Voice of British Muslim Women

Zujaja Khan, London

The University of al-Qarawiyyin is the oldest continuously operating university in the world. What makes it all the more amazing is the fact that it was founded by a Muslim woman, Fatima al-Firhi, in 859 CE. To this day, the university stands as a symbol of inspiration and a testament to the value a Muslim woman can offer the world.

The success of Muslim women has only grown eleven centuries later: we have Muslim women in the United States Congress, holding positions in the Australian Senate, leading fields of medicine, breaking records in sports, and even winning baking competitions here in Britain.

Despite these contemporary successes, there is still much doubt cast over the legitimacy of Muslim women’s agency, and their status in Islam. At best, critics deign the above examples as exceptional cases; at worst, an affront to democracy. The only way to address these nonsensical notions is by taking a deeper look at our own history. The wives of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him) are an excellent starting point, and one such exemplary woman was Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her).

In his address to the National Waqifat-e-Nau Ijtema in 2018, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper) explained that it is not just Hazrat Ayesha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) status as a wife of the Holy Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him) that warrants respect- it is also garnered from her standing as a formidable intellectual and a model of women’s status in Islam.1

Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) was said to have had an extraordinary memory, and during his lifetime, the Holy Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said “half the religion of Islam could be learned from [her].” This is apparent when one considers that Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) learned the teachings and practices of Islam first-hand from the Holy Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him), and over two thousand ahadith can be attributed to her narrations alone!

With her excellent memory and eloquent speech, she shared these teachings and became one of the most important sources of Islamic wisdom. And her achievements do not stop there- she is said to have freed forty slaves in a single instance, distributed money when she herself did not have anything to eat, and was continually consulted by the Companions of the Holy Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him) on intellectual queries. The historian ‘Urwah bin Zubairra is recorded to have said:

“In knowledge of the Holy Qur’ān, in knowledge of the law of inheritance, in knowledge of lawful and unlawful things, in the science of jurisprudence, in poetry, in medicine, in knowledge of the narrations of Arabia, and in the science of genealogy, I have not seen a greater scholar than ‘Ā’ishah(may Allah be pleased with her).”2

Such a resounding endorsement cannot be ignored- it stands as a testament to Hazrat Ayesha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) reputation as a respected scholar in her own right, and as a model for all Muslim women.

For me there has never been a question of women’s status in Islam – my mother and elder sister are exemplary in their balancing of working life and duty to their children. When we were young, my mother would sit us down each night, cut up some apple slices, and read to us from all the religious books we had. And if our mother wasn’t home, my elder sister would take up this responsibility and practice reading the Qur’an with me – no matter how cranky I was! Throughout our childhood, they were each dedicated to cultivating our religious knowledge.

I am blessed that in my own family I have excellent examples of learned Ahmadi Muslim women who emulate fundamental tenets of duty, and a deep love of Allah. Because of them, I have never questioned my right to excel as a woman. And as Ahmadi women we must take a closer look at the women who laid these foundations of our status. In his Friday Sermon in 2007, His Holiness emphasised the responsibility of Ahmadis in addressing false narratives of Islam:

Therefore, within this context, the responsibility of bringing these people and people around the world closer to God lies with an Ahmadi. You must understand your responsibility and out of sheer mercy, adopt the ways practiced by the Holy Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and be concerned for the salvation of humanity.3

With these guiding principles, we can address ignorance with knowledge and restraint. As His Holiness said, we have a responsibility to arm ourselves with the prime examples of Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her), and bring people closer to the vision of true Islam.

1 https://www.alislam.org/articles/high-status-of-women-in-islam/
2 https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Seal-of-Prophets-Vol-2.pd
3 https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2007-02-23.html