Ṣafwān ibn Umayya ibn Khalaf ibn Habib ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah al-Jumahi (; died 661) was a ''

sahabi The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...

'' (companion) of the Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. ''Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk''. Translated by Landau-Tasseron, E. (1998). ''Volume 39: Biographies of the Prophet's Companions and Their Successors''. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Family

He was from the

Banu Jumah The Banu Jumah () was an Arab clan of the Quraysh. They are notable for being allies to the polytheist Meccans and being in war with the Muslims. They are related to the Banu Sahm, as they both were part of a larger clan descended from the sam ...

clan of the

Quraysh The Quraysh () are an Tribes of Arabia, Arab tribe who controlled Mecca before the rise of Islam. Their members were divided into ten main clans, most notably including the Banu Hashim, into which Islam's founding prophet Muhammad was born. By ...

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

. His father was Umayya ibn Khalaf, one of the elders of the Quraysh; his mother was Karima bint Ma'mar ibn Habib.Muhammad ibn Umar al-Waqidi. ''Kitab al-Maghazi''. Translated by Faizer, R., Ismail, A., & Tayob, A. K. (2011). ''The Life of Muhammad''. London & New York: Routledge. He had a paternal brother named AliMuhammad ibn Ishaq. ''Sirat Rasul Allah''. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). ''The Life of Muhammad''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. and a maternal brother named Jabala ibn al-Hanbal. Safwan married at least five times. # Barza bint Mas'ud, from the ruling family of the Thaqif tribe in Ta'if. She was the daughter of his father's sister and the mother of his children, Abdullah "the Elder", Hisham ibn Safwan, Umayya ibn Safwan, and Umm Habib bint Safwan. # Fakhita bint Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughira, from the Makhzum clan of the Quraysh in Mecca. # al-Baghum bint al-Muadhdhil ibn Kinana. She was the mother of his son Abdullah "the Younger". # Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal (also known as Mulayka), from the Khuza'a tribe.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. ''Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk''. Translated by Fishbein, M. (1998). ''Volume 8: The Victory of Islam''. Albany: State University of New York Press. # Umayma bint Abi Sufyan, from the Umayya clan of the Quraysh. She was the mother of his son Abdulrahman.Muhammad ibn Sa'd. ''Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir'' vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). ''The Women of Madina'', p. 169. London: Ta-Ha Publishers. On request, he once loaned Muhammad 50,000 ''dirhams''.

Opposition to Muhammad and military campaigns

Safwan's father, Umayya ibn Khalaf, opposed Muhammad in Mecca. He was involved in the plot to assassinate Muhammad, after which Muhammad

left Left may refer to: Music * ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006 * ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016 * ''Left'' (Helmet album), 2023 * "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996 Direction * Left (direction), the relativ ...

for

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

. It was only after the

Battle of Badr The Battle of Badr or sometimes called The Raid of Badr ( ; ''Ghazwahu Badr''), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ; ''Yawm al-Furqan'') in the Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH), near the pre ...

in March 624 that Safwan's opposition became active.

Battle of Badr

Safwan did not fight at Badr (March 624). When the news that the Quraysh army had been routed there first reached Mecca, Safwan said that the messenger was out of his mind. But when the messenger was asked, "What happened to Safwan ibn Umayya?" he replied: "There he is, sitting in the ''hijr'', and I witnessed the killing of his father and his brother!" In reaction to this, Safwan conspired with his cousin, Umayr ibn Wahb, to kill Muhammad. Safwan paid off Umayr's debts and took care of his family while Umayr went to Medina with his sword "sharpened and poisoned". Safwan promised the Quraysh that they would soon hear good news from Medina. But his plan backfired, for at the gate of the mosque, the Muslims recognized Umayr and brought him to Muhammad, who already knew the details of the plot. Umayr converted to Islam and returned to Mecca to preach and to "make difficulties for them in their religion as I used to make difficulties for your companions in theirs." Safwan swore that he would never speak to Umayr again. Umayr was violent towards those who opposed his preaching, "so that through him many became Muslims."Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. ''Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk''. Translated by McDonald, M. V., & annotated by Watt, W. M. (1987). ''Volume 7: The Foundation of the Community''. Albany: State University of New York Press. In November or December, Safwan took a merchant-caravan of silver vessels worth 100,000 ''dirhams'' towards Iraq.

Zayd ibn Harithah Zayd ibn Ḥāritha al-Kalbī () (), was an early Muslim, Sahabi and the adopted son of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He is commonly regarded as the fourth person to have accepted Islam, after Muhammad's wife Khadija, Muhammad's cousin Ali, a ...

led a raid on this caravan, and they seized all the silver, although the Quraysh men escaped.

Battle of Uhud

Safwan then conferred with Abdullah ibn Abi Rabia and Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl. They "walked with the men whose fathers, sons and brothers had been killed at Badr, and they spoke to Abu Sufyan and those who had merchandise in that caravan, saying, 'Men of the Quraysh, Muhammad has wronged you and killed your best men, so help us with this money to fight him, so that we may hope to get our revenge for those we have lost.'" Safwan paid the poet Abu Azza to call up the

Kinana Kinana () is an Arab tribe based around Mecca in the Tihama coastal area and the Hejaz mountains. The Quraysh of Mecca, the tribe of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was an offshoot of the Kinana. A number of modern-day tribes throughout the Arab w ...

tribes to rally to the Quraysh. The Quraysh "gathered together to fight the apostle" in March 625 in the event that became the

Battle of Uhud The Battle of Uhud () was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Mount Uhud near Medina on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH). After the expulsion of Hijrah, Muslims from ...

. Many of the Quraysh commanders brought women to cheer on the army: Safwan took his two wives, Barza bint Mas'ud and al-Baghum bint al-Muadhdhil. During the battle he struck the death-blow to the injured Kharija ibn Zayd (father-in-law of

Abu Bakr Abd Allah ibn Abi Quhafa (23 August 634), better known by his ''Kunya (Arabic), kunya'' Abu Bakr, was a senior Sahaba, companion, the closest friend, and father-in-law of Muhammad. He served as the first caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, ruli ...

) and mutilated his body because Kharija had attacked Safwan's father at Badr. He also killed Aws ibn Arqam and Ibn Qawqal. In August 625 men from Adal and Al-Qara brought to Mecca three Muslims whom they had captured. Safwan bought one of them, Zayd ibn Al-Dathinna, so that he could kill him in revenge for the death of his father at Badr. He sent him to Tanim to be killed outside the sanctuary there. Abu Sufyan asked him, "Don't you wish, Zayd, that it was Muhammad who was in your place about to be killed and that you were at home with your family?" Zayd replied, "I would not wish so much as a thorn-prick on Muhammad, even if it would take me home to my family!" As Safwan's servant Nistas killed Zayd, Abu Sufyan remarked, "I never saw anyone as completely loved as Muhammad's companions love him."

Battle of the Trench

Safwan actively supported Abu Sufyan in planning and fund-raising for the Battle of the Trench. In autumn 627 a merchant-caravan returning from Syria was carrying "much silver" belonging to Safwan. This caravan was intercepted at Al-'Is by

Zayd ibn Haritha Zayd ibn Ḥāritha al-Kalbī () (), was an early Muslim, Sahabi and the adopted son of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He is commonly regarded as the fourth person to have accepted Islam, after Muhammad's wife Khadija, Muhammad's cousin Ali, a ...

and 170 riders, who took the silver and several prisoners.

Treaty of Hudaybiyyah

When the Quraysh heard that 1600 Muslims were approaching Mecca in March 628, Safwan was one of the three leaders tasked with dealing with the situation. He sent Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl with 200 cavalry to muster support from surrounding tribes. When their allies arrived in Mecca, Safwan's house was one of the four hospitality points where the visitors could be fed, and when Uthman entered the city, Safwan was among those who greeted him. These events led to the

Treaty of Hudaybiyyah The Treaty of al-Hudaybiya () was an event that took place during the lifetime of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was a pivotal treaty between Muhammad, representing the state of Medina, and the tribe of the Quraysh in Mecca in March 628 (corres ...

. Shortly afterwards, Muhammad ordered Muslim men to divorce any of their wives who were still pagans. One woman so divorced was

Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...

's wife, Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal. When she returned to Mecca, Safwan married her. Meanwhile, Muhammad besieged Khaybar. The Quraysh elders took bets on who would win this battle: Safwan bet five camels that Muhammad would lose, and was angry when Abu Sufyan expressed scepticism. Afterwards

Khalid ibn Al-Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arabs, Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career ...

converted to Islam and invited Safwan to accompany him to Medina because, "We are the main fodder. Muhammad is victorious over the Arabs and non-Arabs." Safwan refused "with great aversion," saying, "Even if I were the only Qurashi alive, I would never follow him!" According to the terms of the treaty, Muhammad arrived in Mecca in March 629 for the minor pilgrimage. When

Bilal __NOTOC__ Bilal may refer to: People * Bilal (name), or Belal or Bilel, including a list of people with the name * Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion of Muhammad, made calls for prayers * Bilal (American singer) * Bilal (Lebanese singer) Places * Bi ...

called the Muslims to prayer from the Kaaba, Safwan exclaimed, "Praise God for letting my father die before he could see this!" When the Bedouin chiefs, Farwa ibn Hubayra al-Qushayri and Nawfal ibn Muawiyah al-Dili, visited Mecca, they met with Safwan and other Quraysh elders. The Bedouin suggested that the Quraysh could unite with various Bedouin tribes and "attack uhammadin the heart of his homeland." Since it would be impracticable to plot against Muhammad before they had first suppressed his Meccan allies, the Khuza'a, the Bedouin said they should attack the Khuza'a first. But Safwan and the others said they dared not breach the treaty, so they did not accept the plot. In 629 the Dil clan of the Bakr tribe took revenge against the Khuza'a. Safwan and his slaves lent them weapons and assisted the attack. As the Bakr were allied to the Quraysh and the Khuza'a to the Muslims in Medina, this was a breach of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, and it triggered the

Conquest of Mecca The conquest of Mecca ( , alternatively, "liberation of Mecca") was a military campaign undertaken by Muhammad and Companions of the Prophet, his companions during the Muslim–Quraysh War. They led the early Muslims in an advance on the Quray ...

Conversion to Islam

As the Muslim army surrounded Mecca in January 630, Safwan joined Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl in the final resistance to Muhammad at Al-Khandama. There they encountered

Khalid ibn al-Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arabs, Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career ...

, who routed them. Safwan's wife Fakhita converted to Islam, but Safwan fled to

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

, intending to sail to Yemen. Before his ship departed, he was intercepted by Umayr ibn Wahb, who presented him with Muhammad's turban and said, "Safwan, do not destroy yourself! I have brought you a token of safe-conduct from Allah's Messenger." At first Safwan told him to go away, but Umayr persisted, saying, "Your cousin is the most excellent, righteous and forbearing of men. His strength is your strength, his honour is your honour, and his dominion is your dominion." Safwan replied that he was "in mortal fear" of Muhammad, but Umayr repeated that he was too generous and forbearing to think of killing him, and in the end Safwan agreed to return to Mecca with Umayr. Muhammad confirmed that he had indeed granted safe-conduct to Safwan. When Safwan asked for two months to consider his options, Muhammad replied that he might have four months. A few weeks later, Safwan received a message from Muhammad, asking for the loan of his weapons and armour "that we may fight our enemy tomorrow." Safwan asked if Muhammad intended to force him to hand over the weapons; but on being told that it was only a friendly request and that his possessions would be returned, he replied that he had no objection. He arranged for the transport of a hundred coats of mail and other weapons for Muhammad's attack on the

Hawazin The Hawazin ( / ALA-LC: ''Hawāzin'') were an Arab tribe originally based in the western Najd and around Ta'if in the Hejaz. They formed part of the larger Qays tribal group. The Hawazin consisted of the subtribes of Banu Sa'd, and Banu Jusham, a ...

at Hunayn.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. ''Tarikh al-Rusul wa'l-Muluk''. Translated by Poonawala, I. K. (1990). ''Volume 9: The Last Years of the Prophet''. Albany: State University of New York Press.Malik ibn Anas, ''Al-Muwatta'' 28:44. Safwan fought for Muhammad both at Hunayn, during which battle he remarked to his brother, "I would rather be ruled by a man from Quraysh than a man from Hawazin," and at the

Siege of Ta'if The siege of Ta'if took place in 630, as the Muslims under the leadership of Muhammad besieged the city of Ta'if after their victory in the battles of Hunayn and Autas. One of the chieftains of Ta'if, Urwah ibn Mas'ud, was absent in Yemen ...

. Soon afterwards Safwan was among the "certain men of eminence" to whom Muhammad gave gifts "in order to conciliate them and win over their hearts." Safwan received a hundred camels. After Safwan's conversion, his wife Fakhita returned to live with him.

Later life

It was said that Safwan "always remained a good Muslim," and he narrated traditions about Muhammad. One example occurred when he went to a party hosted by the family of Muhammad ibn Al-Fadl ibn Al-Abbas. When the food was served, he said, "Eat the meat with your front teeth, for I heard the Prophet say, 'Eat meat with your front teeth, for it is more appetizing, more wholesome and more enjoyable like that.'" However, he did not participate in any of the Islamic military campaigns. Nor did he emigrate to Medina but remained in Mecca until his death in 661.

References

External links

A2Youth - About Islam - Articles - Stories of The Sahabah
{{DEFAULTSORT:Safwan Ibn Umayya 661 deaths Year of birth unknown Quraysh Sahabah hadith narrators Opponents of Muhammad