From the earliest days of Islam, women were not only witnesses to history but builders of its intellectual tradition. They preserved hadith, taught scholars, established institutions, and left behind a legacy that is too often overlooked today. Rediscovering their stories is essential—not only to honor them, but to inspire future generations of Muslim women and men.

Women Close to the Prophet ﷺ

Aisha bint Abu Bakr

Known as al-Siddiqa bint al-Siddiq, she is one of the most important figures in Islamic scholarship. Aisha transmitted over 2,200 hadith, and her narrations cover law, theology, medicine, and the Prophet’s daily life. Major jurists consulted her rulings; Imam al-Zuhri said: “If the knowledge of Aisha were gathered against the knowledge of all other wives of the Prophet and all other women, Aisha’s knowledge would outweigh them all.”

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

The first Muslim, the Prophet’s confidant, and one of the greatest supporters of Islam. Her wisdom and counsel gave the Prophet ﷺ strength in the earliest days of revelation. While not a “scholar” in the technical sense, her insight and leadership set the foundation for the growth of the Muslim community.

Women in the Classical Era

Fatima al-Fihri (d. 880 CE)

Known as Umm al-Banīn, she founded al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez, Morocco—today recognized as the world’s oldest continually operating university. She used her inheritance to build a center for learning that produced countless scholars in Islamic sciences, mathematics, and astronomy.

Umm al-Darda al-Sughra (7th century)

A jurist and hadith teacher in Damascus. She taught in the Great Umayyad Mosque, where even the caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan attended her lessons. She was known for her piety, intellect, and mastery of fiqh.

Karima al-Marwaziyya (d. 1069 CE)

A leading hadith scholar, she became one of the most reliable transmitters of Sahih al-Bukhari. Students traveled from across the Muslim world to study under her. Her chain of narration was considered among the strongest, and many later scholars—including prominent male muhaddithun—took ijazat (teaching licenses) from her.

Zaynab bint al-Kamal (d. 1339 CE)

She was a prolific muhadditha in Damascus, known for her precision and for teaching Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and other major works. Over her lifetime, she issued countless ijazat, shaping the scholarly credentials of many well-known scholars.

Aisha bint Abdul Hadi (d. 1389 CE)

Recognized as one of the last great muhaddithat of Damascus. She held one of the shortest and most authoritative chains of transmission for Sahih al-Bukhari. Male scholars sought her out to shorten their isnads (chains), a mark of her prestige.

Beyond Hadith: Women in Law, Tafsir, and Spirituality

• Fatima bint Abbas al-Baghdadiyya (14th century): a jurist of the Hanbali school who issued fatwas and taught in Baghdad.

• Nusaybah bint Ka‘b (Umm ‘Umara): though best known as a warrior who defended the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud, she was also a teacher in Madinah.

• Rabi‘a al-Adawiyya (8th century): a pioneer of Islamic spirituality, whose teachings on divine love influenced Sufi traditions for centuries.

What These Scholars Teach Us

1. Women were central, not peripheral: They shaped the very fabric of Islamic learning.

2. Knowledge was gender-inclusive: Women issued fatwas, granted ijazat, and taught in mosques, universities, and homes.

3. Their legacy is continuity: Today’s Muslim women seeking knowledge are not breaking barriers, they are reviving a deeply rooted tradition.

The female scholars of Islam were pillars of knowledge, guardians of faith, and teachers of generations. To forget them is to forget part of our own heritage. To honor them is to continue their legacy, ensuring that the voices of women remain as strong in our classrooms and lives today as they were in the mosques and universities of the past.