Thoughts of a Hijaabi

I found this on SufiStication :

A few years ago, a sister had asked Shaykh Abdullah Adhami (may God preserve him) regarding the existence and contributions of female scholars in the in the Islamic tradition, particularly the Qur’anic sciences. In the winter of 2003, Shaykh Abdullah had compiled a list and sent it to a group of us and, with his permission, I am posting it on my blog. It was beneficial for me and I pray it is beneficial for you all as well.

Shaykh Abdullah notes: If you will, I am going to make the topic Qur’anic sciences and not just tafsir (exegesis). Now this, of course, does not mean that every master of Qur’anic sciences among these women had a commentary to her name. When that is the case, I’ll highlight that fact for you. Also, the majority of the work of Muslim scholars, women and men, is narrating on the authority of tradition, as opposed to ‘exegesis’.

Surviving Works
(1) The generation of the Sahabiyyat (Companions)

There are, of course, the Mothers of the Believers — and most notable among them is Aisha, (radhiya Allahu ‘anha).

There are also:
* Layla bint ‘Abd-Allah, who was affectionately known as al-Shifaa`, whom the prophet, (salla Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), appointed as a member of (what we might today call) ‘the State Council’, and sought her insight on state affairs. She was also asked to teach women the Qur’an.

* Asmaa` Bint Yazid al-Ansariyyah narrated qira’aat (readings) on the authority of the messenger of Allah, (salla Allahu’alayhi wa sallam).

(2) Among the Tabi’in (Generation after the Companions) there is

* Um al-Dardaa` Juhaymah bint Huyay al-Wassabiyyah (81 h). She is cited in Tabaqat al-qurra` of Imam Abu al-Khayr ibn al-Jazari (832 h). She had majalis (seat of teaching) at the northern wall in the grand mosque of Damascus. She was a premiere authority on Qur’an and hadith. Her work as a commentator survives as narratives in the canonical books of hadith, as well as in the major works of tafsir.

* ‘Amrah bint ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn As’ad ibn Zurarah (98 h). She was a jurist, a hadith authority, and a Reciter. And an eminent student of ‘Aisha (radhiya Allahu ‘anhuma). In the time she had left, she also mothered ten children, and raised each to become a scholar of the deen (religion). Amrah was a major consultant when hadith was compiled during the time of the caliph ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-’Aziz (101 h).

* Hafsah bint Sirin (110 h).
Hafsah became a master of the Qur’an and its qira’at at the age of 12. Her sister, Fatimah, did so before the age of 9. Along with three brothers, Muhammad, Yahya, and Anas, they were one of the most famous scholarly families in Madinah during their time. among them was Hafsah, an eminent authority on Qur’an. Her work survives as narratives in the canonical texts.

* Maymunah bint Abu Ja’far ibn al-Qa’qa’.
There’s casual mention of her in Tabaqat al-Qurra`. She is the daughter of the eighth among the ten famous Qurra` (Reciters) of the Qur’an.  She read on the authority of her father, who is the Shaykh of Nafi’, the first among the ten, who is the Shaykh of Imam Malik, (radhiya Allahu ‘anhum). There are numerous others as well. Please understand the importance of what I’ve already shared with you, but you can only put their ‘commentary’, (or, tafsir), in perspective when you understand the introductions that imams of exegesis offered at the beginning of their works, such as the introductions to al-Tashil of ibn Juzay, and al-Bahr al-Muhit of Abu Hayyan.”

The collection Tabaqat al-Mufassirin [Compendium of Exegisists) by Imam al-Suyuti (911 h), as well as the work of his student, al-Dawudi, alphabetically lists scholars of tafsir from the time of the sahabah (companions) until their time (i.e. the tenth century).

However, it is notable that few women are cited therein — though their ‘narratives’ on tafsir, as I just shared with you, are abundant in all the books of hadith, as well as the works of tafsir that came after them. Remember, for instance, that the first ‘major’ work that endeavored to compile everything on tafsir up to its date of writing is the work of Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (310 h.) see al-Tashil and the Tabaqat [Compendium]for works prior to Imam Tabari’s work, Jami’ al-Bayan.

Other Surviving Works

There are other famous female Muslim masters with surviving works, though not necessarily in tafsir or Qur’anic sciences. I am deeply honored to narrate the following very special hadith collections. These are narrative collections by women with their very own isnad (chain of transmission) back to our Beloved Messenger (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

* Karimah bint Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn hatim al-Marwaziyyah (463 h.) She is affectionately known as “mother of the generous.” Karimah is a world renowned authority on Sahih al-Bukhari. Her narration of it is documented to this day on the margins of the classic edition of the sahih that was commissioned by the Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid.

* Bibi bint ‘abd al-Samad ibn ‘ali al-Harthamiyyah (477 h).
Her juz` of hadith is world renowned for having the highest isnad (chain of transmission) among independent hadith narratives, outside the famous books — and in some instances, actually rivaling their high isnad despite its relative latter time.

* Shuhdah bint Ahmad ibn al-Faraj ibn ‘Umar of Baghdad (482-574 h)
Al-’Umdah min al-Fawa`id wa al-Athar al-Sihah wa al-Ghara`ib, which is more commonly known as, Mashyakhat Shuhdah is the first edition that came out in Egypt 1415 h/1994 c. (Khanji, Cairo). Also, her annotations on Kitab al-Amwal, one of the earliest treatises on finance and property management, by Imam Abu ‘Ubaid al-Qasim ibn Sallam al-Harawi (224 h) can be seen -this is just priceless- on the manuscript of that book. This is also published.

* Maryam bint ‘abd al-Rahman ibn ahmad of Nablus/Damascus (691-758 h).
A section of her own musnad (hadith compilation) was published in Egypt 1989. It contains 24 narratives. The rest of her musnad is still in the world of manuscripts.

* ‘Aishah bint Yusuf ibn Ahmad al-Aa’uniyyah al-Dimashqiyyah (922 h).
Her biography is in al-Kawakib al-Sa`irah of al-Ghazzi. Though, she is a master of the Qur’an, I have not come across any mention of her works in the Qur’anic sciences. I am honored to narrate the following of her works in their entirety:
1. Al-Fath al-Mubin fi Madh al-Amin (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). This is a poem celebrating the art of eloquence known as al-Badi’, of which she relates 150 kinds. This poem is published.

2. Al-Mawrid al-Ahna fi al-Mawlid al-Asna is a literary work on the birth of our beloved messenger (salla Allahu ‘alayhiwa sallam). This is also published (though rare).

3. Numerous poems in praise of our Beloved Messenger (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Their names are outlined in my thabat. She has also authored an abridgment of Manazil al-Sa`irin, called Al-Isharat al-Khafiyyah fi al-Manazil al-’Aliyyah.

* Iffat “shah jehan” bint Jehankir, the queen of bohpal (b. 1254 h).
The ‘ornamented crown of India’ assumed the throne at the age of 9. At 22, she assigned the duties of the throne to her mother, while she kept authority and heirship. Nine years later, in 1285, her mother died, and she had full responsibility again. She has a published historical record of the city of Bohpal. She also authored a book on manners for women, as well as a book called Khazinat al-Lughat. Her biography is at the end of the book Abjad al-’Ulum, the third volume, which was authored by her husband, Siddiq ibn Hasan al-Qinnawji al-Husaini (1307 h).

Non-Surviving Works
listed chronologically…

* Fatimah of Nisapur (223 h). Historical narratives indicate that she had majalis (seat of teaching) of Qur’an commentary, though none of the biographical works that document Qur’an scholars mention her.

* Zayn al-Nisa` bint ‘Alamkir (1048-1113 h). She is the daughter of king ‘Alamkir of India, who commissioned the famous al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah, that bear his name. She has a tafsir called Zayn al-Tafasir, though not much is known about it. She also authored poetry in Persian, and the biographers indicate that it was collected.

Qur’anic Authorities that are known to have held majalis (seats of teaching) — even if they did not necessarily compile a tafsir.

* Amat al-Wahid bint al-Qadi Husain ibn Isma’il al-Mahamili (377 h).
She was a renowned master of the Qur’an. She had a position to issue fatwa (legal verdicts) during her time.

* Um al-Khayr Fatimah bint ‘Ali ibn al-Muthaffar of Baghdad (533 h).
She was a prolific narrator and an authority on the Qur’an. She held majlis of Qur’an for women.

* ‘Arifat al-Khayr “al-Wajihah” bint Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili.
She was an authority on the seven readings, and she certified people to qualify in the qira’at (Qur’anic readings). She is the daughter of the famous imam Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili.

* Fatimah bint ‘Ayyash ibn abi al-Fath of Baghdad (714 h).
She was a woman of legendary scholarship and repute. She graduated many of the wives of the scholars of her time in the qira’at (Qur’anic readings), as well as other sciences. Her daughter Zaynab, is the one who taught from the minbar. Other narratives indicate that she, herself, also taught from the minbar, as well.

* Wajihiyyah bint ‘ali al-Sa’idiyyah of Alexandria (732 h).
Imam ibn al-Jazari narrates on her authority in his Ghayat al-Nihayah fi Tabaqat al-Qurra, that I cited above. She is a narrative authority on the qira`at, as well as hadith.

*Um al-Khayr bint Ahmad ibn ‘Isa ibn Muhammad al-Mullisawiyyah.
She was born 810 h. she is one of the shaykhat (teachers) of imam Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar al-Biqa’i (809-885 h).

Qura’nic Authorities of whom there are no records as to whether or not they held majalis (seats of teaching).

* Khadijah bint ‘Abd al-Salam “Sahnun” ibn Sa’id (270 h).
She is the daughter of the famous compiler of the Mudawwanah.

* Um Hani Maryam bint ‘ali ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Huriniyyah (871 h).

* ‘Azizah bint Ahmad ibn Auhammad of Tunisia (1080 h).

to name only a few…

Parting Thoughts

Even a cursory glance at bibliographic indexes of modern western women reveals that, for the most part, they seem to be concerned with intelligibly navigating the terrain of identity, not writing about major cosmological issues, much less exegesis.
What we, as Muslim women, do not know is based (primarily) on our lack of connection with our heritage — not that that which we do not know about is absent from it. By contrast — that which we are challenged by others to produce ‘precedent for’, indeed, ‘is’ indeed starkly absent from their own traditions. If a compendium were to just list women scholars of Islam — in all disciplines — it would have to profile nearly ten thousand women. How many women have been connected to exegesis (or any theological writing) in non-Muslim traditions?” See, for example: ‘Women’s Voice: Issues in Contemporary Feminist Theology,’ edited by Teresa Elwes (Marshall Pickering, London, 1992).

The answer to that question has to do with certain cultural realities that govern the lives of women and their worlds — that are just undeniably ‘universal’. The remarkable issue about Muslim women luminaries is that: they were involved in the scholarly pursuit in numbers that are unparalleled in other traditions (and, that’s just historical fact) — AND, they did that all while dealing with the realities of the limitations of their culture and time. For instance: Imam Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm, the famous Andalusian (384-456 h), stated in his renowned Tawq al-Hamamah that he knows so much about the private affairs of women because his first shaykhat (teachers) in Qur’an and hadith were women. The idea that women did most of their work “in private” — however monumental — in relative seclusion (and obscurity) is a point that should not be missed. It is another testament to the majesty with which women endeavor upon their affairs that should be celebrated.

Keeping that last point in mind, it is thus understandable that not a lot is known about the intricate details of the lives of these truly amazing women. (And, I would add that this would hold even more true to any ‘historic’ scholarly women in other traditions).

Furthermore, everything that I have been blessed to share with you in the past has been entirely ’synthesis’ — i.e. it can not just be found in one singular reference.

(End)

Speaking of female scholars, do not forget about the release of the new compendium of female scholars Al-Muhadithat: The Women Scholars in Islam, that was recently covered in the NY Times. If you purchase it now, you get a 30% discount.