صَفِيَّة
Girl Arabic origin Ṣafiyya
Mother of the BelieversFamily of the Prophet ﷺ“Pure, chosen, elect”
Safiyya bint Huyayy, of the Jewish tribe of Banu al-Nadir, became a Mother of the Believers in the year 7 of the Hijra. When she was taunted about her origins, the Prophet ﷺ told her: “You are the daughter of a prophet, your uncle is a prophet, and you are the wife of a prophet” (al-Tirmidhi 3894). Safiyya bint ʿAbd al-Muttalib, his aunt, was the mother of al-Zubayr.
Safiyya comes from the root s-f-w of purity and choice: safa (“to be pure, clear”), istafa (“to choose, to elect”). The safiyya is what is pure and chosen, the best share; the word also meant the share a leader set aside before distribution. The name thus means “pure, chosen” and recalls two women close to the Prophet ﷺ.
The name Safiya does not appear as such in the Quran, but its root (ص ف و) occurs 17 times. Examples:
أَفَأَصْفَىٰكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱتَّخَذَ مِنَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنَٰثًا إِنَّكُمْ لَتَقُولُونَ قَوْلًا عَظِيمًا ٤٠
Then, has your Lord chosen you for [having] sons and taken [i.e., adopted] from among the angels daughters? Indeed, you say a grave saying.
وَمَن يَرْغَبُ عَن مِّلَّةِ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ إِلَّا مَن سَفِهَ نَفْسَهُۥ وَلَقَدِ ٱصْطَفَيْنَٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ١٣٠
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous.
وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَٰبَنِىَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ١٣٢
And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allāh has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims."
All the words of the root ص ف و in the Quran (17 occurrences)
" إِنَّكِ لاَبْنَةُ نَبِيٍّ وَإِنَّ عَمَّكِ لَنَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّكِ لَتَحْتَ نَبِيٍّ فَفِيمَ تَفْخَرُ عَلَيْكِ " . ثُمَّ قَالَ " اتَّقِي اللَّهَ يَا حَفْصَةُ "
No text or scholarly opinion concerns the name Safiya in particular: the general rules of Islam apply.
Read the rules for choosing a name
This page is an aid to reflection, not a fatwa. For a personal case, ask a person of knowledge.
