that Rihana bint Zayd was from Banu Nadir.” (2) In al-Maghazi: “(in Banu Qurayza).” (3) Edition: “(Shu‘ba).” See Asad al-Ghabah, vol. 7, pp. 120–121. (4) Edition: “(then he came and said).” (5) Ibn Hisham’s Sīra, vol. 2, p. 245. (6) Al-Waqidi’s al-Maghazi, vol. 2, pp. 520–521. (7) This phrase does not appear in the edition. (8) Al-Waqidi’s al-Maghazi, vol. 2, pp. 520–521. (9) Edition: “(the Messenger).” (10) Al-Waqidi’s al-Maghazi, vol. 2, p. 521.

ريْحانةُ بنت زَيْدٍ من بني النَّضير (١) ، وكانت مُزَوَّجَةً فيهم (٢) ، وكان رسول الله ﷺ قد أخذها لنفسه صفيّاً، وكانت جميلةً، فعرض عليها رسول الله ﷺ أن تُسْلِم، فأبَتْ إلا اليهوديَّة، فعزلها رسول الله ﷺ ، ووجد في نفسه، فأرسل إلى ابن سعية (٣) ، فذكر له ذلك، فقال ابن سعية: فداكَ أبي وأمي هي تُسْلِم، فخرج حتى جاءها فجعل يقول لها: لا تَتّبعي قومَك، فقد رأيتِ ما أدخل عليهم حُيي بن أخطب، فأسْلمي يَصْطفيك رسولُ الله ﷺ لنفسه، فبينا رسولُ الله ﷺ في أصحابه إذ سمع وَقْعَ نعلين، فقال: "إن هاتين لنَعلا ابن سعية يبشرني بإسلام ريحانة" فجاءه فقال (٤) : يا رسول الله، قد أسلمَتْ رَيْحانة، فسُرّ بذلك. وقال محمد بن إسحاق (٥) : لما فتح رسول الله ﷺ قُرَيْظَةَ اصطفَى لنفسه ريحانة بنت عمرو بن خُنافة، فكانَتْ عِنْدَه حتّى تُوفّي عنها، وهي في ملكه، وكان عرضَ عليها الإسلام ويتزَّوجُها، فأَبَتْ إلا اليهوديةَ، ثم ذكَر من إسلامها ما تقدَّم. قال الواقدي (٦) : فحدّثني عبدُ الملك بن سليمان، عن أيوب بن عبد الرحمن بن أبي صَعْصَعَة، عن أيوب بن بشير المُعاوي، قال: فأَرْسَلَ بها رسول الله ﷺ إلى بيت سَلْمى بنت قَيْس أم المنذر، فكانَتْ عندها حتّى حاضَتْ حَيْضَةً، ثم طَهُرَتْ من حَيْضِها، فجاءَتْ أمّ المنذر، فأخبرت رسول الله، فجاءها في منزل أم المنذر، فقال لها: "إن أحْبَبْتِ أن أُعتِقَكِ وأَتَزوَّجَكِ فعلتُ، وإن أحْبَبْتِ أن تكوني في مِلْكي أطَؤُكِ بالملك فعلت (٧) " فقالت: يا رسول الله، إني أخفُّ عليكَ وعليَّ أن أكون في مِلْكِك، فكانَتْ في مِلْكِ رسولِ الله ﷺ يطؤها حتى ماتت. قال الواقدي (٨) : وحدّثني ابن أبي ذئب، قال: سألتُ الزهريَّ عن ريحانة فقال: كانَتْ أمةً لرسول الله (٩) فأعتقها وتزوجها، فكانت تَحْتَجِبُ في أهلها وتقول: لا يراني أحدٌ بعدَ رسول الله ﷺ . قال الواقدي (١٠) : وهذا أثبتُ الحَديثين عندنا، وكان زوجُها قبلَه (رحمهم الله) الحكمَ.

(١) ط: (ويقال: من بني قريظة. قال الواقدي: كانت ريحانة بنت زيد من بني النضير). (٢) في المغازي (في بني قريظة). (٣) ط: (شعبة). وانظر أسد الغابة (٧/ ١٢٠ - ١٢١). (٤) ط: (فجاء يقول). (٥) سيرة ابن هشام (٢/ ٢٤٥). (٦) مغازي الواقدي (٢/ ٥٢٠ - ٥٢١). (٧) ليس اللفظ في ط. (٨) مغازي الواقدي (٢/ ٥٢٠ - ٥٢١). (٩) ط: (رسول). (١٠) مغازي الواقدي (٢/ ٥٢١).