~c. 5 AH, shortly after al-Muraysi' · 5 AH
Juwayriyya bint al-Harith was the daughter of the chief of the Banu al-Mustaliq. She was taken captive in the fighting at al-Muraysi' and given to Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas RA, one of the Ansar. She did not want to remain a captive, so she agreed with Thabit to buy her own freedom.
She came to the Prophet ﷺ's door to ask for help with the money. She told him she was the daughter of her tribe's chief, and that she had arranged to free herself from Thabit. The Prophet ﷺ said, "What if I give you something better?" She asked what it was. He said, "I will free you myself and marry you." She agreed, and her freedom became her dowry.
Outcome: On hearing of the marriage, the Ansar began freeing their Banu al-Mustaliq captives one by one, saying they could not keep the Prophet ﷺ's in-laws as slaves, until every captive of the tribe had been freed.
The marriage shows one of the wisdoms behind the Prophet ﷺ's marriages. Because of it, a captive became a Mother of the Believers, and her whole tribe was set free. Her arrangement to buy her own freedom also reflects a right that Islam gave to slaves. When her father, al-Harith, later came to ransom his people, he was allowed to offer Juwayriyya the choice of going home with him. She chose to stay with the Prophet ﷺ.
Other events recorded in 5 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
I am the daughter of the chieftain of my tribe. And you have seen what has happened to me; I have arranged to free myself from Thabit, so help me in this matter.
What if I give you something better?
What?
I will free you myself and marry you.
It's her decision: she can go back with you if she wants.
I chose to remain with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
She was very sweet and very beautiful; no one saw her except he was captivated by her beauty. As soon as I saw Juwayriyya, I hated her, because I knew the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would see in her what I was seeing.
“If any of those [bondspeople/slaves] in your possession desire a deed of emancipation [i.e., want to purchase their own freedom], make it possible for them if you find goodness in them”
Cited regarding Juwayriyya RA's arrangement to purchase her own freedom from Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas RA.