Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 1980
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَدْرٍ، عَبَّادُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ حَدَّثَنَا حَبَّانُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُبَارَكُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أُمِّ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ لَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ الْمَدِينَةَ وَهُوَ عَرُوسٌ بِصَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ حُيَىٍّ جِئْنَ نِسَاءُ الأَنْصَارِ فَأَخْبَرْنَ عَنْهَا . قَالَتْ فَتَنَكَّرْتُ وَتَنَقَّبْتُ فَذَهَبْتُ فَنَظَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ إِلَى عَيْنِي فَعَرَفَنِي . قَالَتْ فَالْتَفَتَ فَأَسْرَعْتُ الْمَشْىَ فَأَدْرَكَنِي فَاحْتَضَنَنِي فَقَالَ " كَيْفَ رَأَيْتِ " . قَالَتْ قُلْتُ أَرْسِلْ يَهُودِيَّةٌ وَسْطَ يَهُودِيَّاتٍ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Aishah said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) arrived in Medina as a newlywed with Safiyyah bint Huyayy, women of the Ansar came and told us about her. I disguised myself and veiled my face, then went to look. The Messenger of Allah looked at my eyes and recognized me. He turned around, and I quickened my pace. He caught up with me, embraced me, and asked, ‘How did you find her?’ I replied, ‘A Jewish woman among Jewish women!’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Aishah’s final phrase is left as a literal exclamation; its intended implication is not explained in the report.
قَالَتْ قُلْتُ أَرْسِلْ يَهُودِيَّةٌ وَسْطَ يَهُودِيَّاتٍ .
The phrase arsilu yahudiyyatun wasaṭa yahudiyyāt (‘a Jewish woman among Jewish women’) is elliptical and its intended implication is not stated.
Is Aishah commenting on Safiyyah’s appearance, identity, or her place among the other women?