The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 443
IX - Repeated Treachery of the Jews, Compilation and Sequence of the Holy Qur ’ā n, Marriage of Ḥaḍrat Zainab ra , the Great Calumny and Mischief of the Hypocrites 443 of the crime committed, so that the prime objective of the punishment itself, which is reformation, may be brought about. Therefore, since the crime of adultery specifically relates to the dominance of physical passion and a lack of control, it was necessary to prescribe a physical punishment in this respect. In this manner, by administering pain to the physical faculties, a criminal may be directed towards reformation. Similarly, those who level false allegations receive physical punishment, because a person who raises a false accusation of adultery against another person and wishes to disgrace and inflict physical punishment upon someone else, should receive the same punishment he wished to inflict upon an innocent person, and thus be brought to his senses. In this manner, such punishments serve as a lesson for others, and both country and nation are safeguarded from foul influences. 1 ُ وَاللّٰه ُ اَعْلَم Marriage of Juwairiyah bint Hārith ra Among the prisoners taken captive belonging to the Banū Muṣṭaliq, was Barrah, the daughter of Hārith bin Abī Darrār, the chief of this tribe. She was married to Musāfi‘ bin Ṣafwān, who died in the Ghazwah of Muraisī‘. 2 According to custom, these prisoners were divided amongst the Muslim warriors, and as per this division, Barrah bint Hārith was given in to the guardianship of Thābit bin Qais ra. 3 In order to secure her freedom, she settled an agreement of Mukātabat with Thābit bin Qais ra that if she paid such and such amount as a ransom, she would be set free. After this agreement, Barrah presented herself before the Holy Prophet sa and related the entire account. She told the Holy Prophet sa that she was the daughter of the chief of Banū Muṣṭaliq, and requested assistance from the Holy Prophet sa in order to pay the value of the ransom. The Holy Prophet sa was deeply touched by her story. Perhaps with the thought that as she was the daughter of a chieftain of a renowned tribe, and through a relationship with her, preaching would become easier in this tribe, the Holy Prophet sa intended to free her and marry her. As such, the Holy 1 And Allāh knows best [Publishers] 2 * Al-Iṣābah Fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 8, pp. 72-73, Juwairiyyatu Bintul-Ḥārith, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 4, p. 424, Juwairiyyatu Ummul-Mu’minīna, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 3 * Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 8, p. 303, Dhikru Azwāji Rasūlillāhi sa / Juwairiyyatu Bintul-Ḥārith, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-‘Itq, Bābu Fī Bai‘il-Mukātibi Idhā Fusikhatil-Kitābah, Ḥadīth No. 3931