There has always been much controversy and discussion within many circles about the Status of Women in Islam. Recently, I had the pleasure of spending some time with Shaykh Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi (Research Fellow at Oxford Centre of Islamic Studies) and listening to his talks. He has written a unique forty-volume work in Arabic on the 8000 women scholars in Islam from the time of the Prophet (saw). The introduction of that work called 'Al Muhadithat' has now been translated and published in English. The full Arabic version is yet to be published.
So overwhelmed and inspired was I by his lectures that I've taken some of the excerpt from his talks on 21/8/9 at the Madrassa Islamiyah and Jamiatul Ilm Wal Huda, Blackburn to create a summary article as follows:
"O Mankind fear your Lord who has created you both from a single soul, and from it He created his mate, and from them both He created many men and women, and have Taqwa (fear) of Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and revere the wombs. Surely, Allah is always watching over you." (Surah An Nisa (4) Verse 1)

From the very beginning Allah (swa) has made it quite clear that men and women are both separate entities of being created from one single soul, sharing the same father, mother and same Lord. This revelation came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) in the backdrop of years of humility and torture for women, about whom Allah (swa) says, "For what sin was she killed." This is in relation to the practice of the Arabs, and even modern day 'civilizations', that would kill their female children for fear of being humiliated by their communities. Islam came in an age to eradicate those ignorant beliefs amongst others, and twenty three years of prophetic teachings have given a status to women that was previously unthinkable.

The first revelation of: "Read, in the name of your Lord who created you..." left the Prophet (saw) in much doubt and suspicion, as he could not comprehend such an event happening to an unlettered orphaned Arab of the desert. He was then consoled by his wife Khadijah (ra), who believed in him, and comforted him in a time of need. She was the backbone of his initial campaign, and a noble businesswoman of high lineage.

After 3 years of secrecy he (saw) is ordered by Allah (swa) to warn his own family first. He (saw) gathers his family and calls upon Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib to believe in his message. Towards the end of the narration He (saw) specifically says to Abbas Ibn Abdul Muttalib, "I can not benefit you on the day of Judgment" and the same to Safiyyah bint Abdul Muttaalib and to Fatima bint Muhammad (ra), "ask me of my wealth in this world but on the Day of Judgment I cannot avail you." He (saw) specifically names two women and one man, i.e. they are independent in being a believer (or) unbeliever. This is exemplified in the kufr of the wife of Noah and Lut. Even the wife of a prophet is free to believe or not believe, and the Qu`ran gives them their freedom.

On the contrary, Umm Habiba becomes a believer who is the daughter of Abu Sufyan, (who) while at the time (was) being a staunch opponent of the Prophet (saw).

At the Pledge of Aqabah, the Prophet (saw) made a pledge with both men and women. He did not leave the women at home to be taught at home, but he specifically called them to be in his presence. The same would occur at the Pledge of Ridwaan. The verse of pledge in Sura Mumtahina, which is recited by Shuyukh all over the world, is in the context of women, yet men recite this also.

The Qur`an, the most sacred and important source in Islam, was learnt by memory by most of the companions. After the Battle of Yamama, where many recitors of the Qur`an were killed, Omar (ra) advised Abu Bakr to make one copy of the whole Qur`an in the Quraishi dialect which he had kept safe. After his death it was passed onto Umar (RA) and after him to Hafsah bint Umar (ra). During the caliphate of Uthmaan (ra), different incorrect recitations were emerging from the non-Arab new Muslims in places like Armenia and Azerbaijan. Uthmaan (ra) then borrowed the copy of Hafsah (ra) to make six more copies to send to the major cities of Islam and ordered all the other scripts to be burned. It is clear to everyone that no one questioned her trust. No one raised the question that she may have made addition (or) errors whilst the written Qur`an was in her care.

In the time of the Sahabah, the question never arose about learning directly from women. If we were to take any chapter from the books of hadith, you will find women narrating as well as men. Imam Hakim Naisapuri says 1/4th of our religion depends on the narrations of women; otherwise we would lose 1/4th of our religion. For example, Abu Hanifah considers there to be four raka'at before Zuhr whereas the remaining Imams say that there are only two. The latter depend on the narration of Abdullah ibn Umar (ra), but Abu Hanifah relies on Umm Habiba and the other wives of the Prophet (saw) who narrate that he prayed four raka'at before Zuhr. Abu Hanifah argues that since He (saw) used to pray the Sunnah prayers in his house, therefore the narration of the women is stronger. Major events, such as how revelation was revealed, were specifically narrated by a woman. No man has narrated this event. The first hadith of Bukhari after the hadith of intention is that of Ayesha (ra) detailing how revelation was revealed.

Wudhu is fundamental for salaat and without which it is not valid. A companion called Rubiyyi` bint Mu'awwidh ibn `Afraa (ra), whose family members died in the Battle of Uhud, was a great narrator of hadeeth, and she can be found in Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah (et al). She narrated how the Prophet (saw) did wudhu after seeing him do wudhu.

The companions would go to learn from this woman despite Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthmaan, Ali, Mu'adh ibn Jabal and Abdullah Ibn Masood (ra) being present in Madinah. She was regarded as the expert in the field of wudhu, and among her students were the likes of Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra), the great Mufasir of the Qur`an, and himself being from the family of the Prophet. He never asked, "Why should I learn from her, when I am from the family of the Prophet and a great Mufassir." But even he went to her. The same is true for Ali Zayn ul Abideen, grandson of Ali and Fatima (ra), and great grandson of the Prophet (saw). Their philosophy was to go to whoever the holder of knowledge was, irrespective of the gender.

Interestingly there is no single hadith that has been rejected from a woman on the account of her being a woman. Imam Dhahabi says, "There are so many men who have fabricated hadith, but no woman in the history of Islam has been accused of fabricating hadeeth". The question could then be that, can we trust men. Women have always secured this sacred knowledge free from error.

Amrah bint Abdur Rahman (ra) was amongst the greatest of the Tabi'iyaat, she was a Jurist, a Mufti, and a Hadeeth specialist. For their abilities, Islam makes no distinction between men and women. The great Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz used to say, "If you want to learn hadith go to Amrah". Imam Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr said to Imam Zuhri, "Go to Amrah, she is the container of hadith". In that time, the Judge of Madinah had a case of a Christian thief from Syria who had stolen something. He had ordered for his hand to be cut off. When Amrah bint Abdur Rahman heard of this decision, she immediately told one of her students to go tell the Judge of Madinah that he cannot cut off his hand because he has stolen less than 1/4 of a dinaar. As soon as he heard that Amrah had said this, he ordered for him to be released. He didn't question her authority; he didn't even go to ask the other scholars of Madinah who were many, including Sa'id Al Musayib to clarify the judgment. This is recorded in the Muwatta of Imam Malik.

One of great Tabi'iyaat, Umm Darda (ra) from Syria, taught in both Damascus (in the great Umayyad Mosque) and Jerusalem. The class was attended my Imams, Fuqaha and Muhaditheen. The powerful Caliph Abdul Malik ibn Marwan (ra) who ruled from Spain to India, had permission (Ijaza) from Abdullah ibn Umar (ra), who was considered the Mufti of his time in Madinah. When Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) had reached old age, the people asked him "...it is very near that you are going to die, so who should we ask after you," he said, "Marwan has a jurist son so ask him." Hence he (ibn Marwan) was approved by him. Yet even Abdul Malik Ibn Marwah would attend the classes of Umm Darda (ra) and he would never feel ashamed of learning from her. Furthermore he would serve her. It has been recorded that when Umm Darda was teaching she would lean on the shoulder of Abdul Malik Ibn Marwah (due to her being of old age) to go to the Masjid for salaat and he would help her back to her place of teaching after the prayer. Such was the respect given to women in Islam that they were teaching in the best of places, with students who were recognized as being great themselves.

The Prophet's mosque is undoubtedly one of the most sacred places in Islam and his blessed grave is even more sacred. Around the beginning of the 8th century, Fatimah bint Ibrahim ibn Jawhar was a famous teacher of Sahih al-Bukhari, under whom Imam Dhahabi and Imam Subki studied the whole book. When she came for Hajj, her fame was such that as soon as the students of hadeeth heard that she had reached Madinah, they requested her to teach in the mosque of the Prophet (saw). Ibn Rushayd as Sabti (ra), who traveled from Marrakech, described the scene as she was teaching hadeeth, "she was sitting in front of the blessed head of Prophet (saw), (and due to her old age) and she would lean on his grave." Such was the respect, that they gave her that position. He continued to say that she would finish by writing the Ijaazahs herself for ahadeeth that were read, and sign (the Ijaazahs) for every student present.

It is clear by this that women can teach in the best of mosques, and yet they now question whether they can come to the mosque for prayer. To deny this today would be the sign of our ignorance of our own Islamic heritage, and digression from the method of our pious predecessors.

Ayesha bint Abdul Hadi (ra) used to teach in the grand mosque of Damascus. She was appointed by the King of that time as the Shaykha of Hadeeth, during which time she taught Imam Bukhari. She represented the whole community and they did not consider any man to be better than her. Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani traveled to her to study and studied more than 100 books while with her. Ask the shuyukh today if they have even heard the names of those books that were taught by her? Let alone read her books. Furthermore her chain of narration in hadeeth is regarded as the strongest chain back to the Prophet (saw). Between her and Imam Bukhari are eight people, and between Bukhari and the Prophet (saw) are three (sometimes four or five as well). It is impossible for the Prophet (saw) to be reached in any shorter or even equal chain of narrations except through her chain. Given that the written Qur`an has been secured by Hafsah bin Omar (ra) and the sacred hadith by Ayesha bint Abdul Hadi (ra) it is clear that the two most fundamental sources have been secured through the barakah of women.

Fatimah al Juzdani (ra) from 'Isfahan' read Al Mu'jum Al Kabeer under her teacher Abu Bakr ibn Rida, who himself studied the whole book under the author Imam Tabarani. The book is published in 37 volumes (unfinished). She studied the whole book and taught the whole book many times. No one scholar today in the Muslim world has studied this book or even part of it with any Shaykh. And, we don't have any narration of this book except from women. Apparently men have forgotten it.

In the time of Ibn Tymiyyah, there were other scholars like Imam Dhahabi, Mizzi, Birzali, Tajuddin as Subki, and then later Ibn Kathir, Ibn al Qayyim, Ibn Nasiruddin ad Dimishqui, and Hafiz ibn Hajar al Asqalani. This was the golden age of hadith, and, when the development of hadith literature and teaching was at its peak. Not only were women scholars, but they were also reformers of society. At this time, there was a woman in Syria who was a scholar and a reformer also. She reformed the communities in Damascus and Cairo by enjoining towards good and forbidding evil. Ibn Kathir, the student of ibn Taymiyyah wrote in 'Al Bidaya wa Al-Nihaaya'; that she did the reform of the society, enjoining upon good and forbidding evil, "she has done what men are unable to do." i.e. she did more than the men scholars of her time. This was written by a man, not compiled or narrated by women that someone may question its authenticity. This was our golden history full of pro-active women.

Hisham ibn Urwah ibn Zubair (ra) was the teacher of Imam Malik, Abu Hanifa, Sufyaan at Thawri, Yahya ibn Sa'eed Qattaan and was a great Muhadith of that time. The more reliable ahadeeth that he narrated, found in Bukhari and Muslim, are from his wife Fatima bint Mundhir. And he is famous for this. Many Muslim men nowadays would not marry a woman more knowledgeable than themselves. But the Muslim men of our past would marry them, and learn from them. One of the best compilations in the Hanafi Fiqh is the masterpiece 'Badai'us Sanaai' by Imam Kasani, whose wife is Fatima as-Samarqandiyya, daughter of Ala-uddin as Samarqandi. 'Badai'us Sanaai` is the commentary of 'Tuhfatul Fuqahah' written by the latter. Fatima was such a great expert in hadeeth and fiqh that Kasanis students narrated that, "we saw that our teacher at times would leave our classroom when he couldn't answer a certain difficult question. He would then return after a short while to explain to us the answer in great detail. Only later on did we learn that he would leave the classroom to go home and ask the same question to his wife for an explanation of the answer." Clearly he relied on his wife.

Not only were the women scholars allowed to give Fatwas, but also if they differed with the other companions there would be absolutely no objections about their Ijtihaad. This was apparent in the opinion of Fatimah bint Qais who said that, 'the husband need not give provision and accommodation for his divorced wife in the period of her Iddah.' This is what she narrated from the Prophet (saw). Despite Umar and other major companion disagreeing with her and quoting the Ayah of the Qur`an, they did not make 'takfir', put sanctions on her, prevent her from narrating that hadeeth. This is the reason why we know of her opinion today, despite it being narrated from a woman, and apparently in favor of men. Had this happened today, many e-mail, rallies would have started off, in the name of calling her a disbeliever, as she went against the verse of the Qur`an. (for a detailed discussion, see the book).

The same tolerance was seen concerning the opinion of Ayesha (ra) who said that a man, whatever the age, can drink the breast milk of a women and become her Mahram, i.e. her son. She believed in this and practically showed this by giving Asma some milk for a certain man to drink. All of the other Ulama (scholars) are against her opinion, despite her having the status of being Umm Al Mumineen, and they restricted the age of a male to 1 1/2, 2, or maximum 3 years old. The fact is that the Ulama differed from her, but agreed to disagree.

The (facts) above are just some of the evidence to prove that we cannot imagine the contribution that women have made in the fields of hadeeth, fiqh, and Tafseer. The book ('Al Muhadithat') contains many more arguments and can be found on [www.interfacepublications.com]. I hope that the above article gives us the ability to give women the status and dignity that was given to them by our pious predecessors, taught to them by Imam Al Ambiyaa, Sayiduna Mohammad Al Mustafa (saw).

Wa Salaamu Alaikum
Dr Imran Satia


Allahu Akbar! women please educate yourselves and understand the beauty and magnificence of your status in Islam for the sake of Allah