Women of early Islam

Women of early Islam: the cards as text

Stories. Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review.

  1. Card 1

    Islam's first believer was a woman. So was its first martyr.

  2. Card 2

    Equal in faith

    The Qur'an addresses believing men and women side by side, and promises that no deed is lost, male or female. One ayah lists ten qualities for men and women alike.

  3. Card 3

    Qur'an 3:195

    فَٱسۡتَجَابَ لَهُمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ أَنِّي لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَٰمِلࣲ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوۡ أُنثَىٰۖ بَعۡضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضࣲۖ فَٱلَّذِينَ هَاجَرُواْ وَأُخۡرِجُواْ مِن دِيَٰرِهِمۡ وَأُوذُواْ فِي سَبِيلِي وَقَٰتَلُواْ وَقُتِلُواْ لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنۡهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡ وَلَأُدۡخِلَنَّهُمۡ جَنَّٰتࣲ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ ثَوَابࣱا مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسۡنُ ٱلثَّوَابِ ۝١٩٥

    195 Their Lord responded to them: “I will never waste the deeds of any doer among you, male or female; you are the same in reward. Those who migrated and were driven out of their homes and suffered for My sake, and fought and were killed – I will surely expiate their sins and admit them into gardens under which rivers flow, a reward from Allah; with Allah is the best reward.”

  4. Card 4

    Lesson: In the Qur'an, no deed is lost, whether male or female.

  5. Card 5

    The first believer, the first martyr

    Khadijah was the first to believe. Sumayyah, an enslaved woman, was the first to be killed for her faith, by Abu Jahl in Makkah. Nusaybah bint Ka'b fought to shield the Prophet at Uhud.

  6. Card 6

    Lesson: The first Muslim killed for her faith, Sumayyah, was an enslaved woman.

  7. Card 7

    Scholars and founders

    'A'ishah taught the Companions. Thousands of women narrated hadith in later centuries. In 859, Fatimah al-Fihri founded the mosque of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, which grew into one of the oldest working universities.

  8. Card 8

    Lesson: A woman, Fatimah al-Fihri, founded one of the oldest universities.

  9. Card 9

    Reflect: Who is remembered as the first Muslim killed for her faith?

    Answer: Sumayyah. Sumayyah bint Khayyat, killed in the persecution in Makkah.

  10. Card 10

    The end of Women of early Islam.

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