The Lost Legacy of Muslim Women Who Changed History
How many Muslim women can you name whose vision and extraordinary contributions shaped not only the Muslim community but the world at large?
If you can list more than a handful, congratulations! you're familiar with a rich and often overlooked history. But if you struggle to name more than a few, which most of us do, then you've landed on the right blog post.
The tragedy of the modern woman is that she is forced to oscillate between two opposing extremes. One which confines her to the home and the other that defines her true worth by the amount of the pay check she brings home at the end of the month.
For centuries, the accomplishments of a myriad of Muslim women were not only overshadowed but deliberately under-reported — not because they lacked merit or influence but because cultural expectations, historical neglect, and limited documentation often pushed their stories to get lost in the vacuum.
Sheikh Akram Nadwi in his book "Muhaddithàt" has challenged this modern dichotomy of "home versus career" after studying the biographies of approximately 8,000 women hadith scholars (muḥaddithāt) for over many years, he discovered a remarkable pattern. None of these women viewed their traditional roles as beneath them to scholarship nor did they regard their domestic responsibilities as inferior because they lack little social prestige.
To the contrary they wore the crown of family responsibilities as an honour and privilege while also recognizing that seeking knowledge and serving the wider community were part of their obligations when they had the ability and opportunity to do so.
I was recently reading a book in urdu called, "Muslim Khawateen Activism ki Rahein" by Dr. Muhiuddin Ghazi who talked about the Muslim women who navigated difficult circumstances, made meaningful contributions and showed exceptional resilience in adversity thus demonstrating that the scholarship can grow alongside their domestic responsibilities rather than in opposition to their familial and social obligations.
Squeezed between these two competing narratives, many women find themselves at a crossroads, wandering who they really are and questioning their identity as a woman.
Enough of the collective amnesia- it's time for a little historical gate housekeeping. Let's rediscover the extraordinary muslim women who helped shape Islamic history and who deserve to be remembered more than just a passing mention.
We're taking a trip through history. Ready? Hop on—we're about to meet some of the most amazing Muslim women you've probably never been taught about.
Over the past 14 centuries, thousands of Muslim women have left an exceptional mark through scholarship, leadership, service, education, and sacrifice so it's impossible to enlist them all in a single article. Hence we will look into some of the most influential women whose contributions helped shape the course of Islamic history.
During the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh)
Rufaydah al Aslamiyyah
The first muslim nurse, also considered as the trailblazer in the healthcare sector. She acquired medical knowledge from her father who was a physician by profession. She is famous for treating the injured and the sick in a tent-like structure which served as a clinic, near the prophet's (pubh) mosque in Madina. She was extremely passionate about her work and was deeply involved in providing medical care, social support, training groups for assistance of patients and creating a comprehensive model of coordinated nursing service.
Beyond her pioneering contributions to the health sector, she is also celebrated as an educator, administrator, and organiser. Her legacy is defined by her compassion, commitment to public service, clinical expertise, heavy emphasis on training programs, and establishment of a system to healthcare delivery.
In recognition of her remarkable impact on the nursing profession, various contemporary awards, educational programmes, and medals have been named in her honour, demonstrating the lasting influence of her contributions more than fourteen centuries after her lifetime.
Al Shifa Bint Abdullah
One of the earliest notable literate women in the early Makkan period. A companion of the prophet pbuh, she is remembered for her teaching skills, public administration, healing and literacy. She even taught reading and writing to Hafsa bint Umar (r.a)
She was so qualified in her roles that the second caliph Umar Ibn Al-khattab sought her expertise in commerce and matters of the marketplace.
She was unique in the sense that she had a combination of skills, educator, advisor, healer and supervisor.
Her life is a perfect example of depicting how muslim women were trusted with the position of decision making in the public sector because of their expertise in literacy and practical affairs.
Queens and Leaders
Arwa al Sulayhid
Born in Yemen during the Sulayhid dynasty she was known for governance, statecraft, education and public service. She is the first muslim woman to rule Yemen for approximately 50 years thus earning the title of one of the longest reigning Muslim queens. Her reign is celebrated for political stability, educational patronage infrastructural development and administrative excellence. She was a huge supporter of scholars, governors, and administrators throughout Yemen.
She constructed the famous queen Arwa mosque in Jibal which is a home to her tomb. She adopted advanced economic developmental tools and connected Yemen to wider islamic states thus strengthing the trade networks.
She was raised by her uncle and aunty and they describe her as exceptionally intelligent. She had a knack for diplomacy which led to her administrative competence making her the queen who shaped mediaeval Yemen.
Turhan Sultan
Also known as Hatice Turhan Sultan, was one of the most popular and influential women in Ottoman Empire. During the Sultanate of Women, she played a path breaking role in the imperial politics.
At the age of six when her son, Sultan Mehmed IV ascended the throw she served as regent for her son, exercising significant political power during his minority. She served a decisive role in restoring political stability during the period of intense internal conflict.
Beyond her political influence, Turhan Sultan was a distinguished patron of public service .Through the institution of waqf (charitable establishments), she commissioned the construction of mosques, schools, markets, fountains, and other charitable institutions, leaving a lasting legacy in education, economic development, and social welfare across the Ottoman Empire.
Scholars of Fiqh and Hadith Masters
Fatima bint Muhammed Al- Samarqandi
She was one of the best known 12th century female jurist and women scholar of the mediaeval Islamic world. She was raised under the training of her father which later led to the associations with the renowned scholarly circles of Aleppo. Her expertise in fiqh had a huge influence on the legal opinion of the leading Hanafi scholarship.
Her father Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Samarqandi was a famous Hanafi jurist, and she had memorised his entire influential legal manual 'Tuhfat -al Fuqaha'
She is one of the Muslim women who is remembered alongside her father and husband, whose scholarship helped shape the Hanafi jurisprudence.
Amrah Bint Abdur Rehman
Amrah was born into the Ansar family in Madina, she was the granddaughter of As'ad ibn zurarah - one of the first converts to Islam from Madina.
She was raised under the tutelage of Aisha bint Abubakar(r.a), from whom she gained deep knowledge of ahadith and fiqh. She was considered as one of the distinguished students of Aisha(r.a) and earned the recognition of both as a muhadditha and a faqih.Her depth of knowledge was so exceptional that later scholars likened it to an "ocean of knowledge".
Her influence was not limited to just hadith transmission rather it extended to scholars and judges accepting her opinions while issuing verdicts, illustrating the position of authority she held in the scholars community of the Madina.
Spiritua leaders
Rabia al Adawiyya
Rabia al Adawiyya was born in modern day Iraq. She is one of the most influential figures in the history of Islamic of spirituality and asceticism. The core of her teaching is to worship Allah not out of hope, fear or punishment but to obey Him and love Him for His own sake.
She is remembered for 'Muhabba' placing pure love of Allah, at the heart of spiritual life.
Sufi writers portray her as an embodiment of unwavering devotion to Allah. Numerous stories, poems, prayers and miracle narrations are associated with her.
Educators and Builders of Educational Institutions
Fatimah Al Fahiri
Fatimah Al Fahiri was one of those women whose vision and philanthropy transformed the intellectual landscape of the Muslim Ummah. She is known as the greatest patron of education for women in the islamic history.
Her major contributions include the establishment of world's first university by a woman, Al - Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco. This was later expanded into including life sciences, humanities, commerce and other disciplines in its curriculum.
She founded various educational centres where generations of scholars studied islamic sciences and languages.
Her philanthropic endeavours created so many educational institutions that they continue to benefit the generations till today.
Nana Asma'u
Nana Asma'u was born in 1793. She is one of the most influential women in the African history. She wore several hats of a scholar, poet, educator and social reformer, playing a pivotal function in reforming and expanding islamic education among women in the Sokoto caliphate.
She was the first to establish an organised system of islamic studies for the West african women.
She founded 'Yan Taru' network, where in she trained and dispatched teachers to rural parts of the country to teach women the Qur'an, islamic sciences, morals etc
Besides an educator she has also penned down over 60 books on fiqh, moral values, theology, islamic history, poetry, fulfulde, Hausa etc
Scientists and Intellectuals
Lubna of Cordoba
Lubna of Cordoba was one of the most successful women of Al Andalus (islamic spain). She was born during Umayyad Caliphate and excelled in many languages. She was highly skilled in Mathematics, calligraphy and library administrative work thus playing a prolific role in the intellectual endeavour during the Umayyad Caliphate.
She served as the chief librarian of the royal library in Córdoba, one of the largest repositories of knowledge in the medieval world, housing hundreds of thousands of manuscripts. Renowned for her precision and scholarly expertise, she played a vital role in preserving and disseminating knowledge by accurately copying, editing, and cataloguing manuscripts, thereby contributing to the intellectual landscape of Islamic Spain.
She is remembered as a distinguished personality who helped preserved the intellectual heritage of islamic civilization.
20th- 21st Century
Maryam Jameela
She was an American born writer who became one of the most influential author after embracing Islam. She has authored more than 30 books of which her essays on comparative religion attracted lot of accolades.
Her books include:-
Islam and Modernism
Islam versus the West
Western Civilization Condemned by Itself
Islam in Theory and Practice
Her writings played a pivotal role in sparking debates and discussions on islam and the modern world specially among the English speaking audience.
She is remembered as one of the most prominent English speaking female muslim intellectual of the modern world.
The lives of these distinguished women demonstrate that commitment to family and contributing to society were not viewed as competing responsibilities but as complementary markers of faith.
By laying a strong foundation in their household while simultaneously advancing in scholarship, education, business and political acumen, medicine, and public welfare, they illustrated that personal, familial, and societal duties are not mutually exclusive rather they can be harmoniously assimilate in the pursuit of serving Allah and benefiting humanity.