Muslim Women Scholars of All Times

1. Most Influential Muslim
Women In History
Presented by
M.A.Lateef Atear

2. Muslim Women in History
Scholars and Muhaddithat
Worshippers and Mystics
Orators and Preachers
Warriors
Benefactors
Women of General Excellence
Poetesses and Women of Eloquence
Women of Political Acumen

3. Quranic Women
 Hawwa - First Women
 Maryam - Quranic ideal
 Bilqis - Queen of Shaba - consulted
advisors, ruled her kingdom,
passed judgments.
 Asiyaa, wife of Firawn, saved Musa
 Wives of Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut (PBUT)
 Response to women - Mujadilah

4. Women in the Age of the Prophet
(PBUH)
Critical Consciousness
Counsellors
Women and the Hijaab
Women at Work
Facility of Movement
Women and Dynamic Participation
Rich, Mature, Helpful, Honorable Lives
Knowledgeable

5. Khadijah Al-Kubra (RA)
The Archetype
Family and Character
Wealth and Status
The First of the Believers
Esteemed Counsellor

6. Aishah: The Greatest Woman of
Her Age
 ‘A’ishah’s breadth of erudition
 ‘A’ishah, the scholar of law
 ‘A’ishah, the giver of Fatwaas (Independent rulings)
 Transmitter of Hadith among the six transmitters of
1000 hadith (Aishah 2210)
 ‘A’ishah as educator and public speaker
‘A’ishah, the teacher of a nation
The seven Fuqahaa of Madinah (Maalik)
‘A’ishah unmatched in eloquence and oratory
 Whenever we Companions of the Prophet, encountered any difficulty
in the matter of any hadith we referred it to Aishah and found that she
had definite knowledge about it. (Abu Musa al-Ash'ar)

7. Famous Women Companions of the
Prophet (PBUH)
 Rabiah bint Muawwad
 Ramlah bint Abu Sufyan
 Fatimah bint Qays
 Umma Atiyyah
 Umma Ruman
 Ash Shifa bint Abdullah
 Samra bint Nuhayk Al Asadiyya
 Many more!

8. Muslim Women and Hadith
 Women an essential element from the
beginning to the end, in terms of Hadiths
 Bearing the light of ‘A’ishah
 Transmitters & scholars of Hadith
 Transmitters = Raawiyaat
 From the Prophetic period till the compilations
 Scholars = Muhaddithaat
 From the compilations till the modern age

9. Famous Women of Knowledge in
Islam
Law and general Islamic sciences
The Legacy of the Prophet’s Wives and companions
 Rabi'ah Bint Mu'awwad - great scholar of fiqh, taught intellectual
scholars of Madina
 Umm 'Atiyyah - Sahabah and learned scholars among the tabi'een used
to come to her to learn various aspects of Islamic jurisprudence, narrated
many ahadith.
 A'isha bint Sa'd bint ibn Abi Waqqas - daughter of a great Sahabi. She
was very learned in Islamic sciences to the point that Imam Malik, Hakim
ibn Utaybah and Ayyub, the famous jurists and scholars of hadith, were
her pupils.

10.  Sayyida Nafisa: Granddaughter of Ali - A large number of pupils came
to her from different places to learn from her. Imam Shafi'i was one of her
pupils.
 Fatima bint Qays - discussed a juristic point with 'Umar and 'A'isha.
Imam Nawawi said, "She was one of those who migrated in the early
days, and possessed great intellect and excellence.”
 Hafsa bint Sirin -The sister of the scholar Muhammad Ibn Sireen, she
had memorized the Quran at the age of 12, and at the age 14 she was
well versed in the exegesis (explanation) of the Quranic verses. She
became famous for her beautiful recitation of the Quran. Her recitation
was of such a high standard that when her brother had difficulty with
recitation he would ask her to correct him.
 Rabiyah Khatun - The sister of the Muslim General Salahuddin Al
Ayubbi, she was well educated and established a great institution for
religious learning near Damascus. She established a waqf (trust) in the
form of an endowment of a very large property which met the expenses
that were generated by the institution.

11. Warrior Women
 Took part in battles by carrying water, nursing the
wounded, some also fought!
 Safiyya bint Abdul Muttalib (RA), saw aunt kill a spy
with a tent pole
 Khaibar, Umayyah bint Qais & the women of Banu
Ghifaar
 The Yarmuk contingent
 Azdah bint Al Harith: Heroine of Battle of Maisaan -
banners made out of headscarves to reinforce the
army!
 THE BLACK KNIGHT: Khawlah bint Al-Azwar

12. Famous Women Benefactors in
Islam
Mosque endowments, built great school, stipulations and trusts
 Turkaan Khatuun (d 1094), wife of Malik Shah
 Radiyah Begum of the Dehli Sultanate
 Nur Jehan & Jehangir - the coinage, helping the people, Hindu reforms
 Fatimah Al-Fihri (d.880)
 Her family and inheritance, the Qarawiyiin mosque project
 Al Andalus mosque in Fez built by her sister
 Banafshaa’ Ar-Rumiyah (d. 1008)
 Restorer of a city, renovating Baghdad
 Her own school and endowment, her special Zakat al-Fitr

13. An Outstanding, Brave
Muslimah
Al-’Aqabah
The Battle of Uhud
The Prophet’s Praise – “I did not turn right
or left in the battle of Uhud but that I saw
her fighting near me.”
Her Wounds
Later Events: Ridwaan & Yamaamah
Nusaibah bint Ka’b al-Ansariyah

14. NU AHONG
(women imams) of China
Qing Zhen Nusi (Islamic woman's mosque)
The emergence of the qingzhen nusi (nusi =
women’s mosque) and the institution of the
nu ahong (female religious leader) to preside
over the nusi with ritual, educational, social,
and political functions is one of the important
developments of Chinese Islam. The nusi is
part of the “evocative ‘symbolic landscape’"
of Chinese Islam.

15. Zubaidah bint Ja'far
Al-Mansur d. 831
Wealthiest and most powerful woman in the world of her time
 Wife of Harun ar-Rashid
 Benefactor of political acumen and standing.
 Noble woman, great wealth, generous, munificent
 Great intellect and profound opinions
 Eloquent master of Arabic
 Builder of cities and civilization
 Planned and executed Makkah’s water supply scheme
 Secured the Pilgrimage route
 Patroness of writers, poets and physicians - even Christians -
the poor, the needy, religious scholars and men of piety

16. Al Udar Al-Karimah Shihaab
Ad Din Salaah d. 1360
 VICEGERENT QUEEN OF YAMAN
 Lordly lady of piety, goodness, sharp intelligence, decisive
resolve, calm forbearance & supreme political acumen
 Patroness of scholars and upright men of religious piety
 Champion of the poor and needy: She would go secretly from
house to house of the poor, seeking to learn their needs and
giving them generous gifts
 She built great schools and mosques in Zabid, Ta’izz and
throughout the land
 During the 14 Months of Her Son’s Absence (Jihad to protect
Egypt):
 established internal security in Yaman
 established administrative order
 established justice throughout the land
 did remarkable good by way of charity

17. The Critical Consciousness of the Women
Companions
What made them amazing?
Women are the full supporters of men
Full social and political participation
Work in and outside home
Social contributions
Social and societal maturity
Education: Obtained Ijazas, attended
study circles, taught others, set up
institutions

18. Conclusions
Finding the balance
Searching Out the Real Picture
Our Need of a Definitive View
Moral for Muslim women of today