INTRODUCTION

Praise be to Allah and peace be on His last Messenger, Muhammad. The early Muslim Ummah and the Muslim society were founded on principles of co- operation between both men and women who lived around the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, dedicating their lives to follow the divine message that had been bestowed on him, the noblest of nobles.

 

Many authors since the beginning the Islamic era have recorded and written about the important role established by the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, during the early period of Islamic history. Also, many great men like the Companions, caliphs, and scholars that lived both during and after the Prophet's life contributed to the establishment and spread of Islam through the efforts of Da'wah. However, the role that women contributed at the beginning of Islamic history has often been overlooked or neglected, and as a result recorded data has been disproportionately unavailable, even though Islamic history is full of stories and accounts of women and the significant role that they played in Islam. This book attempts t0 fill a gap by enlightening the reader a step further on the lives of these women as prodigies at the time of the Prophet. Their legacy is that of courage, integrity, and deep devotion to the message that the Blessed Prophet Muhammad brought to mankind. Their influence was to have a profound impact not only on their own generation but subsequent generations.

 

The noble women around the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not confine themselves to the corners of their homes nor occupy themselves with trivial matters. They were like shining stars in the galaxy of wonders of Islamic history. They possessed zeal and the

will to sacrifice their lives and all that they were used to, such as family ties and familiar territories, purely for the sake of obeying Allah's command. We can hardly find again such pioneering women throughout Islamic history with such exemplary attributes as these first female adherents who followed and associated with Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

 

Shouldn't Muslim women feel proud of Khadijah, who was the first person to embrace Islam? What about the glory of Sumayah, who was the first martyr in Islam?

 

What about Asma', young as she was, who frequently journeyed to the cave of Thawr while the Messenger of Allah sought refuge there during his migration? Shouldn't Muslim women proudly remember Umm Imarah, who stood steadfast in the Battle of Uhud when men fled in fear? What about the glory of 'A'ishah, who was among those who narrated the largest number of Prophetic Hadiths? And at the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, it was the advice of a woman which culminated in the peace among Muslims. What about- the pride for Muslim women in that?

 

The history of all the women in the world with their achievements and pride does not measure up to the history of Muslim women who gained much more.

 

Muslim history is full of glorious events. Isn't it time to learn from them and follow the examples of our great women who fought with the Prophet (peace be upon him) for the sake of this religion?

 

When going through the history of Muslim women, I have found attitudes and incidents that are rarely found in non-Muslim women.

 

One and set off to participate in establishing Islam in the same way their predecessors did.

 

The dreams of such modern women are becoming true with signs of victory emerging on the horizons of Islam.

 

I pray to our Great Lord to grant us victory, to guide Muslim women to the right path, and to reward me for this book and all other books that I have written.

 

Praise be to Allah

Ahmad A1-Jadaâ

                                                                   Doha

 

                     3 Sha'ban 1408 A.H. .

 

 

 

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was once sleeping in the house of Umm Haram Bint Malhan, when he woke up smiling. She said to him, "Why are you smiling, O Messenger of Allah?"

 

He replied, "I saw in my sleep a group of my followers who will undertake a naval expedition for the sake of Allah. They will be kings on thrones."

 

She said, "Pray that I may be among them." And he did . Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) slept again and when he woke up smiling she asked him, "Why are smiling, O Messenger of Allah?"

 

He replied, "I saw in my sleep a group of my followers fighting for the sake of Allah."

 

She cried, "Pray that I may be among them."

 

He said, "You are among the first of them."

 

The ambition of that female Companion went beyond the borders of Madinah at a time when Islam was still enclosed within the peninsula, and early Muslims never thought of fighting at sea. His (peace be upon him) prophecy became reality when she lived under the caliphate of Mu'awiyah, who ruled over the Levant. It was at that time that the Muslims made their first battle at sea. Her readiness to fight in that prelude rendered her a martyr on the island of Cyprus where she (May Allah be pleased with her) was buried.

 

Isn't such a story a matter of pride? Doesn't it invite Muslim women to remember the glory days in Cyprus where our women are being tortured today by the new Crusaders?

 

This religion has raised women to a dignified and proud position, but the enemies want them to be humiliated by keeping them busy thinking of trivial matters.

 

Isn't the time ripe to rise and give a hand to the Islamic awakening in this age?

 

This is a goal we aspire to attain. Therefore, I wrote this book about noble women around the Messenger (peace be upon him) and I present it to those Muslim women who exchanged their western attire for the Islamic