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Barra binte Samawal


Barra binte Samaw'al (Hebrew: ברה בת שמואל‎‎ Barra bat Samwal, Arabic: برة بنت سموأل‎‎) was the mother of a Safiyya bint Huyayy, a wife and prominent figure in the life of Muhammad, and she was a member of an Arab Jewish tribe that interacted with Muhammad.

Barra was the daughter of the very distinguished warrior-poet from the tribe of Banu Harith, Samaw'al ibn Adiya who was known as "Samuel the Faithful," because his son was caught outside the castle and slaughtered when he refused to turn over the treasure entrusted to him. She had a brother, Rifa'a ibn Samaw'al. Note, however, that this Samaw'al died in 565; this would make Barra at least 45 years old when her daughter Safiyya was born. It is therefore possible that Barra's father was a different Samaw'al, although related to the first. One candidate is Samaw'al ibn Zayd, a prominent Qurayza who participated in the debates with Muhammad in 622-623. 'Azzal ibn Samaw'al may have been another brother; and Barra was probably related to the Qurayza chief, Ka'b ibn Asad.

Barra married Huyayy ibn Akhtab, who was the chief of the Banu al-Nadir — one of the largest Jewish tribes of its time. Barra then lived in Medina and became a member of the Qurayza tribe. Together, they had at least three children: a son; a daughter Safiyya; and another daughter, whose own son was their only documented grandchild. When the Nadir were expelled from Medina in 625, Barra settled with her family in Khaybar.


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