Safwan ibn Umayya

Companion of Muhammad

Ṣafwān ibn Umayya (صفوان بن أمية; died 661) was a sahabi (companion) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

He was from the Banu Jumah clan of the Quraysh in Mecca. His father was Umayya ibn Khalaf, one of the elders of the Quraysh; his mother was Karima bint Ma'mar ibn Habib. He had a paternal brother named Ali and a maternal brother named Jabala ibn al Hanbal. Umayna bint Abi Sufyan, from the Umayya clan of the Quraysh. She was the mother of his son Abdulrahman. On request, he once loaned Muhammad 50,000 dirhams. In November or December, Safwan took a merchant caravan of silver vessels worth 100,000 dirhams towards Iraq. Zayd ibn Harithah led a raid on this caravan, and they seized all the silver, although the Quraysh men escaped. 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. 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.

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.