‘Abbasa
‘Abbasa ('Abbasa bint al-Mahdi) (b. c. 765 CC, Abbasid Empire - d. after 803 CC, Abbasid Empire) was the daughter of the ‘Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi and the sister of the caliphs Harun al-Rashid and al-Hadi.  Her name is connected with the fall of the Barmakids in 803 C.C., because of her alleged love affair.

The Barmakids were a Persian family that had become very powerful during the caliphate of al-Mahdi.  Yahya, the vizier of Harun al-Rashid, had aided Harun al-Rashid in obtaining the caliphate.  Yahya and his sons were in high favor until 803 when the caliph threw them in prison and confiscated their land.  Many reasons are given for this punitive action. Yahya's entering Harun's presence without Harun's permission; Yahya's opposition to Muhammad ibn al-Layth who later gained Harun's favor; and the Barmakid's ostentatious display of their wealth are said to be the cause of Harun's action.  However, the reason which has intrigued writers and storytellers for ages is the alleged romantic relationship between Jafar, the son of Yahya, and Harun's sister, 'Abbasa.

As the story goes, Jafar, was the constant companion of Harun.  Harun was also very fond of his sister, 'Abbasa, and loved to have both her and Jafar around at times of recreation.  However, Muslim etiquette forbade their common presence.  To circumvent the rules of etiquette, Harun had a marriage ceremony performed between 'Abbasa and Jafar, but only with the understanding that the ceremony was purely nominal and that 'Abbasa and Jafar were not to become intimately involved.  Unfortunately, the heart of 'Abbasa ignored the ban.  She fell in love with Jafar and became infatuated with him.  One night she entered Jafar's bedroom in the darkness, masquerading as one of his slave girls.  She seduced Jafar and had sex with him.

From this union, a child was conceived.  'Abbasa secretly gave birth to the child and the child was sent by 'Abbasa to Mecca.  However, a maid, after quarreling with her mistress, disclosed the scandal.  Harun, while on a pilgrimage in Mecca, heard the story and became enraged.  Upon his return to Baghdad, Harun had Jafar executed, his body cut in two, and impaled on either side of the bridge.  Harun also had Jafar's father (Yahya) and brother (al-Fadl) cast into prison.  Jafar's body stayed impaled for three years until when Harun happened to pass through Baghdad from the East, saw the body, and gave the command for the remains to be taken down and burned.

This story is discounted by modern scholars, but it has become part of the legend of the court of Harun al-Rashid.

Another version of the story notes that 'Abbasa bint al-Mahdi was the daughter of the third Abbasid caliph, al-Mahdi, and a concubine by the name of Rahim. 'Abbasa was also the half -sister of al-Hadi, Harun al-Rashid, Ulayya, and Ibrahim ibn al- Mahdi.

Harun al-Rashid became caliph after al-Mahdi. He was known for being unhappy iwth the fact that he was a relative of 'Abbasa's as he was attracted to her. To keep 'Abbasa in his life, Harun al-Rashid had 'Abbasa marry Ja'far ibn Yahya. The marriage was supposed to be one of convenience, but 'Abbasa fell in love with her arranged husband, Ja'far. At night, a slave woman would be sent to Ja'far's bedroom. One night 'Abbasa took the slave woman's place. Her husband was surprised but welcoming. They consummated their marriage,

'Abbasa became pregnant and gave birth to twin boys in secret. The twins would be raised in Mecca. However, eventually, Harun found out about the relationship. Angered by the betrayal, he had Ja'far killed. 'Abbasa was either killed or sent into exile.

‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘A’ishah
'A'ishah ‘Abd al-Rahman (b. November 18, 1913, Damietta, Domyat, Khedivate of Egypt - d. December 1, 1998, Cairo, Egypt) was an Egyptian writer and professor of Arabic language and literature and Qur’anic studies. Under the pseudonym Bint al-Shati’ ("Daughter of the Riverbank"), ‘Abd al-Rahman was the author of more than sixty books on Arabic literature, Qur’anic interpretation, the lives of women of the early Muslim community (especially members of the Prophet’s family), contemporary social issues, and fiction.

Raised in the Delta port city of Dumyat (Damietta), she was taught the Qur’an and classical Arabic literature by her father, an al-Azhar educated teacher at a mosque-based religious institute. Although he educated her in the traditional style at home, mosque, and Qur’anic school (kuttab), he objected to her attendance at public schools. With the assistance of her mother and maternal great-grandfather, she managed to get a secular education (at El Mansurah) despite her father’s objections.

'A'ishah studied Arabic at Cairo University earning her undergraduate degree in 1939, and a master's degree in 1941, In 1942, she began work as an inspector for teaching of Arabic literature for the Egyptian Ministry of Education. She earned her PhD with distinction in 1950 and was appointed Professor of Arabic Literature at the University College for Women of the Ayn Shams University.

‘Abd al-Rahman began her literary career by writing poems and essays for Al-nahdah, a women’s magazine, and became a literary critic for the semi-official newspaper Al-ahram in 1936, the same year she entered the Faculty of Letters at Fu’ad I University. At this time, she assumed the pen-name Bint al-Shati’ (“Daughter of the Shore”) in order to conceal her identity from her father.  Her first articles Al-ahram focused on conditions in the Egyptian countryside, but she is best known for her later works on religious and literary topics.  She received her doctorate in 1950 for a thesis on the poet Abu al-‘Ala’ al-Ma‘arri (d. 1058).

In 1951, ‘Abd al-Rahman became professor of Arabic language and literature at ‘Ayn Shams University in Cairo.  Throughout the 1960s, she participated in international literary conferences, served on several government sponsored committees on literature and education, and was a visiting professor at the Islamic University in Ummdurman (Sudan), the University of Khartoum, and the University of Algiers.  After retiring from her position at ‘Ayn Shams University, she became professor of higher Qur’anic studies at al-Qarawiyin University in Fez, Morocco.  Her regular articles for Al-ahram, her biographies of the women of the Prophet’s household, and especially her exegesis of the Qur’an have brought her recognition and distinction in Egypt and throughout the Arab world.

‘Abd al-Rahman’s pursuit of public education offered her little challenge after her early education at the hands of her father, until she met Professor Amin al-Khuli when she was a student at Fu’ad I University (later Cairo University).  He introduced her to the literary analysis of the Qur’an that became her trademark.  In ‘Ala al-jisr, ‘Abd al-Rahman decribes her entire life as a path to this encounter with Amin al-Khuli, whom she married in 1945.   Her work is seen as the best exemplification of his method, and she has been much more prolific than her teacher, who died in 1966.

‘Abd al-Rahman’s rhetorical exegesis of the Qur’an makes a plea for removing the Qur’an from the exclusive domain of traditional exegesis (commentary) and placing it within literary studies.  Whereas some earlier exegetes allowed for a multiplicity of interpretations of any single Qur’anic verse, seeing in this multiplicity a demonstration of the richness of the Qur’an, ‘Abd al-Rahman argues that every word of the Qur’an allows for only a single interpretation, which should be elicited from the context of the Qur’an as a whole.  She rejects extraneous sources, particularly information derived from the Bible or Jewish sources (Isra’iliyat), the inclusion of which in traditional Qur’anic exegesis she sees as part of a continuing Jewish conspiracy to subvert Islam and dominate the world.  She also argues that no word is a true synonym for any other in the Qur’an, so no word can be replaced by another.  Whereas many scholars believe certain phrases in the Qur’an were inserted to provide the text with its characteristic rhythm and assonance, ‘Abd al-Rahman insisted that every word of the Qur’an is there solely for the meaning it gives.

‘Abd al-Rahman was both deeply religious and very conservative, despite her active public life.  On the subject of women’s liberation, she affirmed the principle of male guardianship over women but firmly rejected male responsibility for the behavior of women.  She insisted that a proper understanding of women’s liberation does not abandon traditional Islamic values.  She was consistently supported and honored by successive Egyptian regimes and, in 1985, a statue was built in her honor in Cairo.

'Abd al-Rahman was married to Sheik Amin el-Khouli, her teacher at Cairo University during her undergraduate years.

'A'ishah 'Abd al-Rahman died of a heart attack following a stroke in Cairo on December 1, 1998. She donated all her library to research purposes. The author of more than 40 books, 'A'ishah 'Abd al-Rahman's literary legacy includes the following:

The Egyptian Countryside (1936)
The Problem of the Peasant (1938)
Secret of the Beach and Master of the Estate: The Story of a Sinful Woman (1942)
New Values in Arabic Literature (1961)
Contemporary Arab Women Poets (1963)

Bint al-Shati’ see ‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘A’ishah
Daughter of the Shore see ‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘A’ishah
'A'ishah 'Abd al-Rahman see ‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘A’ishah
Daughter of the Riverbank see ‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘A’ishah

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Abu Akleh, Shireen

Shireen Abu Akleh (b. January 3, 1971, Jerusalem – d. May 11, 2022, Jenin, State of Palestine) was a Palestinian-American journalist who worked as a reporter for the Arabic-language channel of Al Jazeera for 25 years, and was a household name across the Middle East for her decades of reporting in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. She was shot and killed on May 11, 2022, while covering an Israel Defense Forces raid on the West Bank city of Jenin. Abu Akleh was one of the Arab world's leading journalists, a veteran reporter who was described (by The Times of Israel) after her death as having been "among Arab media's most prominent figures".

Abu Akleh was born on January 3, 1971, in Jerusalem. Her family were Catholic Arab Palestinian Christians from Bethlehem. Abu Akleh spent time in the United States, obtaining United States citizenship through members of her mother's family who lived in New Jersey.

Abu Akleh attended secondary school in Beit Hanina, then matriculated at the Jordan University of Science and Technology to study architecture, but decided not to pursue the trade; she instead transferred to Yarmouk University in Jordan from which she graduated with a bachelor's degree in print journalism. After graduating, Abu Akleh returned to Palestine.

Abu Akleh worked as a journalist for Radio Monte Carlo and Voice of Palestine. She additionally worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); Amman Satellite Channel; and MIFTAH, the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy. In 1997, she began working as a journalist for Al Jazeera, becoming well known as a reporter on their Arabic-language channel. She lived and worked in East Jerusalem, reporting on major events related to Palestine including the Second Intifada, and additionally covering Israeli politics. She often reported on funerals for Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.

Abu Akleh's career inspired many other Palestinians and Arabs to become journalists. Her live television reporting and distinct signoffs were particularly well-known. Abu Akleh continued in her role with Al Jazeera until she was killed on May 11, 2022. At the time of her death, she had been studying Hebrew in order to better understand narratives in the Israeli media, and had recently earned a diploma in digital media.

On May 11, 2022, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced the death of Abu Akleh. According to Al-Jazeera, she had been shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces I (IDF) while reporting on IDF raids in the Jenin refugee camp. Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that Abu Akleh was killed by the IDF, with an Agence France-Presse photojournalist also reporting Israeli forces had shot and killed her.

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Afshar, Haleh

Haleh Afshar (‎b. May 21, 1944, Tehran, Pahlavi Iran – d. May 12, 2022, Heslington, England) was a British life peer in the House of Lords.

Haleh Afshar was born as the eldest of the four children born to Hassan Afshar and Pouran Khabir on May 21, 1944 in Tehran. Afshar was a professor of politics and women's studies at the University of York, England, and a visiting professor of Islamic law at the Faculté internationale de droit comparé (international faculty of comparative law) at Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg, France. Afshar served on several bodies, notably the British Council and the United Nations Association, of which she was honorary president of international services. She was appointed to the board of the Women's National Commission in September 2008. She served as the chair for the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies. Afshar was a founding member of the Muslim Women's Network. She served on the Home Office's working groups, on "engaging with women" and "preventing extremism together".

Afshar was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2005 Birthday Honours for services to equal opportunities. On October 18, 2007, it was announced that she would be made a baroness and join the House of Lords as a cross-bench life peer. She was formally introduced into the House of Lords on December 11, 2007, as Baroness Afshar, of Heslington in the County of North Yorkshire.

In March 2009, Afshar was named as one of the twenty most successful Muslim women in the United Kingdom on the Muslim Women Power List 2009. The list was a collaboration between the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Emel Magazine, and The Times, to celebrate the achievements of Muslim women in the United Kingdom.

In April 2009, she was appointed an academician of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Afshar died from kidney failure at her home in Heslington on May 12, 2022 at the age of 77.

In 2011, Afshar received an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.

In January 2013, Afshar was nominated for the Services to Education award at the British Muslim Awards.

In 2017, Afshar received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford.

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Haleh Afshar, Who Fought for Rights of Muslim Women, Dies at 77

An Iranian-born British scholar and self-described “Muslim feminist,” she joined the House of Lords and advised the British government on women’s issues.

Credit...via Afshar Dodson family

Haleh Afshar in 1983. An Iranian-born British scholar, she was a champion of Muslim women’s rights and was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

By Nazila Fathi

June 24, 2022

Haleh Afshar, a prominent Iranian-British professor who dedicated her career in government and scholarship to promoting the rights of Muslim women, died on May 12 at her home in Heslington, England. She was 77.

The cause was kidney disease, her brother Mohammad Afshar said.

Ms. Afshar, who was known as Lady Afshar, was the first Iranian-born woman to be appointed to the House of Lords, receiving the title of baroness. She held multiple advisory roles with the British government on gender issues and the role of Muslim women in Britain. A longtime professor of politics and women’s studies at the University of York, she helped start the Muslim Women’s Network UK and was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her efforts.

A self-described “Muslim feminist,” Ms. Afshar spoke out against the government of Iran for blocking educational opportunities for women, arguing that the regime was frightened of educated women because education enabled them, as she put it, to “read classical Arabic, access the Quranic teachings and demand their rights.”

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In her book “Islam and Feminism,” published in 1998, Ms. Afshar argued that feminism was compatible with Islam, suggesting that the gap between secular and religious women had narrowed. She pointed to the Islamist feminists who joined a reform movement a year earlier that led to the election of Mohammad Khatami, a reformist who advocated a more liberal interpretation of Islam based on the needs of modern times, as president.

Among the many books she wrote and edited were “Iran: A Revolution in Turmoil” and “Women in the Middle East: Perceptions, Realities and Struggles for Liberation.”

Ms. Afshar joined the House of Lords in 2007 as a crossbench life peer, a term used for a member of an independent or minority party, and began working with the Women’s National Commission, a government advisory group.

Her brother described Ms. Afshar as a Shiite Muslim who linked the need for women to have access to education with a fundamental right to interpret the Quran for themselves. “She didn’t accept a patronizing interpretation of Islam and believed Islam gave rights to women that Muslim men took away,” he said.

Ms. Afshar in 2022. The first Iranian-born woman to be appointed to the House of Lords, she held multiple advisory roles with the British government on gender issues and the role of Muslim women in Britain. — Credit...via Afshar Dodson family

Haleh Afshar was born in Tehran on May 21, 1944, the eldest of four children in an affluent Iranian family. Her father, Hassan Afshar, was a law professor who taught at Strasbourg University in France and served as the dean of Tehran University’s law school. Her mother, Pouran Khabir, came from a prominent family and campaigned for women’s suffrage in Iran.

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By her account, Ms. Afshar had a privileged upbringing in which, surrounded by nannies and servants, she did little on her own. While attending the prestigious Jeanne d’Arc School for girls in Tehran, she said, “I read ‘Jane Eyre’ and I thought: Well, if you left me on the side of a road, I wouldn’t know which way to turn. I’d better go to this England where they make these tough women.”

She persuaded her parents to send her to Saint Martin’s, a boarding school in Solihull, England, outside Birmingham, where she spent three years. She then attended the University of York, graduating in 1967. She received a doctorate in Land Economy from the University of Cambridge in 1972.

Ms. Afshar returned to Iran for several years, working as a civil servant for the Ministry of Agriculture, a job in which she often traveled to small towns and villages. “I loved talking to the women,” she recalled, “who were not even aware of the Islamic rights they had: the right to property, payment for housework, all kinds of things.”

She also worked as a journalist for Kayhan International, an English-language newspaper, and wrote a gossip column called “Curious,” attending parties as she covered the social life of prominent Iranians.

In 1974, her brother said, Savak, the shah of Iran’s feared secret police, summoned her over her involvement with left-wing intellectual groups. The incident frightened her enough to return to England. There she was reunited with Maurice Dodson, a University of York math professor whom she had met when she was a student. They began dating in 1970 and married in 1974.

Ms. Afshar traveled to Iran with her husband during the Persian New Year in March 1975 and visited the country for the last time in 1977, two years before the Islamic Revolution.

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In England, she revived her academic career at the University of Bradford before joining the University of York.

She was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

Beyond her academic and political life, Ms. Afshar knew how to have a good time, by her brother’s account. When he was a student in Paris (he was two decades younger than his sister), she once accompanied him and his friends to bar. “She knew every single cocktail they served — even the weird ones — and she danced the whole night,” Mr. Afshar said.

She was also a poker enthusiast who, as she recalled in a 2018 interview, once used her card-playing skills to win tickets to a Beatles concert in London. “Largely because I’m smiley and never serious,” she said, explaining her approach to the game. “It’s not a poker face that hides. It’s a poker face that is open.”

In addition to her brother, she is survived by her husband; a son, Ali Afshar Dodson; a daughter, Molly Newton; two other brothers, Kamran and Adam; and two grandchildren.

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Aisa Kili Ngirmaramma
Aisa Kili Ngirmaramma (Aissa Koli). Ruler of the Kanuri empire of Bornu (r. 1563-1570). A daughter of the previous ruler, Dunama (r.c. 1545-1562/3), she is not mentioned in Arabic sources, which would be due to a tendency of Muslim sources to ignore a woman sovereign. However, local tradition makes no attempt to conceal her rule. It is said that she preserved the throne until the famous Idris Aloma was able to assume it, and then stepped down.

Aisa Kili Ngirmaramma, also called Aissa Koli, was a queen regnant in the Kanem-Bornu Empire from 1563 to 1570.

There are some discrepancies about the parentage and dates of her rule. The Arabic historians did not record her rule, but they are noted to have ignored female rulers. It is also noted that her successor Idris Aloma, imposed a Muslim bureaucracy on the pagan population and that later Islamic records ignored her because of her sex. She is, however, preserved in local African tradition as are her male counterparts.

Aissa Koli was reportedly the daughter of King Ali Gaji Zanani. Her father ruled for one year and was succeeded by a relative, Dunama, who died the year of his succession. During Dunama's reign, he had declared that all the sons of his predecessor should be killed, and Aissa's five-year-old half-brother Idris was therefore sent away to Bulala in secret by his mother. When Dunama died, Aissa succeeded him as ruler in the absence of any male heir, as she was unaware that her half-brother was still alive. According to another version, Aissa was instead the daughter of King Dunama.

Queen Aissa ruled for seven years, which was the stipulated term for all rulers, as the custom was not that a monarch reign for life, but only for a fixed period and she thereby fulfilled a full term. When her term was up, she was informed of the existence of her half-brother, who was by then twelve years of age, named Idris. She called him back and had him crowned as her successor, and continued as his adviser for the first years of his reign.

Ngirmaramma, Aisa Kili see Aisa Kili Ngirmaramma

Aissa Koli see Aisa Kili Ngirmaramma

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‘A’isha bint Abu Bakr
‘A’isha bint Abu Bakr (‘A’isha) (Aishah) (Ayeshah)  (c.614-678).  Abu Bakr’s daughter and one of Muhammad’s wives.  ‘A’isha was born in Mecca and became the third and favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammad after the death of Muhammad’s first wife, Khadija (c.555-619).  In order to strengthen ties with Abu Bakr, his chief legal adviser, Muhammad married ‘A’isha, Abu Bakr’s daughter, when she was about nine years old, shortly after the hijra.  When ‘A’isha went to live in an apartment in Muhammad’s house, she took her toys and games.  This childhood innocence coupled with her charm and beauty made her Muhammad’s favorite.   Even after subsequent marriages of the Prophet, ‘A’isha remained devoted to Muhammad.

‘A’isha became the leader in the harem, but her relations with Muhammad were marked by an incident in which she was accused of infidelity.  In 627, while waiting in a camp from which the caravan had moved off, ‘A’isha was found by a young man who escorted her to Medina.  This led to gossip concerning possible infidelity which was countered by a revelation to the Prophet.  ‘A’isha’s innocence was proved by the Qur’an in Sura 24:11-20, but 'Ali ibn Abi Talib was among those who advised Muhammad to send ‘A’isha back to her father to avoid even the hint of impropriety.  This advice earned 'Ali, ‘A’isha’s bitter enmity.

Nevertheless, for her faithfulness, ‘A’isha is known among Muslims as “Mother of the Believers.”  After the death of Muhammad in 632, ‘A’isha, a childless widow of 18, helped her father become the first caliph, or ruler, of the Muslims.

‘A’isha was always loyal to Muhammad and to her father, but seems to have played no major role in politics until the caliphate of ‘Uthman, whom she opposed on moral grounds.  ‘A’isha was not implicated in ‘Uthman’s death, being in Mecca at the time, but she may have been there organizing her own party, for shortly after the murder she was found in Basra with an army of a thousand, including Talha and Zubayr, who were, while claiming to seek vengeance for ‘Uthman, also opposed the caliphate of 'Ali.

‘A’isha’s forces were defeated by the forces of 'Ali at the Battle of the Camel in December of 656. However, after the defeat, ‘A’isha herself was well treated and lived until July of 678.

Because of her unique stature in Islam, ‘A’isha is the source of many hadith.

Aisha (Aisha meaning "she who lives"), was the third wife of Muhammad. In Islamic writings, she is thus often referred to by the title "Mother of the Believers" (in Arabic: umm-al-mu'minīn), per the description of Muhammad's wives as "Mothers of Believers" in the Qur'an (33.6), and later, as the "Mother of Believers", as in Qutb's Ma'alim fi al-Tariq. She is quoted as the source for many hadith, sacred traditions about Muhammad's life, with Muhammad's personal life being the topic of most narrations. She narrated 2210 hadiths out of which 316 hadiths are mentioned in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

Aisha was the daughter of Um Ruman and Abu Bakr of Mecca. Abu Bakr belonged to the Banu Taym sub-clan of the tribe of Quraysh, the tribe to which Muhammad also belonged. Aisha is said to have followed her father in accepting Islam when she was still young. She also joined him in his migration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 615.  A number of Mecca's Muslims emigrated then, seeking refuge from persecution by the Meccans who still followed their pre-Islamic religions.

According to the early Islamic historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Aisha's father tried to spare her the dangers and discomfort of the journey by solemnizing her marriage to her fiance, Jubayr ibn Mut'im, son of Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi. However, Mut’am refused to honor the long-standing betrothal, as he did not wish his family to be connected to the Muslim outcasts. The emigration to Ethiopia proved temporary and Abu Bakr's family returned to Mecca within a few years. Aisha was then betrothed to Muhammad.

Aisha was initially betrothed to Jubayr ibn Mut'im, a Muslim whose father, though pagan, was friendly to the Muslims. When Khawla bint Hakim suggested that Muhammad marry Aisha after the death of Muhammad's first wife (Khadijah bint Khuwaylid), the previous agreement regarding marriage of Aisha with ibn Mut'im was put aside by common consent.  It is suggested that Muhammad hoped to strengthen his ties with Abu Bakr, and that the strengthening of ties commonly served as a basis for marriage in Arabian culture.

According to the traditional sources, Aisha was six or seven years old when betrothed to Muhammad. She stayed in her parents' home until the age of nine, when the marriage was consummated. The marriage was delayed until after the Hijra, or migration to Medina, in 622. Aisha and her older sister Asma bint Abu Bakr only moved to Medina after Muhammad had already migrated there. After this, the wedding was celebrated very simply. The sources do not offer much more information about Aisha's childhood years, but mention that after the wedding, she continued to play with her toys, and Muhammad entered into the spirit of these games.

Most early accounts say that Muhammad and Aisha became sincerely fond of each other. Aisha is usually described as Muhammad's favorite wife, and it was in her company that Muhammad reportedly received the most revelations. Some accounts claim it was the curtain from her tent that Muhammad used as his battle standard.

Aisha was traveling with her husband Muhammad and some of his followers. Aisha claimed that she had left camp in the morning to search for her lost necklace, but when she returned, she found that the company had broken camp and left without her. She waited for half a day, until she was rescued by a man named Safwan ibn Al-Muattal and taken to rejoin the caravan. This led to speculation that she had committed adultery with Safwan. Muhammad's adopted son Zayd ibn Harithah defended Aisha's reputation. Shortly after this, Muhammad announced that he had received a revelation from God confirming Aisha's innocence and directing that charges of adultery be supported by four eyewitnesses. These verses also rebuked Aisha's accusers, whom Muhammad ordered to receive forty lashes.

Ibn Kathir wrote in his biography of Muhammad that Muhammad's wife Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya was given a skin filled with honey, which she shared with her husband. Muhammad was fond of sweets and stayed overlong with Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya.  At least in the opinion of Aisha and her co-wife Hafsa bint Umar. Aisha and Hafsa conspired. Each of them was to tell Muhammad that the honey had given him bad breath. When he heard this from two wives, he believed that it was true and swore that he would eat no more of the honey. Soon afterwards, he reported that he had received a revelation, in which he was told that he could eat anything permitted by God.

Word spread in the small Muslim community that Muhammad's wives were taking advantage of their husband, speaking sharply to him and conspiring against him. Umar, Hafsa's father, scolded his daughter and also spoke to Muhammad of the matter. Muhammad, saddened and upset, separated from his wives for a month. By the end of this time, his wives were humbled; they had admitted their wrongdoing, and harmony was restored.

Ibn Ishaq, in his Sirah Rasul Allah, states that during Muhammad's last illness, he sought Aisha's apartments and died with his head in her lap. It highlighted Muhammad's fondness for Aisha. Aisha never remarried after Muhammad's death. Indeed, a passage in the Qur'an (Sura 33:53) forbade any Muslim to marry a widow of Muhammad.

After Muhammad's death in 632, Aisha's father, Abu Bakr, became the first caliph, or leader of the Muslims. This matter of succession to Muhammad is extremely controversial to the Shi'a. The Shi'a believe that 'Ali had been chosen to lead by Muhammad, but the Sunni maintain that the Muslim community chose Abu Bakr, and did so in accordance with Muhammad's wishes.

Abu Bakr's reign was short, and in 634 he was succeeded by Umar, as caliph. Umar reigned for ten years, and was then followed by Uthman Ibn Affan in 644 AD. Both of these men had been among Muhammad's earliest followers, were linked to him by clanship and marriage, and had taken prominent parts in various military campaigns. Aisha, in the meantime, lived in Medina and made several pilgrimages to Mecca.

In 656, Aisha took part in provoking the people to kill Uthman. The rebels then asked Ali to be the new caliph. Many reports absolve Ali of complicity in the murder. Ali is reported to have refused the caliphate. He agreed to rule only after his followers persisted.

Aisha raised an army which confronted Ali's army outside the city of Basra.  It was during this engagement that Muslim slaughtered Muslim for the first time.  A battle ensued and Aisha's forces were defeated. Aisha was directing her forces from a howdah on the back of a camel.  Accordingly, this 656 battle is called the Battle of the Camel.

Ali captured Aisha but declined to harm her. He sent her back to Medina under military escort headed by Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (a brother of Aisha), who was one of the commanders in Ali's army

Historians see Aisha as a learned woman, who tirelessly recounted stories from the life of Muhammad and explained Muslim history and traditions. She is considered to be one of the foremost scholars of Islam's early age with some historians accrediting up to one-quarter of the Islamic Sharia (Islamic religious law), based on the collection of hadiths, to have stemmed from her narrations. Aisha became the most prominent of Muhammad’s wives and is revered as a role model by millions of women.

After Khadijah al-Kubra (the Great) and Fatimah az-Zahra (the Resplendent), Aishah as-Siddiqah (the one who affirms the Truth) is regarded as the best woman in Islam by Sunni Muslims. She often regretted her involvement in war but lived long enough to regain status and position. She died peacefully in the year 678 in the month of Ramadan. As she instructed, she was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi -- in the City of Light -- beside other companions of Muhammad.

The Sunnis' view of 'A'isha is a positive one. Many believe that she was Muhammad's favorite wife and the best woman of her time. They consider her (amongst other wives) to be Umm al-Mu'minin and among the Ahl al-Bayt.

However, the Shi'a view of 'A'isha is generally a negative one. This is primarily due to what they see as her contempt for the Ahl al-Bayt (Muhammad's family) and her attempts to stir up the fitnah of the time. Her participation in the Battle of the Camel is widely considered her most significant sign of such contempt. They also do not believe that she conducted herself in an appropriate manner in her role as Muhammad's wife .

‘A’isha see ‘A’isha bint Abu Bakr
Aishah see ‘A’isha bint Abu Bakr
Ayeshah see ‘A’isha bint Abu Bakr
“Mother of the Believers”   see ‘A’isha bint Abu Bakr
"She Who Lives" see ‘A’isha bint Abu Bakr

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Akef, Naima

Naima Akef (b. October 7, 1929, Tanta, Egypt - d. April 23, 1966) was a famous Egyptian belly dancer during the Egyptian cinema's golden age and starred in many films of the time. Naima Akef was born in Tanta on the Nile Delta. Her parents were acrobats in the Akef Circus (run by Naima’s grandfather), which was one of the best known circuses at the time. She started performing in the circus at the age of four, and quickly became one of the most popular acts with her acrobatic skills. Her family was based in the Bab el Khalq district of Cairo, but they traveled far and wide in order to perform.

The circus disbanded when Naima was 14, but this was only the beginning of her career. Her grandfather had many connections in the performance world of Cairo and he introduced her to his friends. When Naima’s parents divorced, she formed an acrobatic and clown act that performed in many clubs throughout Cairo. She then got the chance to work in Badeia Masabny's famous nightclub, where she became a star and was one of the very few who danced and sang. Her time with Badeia, however, was short-lived, as Badeia favored her, which made the other performers jealous. One day they ganged up on her and attempted to beat her up, but she proved to be stronger and more agile and won the fight. This caused her to be fired, so she started performing elsewhere.

The Kit Kat Club was another famous venue in Cairo, and this is where Naima was introduced to film director Abbas Kemal. Kemal's brother, Hussein Fawzy, also a film director, was very interested in having Naima star in one of his musical films. The first of such films was "Al-Eich wal malh" (Bread and Salt). Her costar was singer Saad Abdel Wahab, the nephew of the legendary singer and composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. The film premiered on January 17, 1949, and was an instant success, bringing recognition also to Nahhas Film studios.

Naima quit acting in 1964 to take care of her only child, a son from her second marriage to accountant Salaheldeen Abdel Aleem. She died two years later from cancer at the age of 36.

A selective filmography of Naima Akef reads as follows:

Aish Wal Malh (1949)

Lahalibo (1949)

Baladi Wa Khafa (1949)

Furigat (1950)

Baba Areess (1950)

Fataat Al Sirk (1951)

Ya Halawaat Al Hubb (1952)

Arbah Banat Wa Zabit (1954)

Aziza (1955)

Tamr Henna (1957) with Ahmed Ramzy, Fayza Ahmed and Rushdy Abaza

Amir El Dahaa (1964)

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Aliabadi, Shirin

Shirin Aliabadi (b. March 10, 1973, Tehran, Iran – d. October 1, 2018, Tehran, Iran) was an Iranian contemporary multidisciplinary visual artist whose work focused on women's issues, gender representation, and the beauty industry. She is best known for depiction of rebellious Iranian women in her Girls in Cars and Miss Hybrid series of photographs.

Aliabadi was born in Tehran, Iran in 1973 to Maymanat and Iraj Aliabadi. Her mother, Maymanat was an artist and taught at Tehran University. Her father, Iraj, was a poet who worked for an insurance company. She was also mentored by an older brother who coached her on art, music, and pop culture. Aliabadi grew up surrounded by artists and intellectuals, and the standard of living for the family was high until the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Her parents lost their jobs, but were still able to send her to study in Paris. Aliabadi studied art history at the University of Paris, where she also earned a master's degree in art history.

Aliabadi married Farhad Moshiri, another artist in 1993. She commuted between Paris and Tehran for most of her career, but was primarily based in Tehran where she was represented by The Third Line gallery in Dubai for more than ten years.

The work of Aliabadi has appeared in solo exhibitions in Dubai, Tehran, London Switzerland and Denmark and in group exhibitions at the Institut des cultures d'Islam in Paris, the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, at Frieze New York, and at the Chelsea Art Museum. Her work has also been shown in Monaco, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen, Italy, Norway, Estonia, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. Her work is held in the collections of Deutsche Bank AG in Germany, the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery and the Farjam Collection in Dubai.

Shirin Aliabadi died on October 1, 2018, from cancer, in Tehran, Iran.

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Amina

Amina (Amina Sukhera) (Aminatu) (c.1533-c.1610). Queen of the Hausa state of Zaria (Zauzau) during a period of rapid expansion during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. A legendary figure, Amina extended Zaria’s empire over Nupe and the Jukun kingdom of Kwararata (Kororofa), and dominated Kano and Katsina. She is also credited with building many of the famous earthworks of the Hausa city-states. During her reign east-west trade became an important supplement to the trans-Saharan trade through Zaria.

Amina Sukhera (also called Aminatu) was a Muslim princess of the royal family of Zazzau (now Zaria), in what is now northeast Nigeria. She was born c. 1533 and is estimated to have died around 1610. Amina was a preeminent gimbiya (princess) but various theories exist as to the time of her reign as queen. One explanation states that she reigned from approximately 1536 to 1573, while another posits that she became queen after her brother Karama's death, in 1576.

When Amina was seven years old her mother, Bakwa Turunku, became queen. During this point in her life, she became involved in the Zazzau military, earning much admiration for her bravery. Her military achievements brought her great wealth and power.

She is credited as the architect of the earthen walls around the city of Zaria. These walls are often referred to as Ganuwar Amina. During her reign, Amina was responsible for conquering many of the cities in the area surrounding Zazzau. In her thirty-four year reign, Amina expanded the domain of Zazzau to its largest size. Some sources state that her main focus was not on the annexation of neighboring lands, but on forcing local rulers to accept vassal status and permit Hausa traders safe passage.

The introduction of kola nuts into cultivation in the area is attributed to Amina. A statue at the National Arts Theatre in Lagos State honors her, and multiple educational institutions bear her name.

Amina Sukhera see Amina
Sukhera, Amina see Amina
Aminatu see Amina

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2021 Addendum

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Aminatu (also Amina; died 1610) was a Hausa Muslim and a historical figure in the city-state Zazzau (present-day city of Zaria in Kaduna State), in what is now in the north-west region of Nigreria.
Amina was born in the middle of the sixteenth century CC to King Nikatau, the 22nd ruler of Zazzau, and Queen Bakwa Turunku (r. 1536–c. 1566). She had a younger sister named Zaria for whom the modern city of Zaria (Kaduna State) was renamed by the British in the early twentieth century.  According to oral legends collected by anthropologist David E. Jones, Amina grew up in her grandfather's court and was favored by him. He carried her around court and instructed her carefully in political and military matters.
At age sixteen, Amina was named Magajiya (heir apparent), and was given forty female slaves (kuyanga). From an early age, Amina had a number of suitors attempt to marry her. Attempts to gain her hand included a daily offer of ten slaves from Makama and fifty male slaves and fifty female slaves as well as fifty bags of white and blue cloth from the Sarkin Kano.
After the death of her parents in or around 1566, Amina's brother became king of Zazzau. At this point, Amina had distinguished herself as a leading warrior in her brother's cavalry and gained notoriety for her military skills. She is still celebrated today in traditional Hausa praise songs as “Amina daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man that was able to lead men to war.”
After the death of her brother Karami in 1576, Amina ascended to the position of queen. Zazzau was one of the original seven Hausa States (Hausa Bakwai), the others being Daura, Kano, Gobir, Katsina, Rano, and Garun Gabas. Before Amina assumed the throne, Zazzau was one of the largest of these states. It was also the primary source of slaves that would be sold at the slave markets of Kano and Katsina by Arab merchants.
Only three months after being crowned queen, Amina began a 34-year campaign against her neighbors, to expand Zazzau territory.  Her army, consisting of 20,000 foot soldiers and 1,000 cavalry troops, was well trained and fearsome. In fact, one of her first announcements to her people was a call for them to “resharpen their weapons.” She conquered large tracts of land as far as Kwararafa and Nupe.
Legends cited by Sidney John Hogben say that she took a new lover in every town she went through, each of whom was said to meet the same unfortunate fate in the morning when her brief bridegroom was beheaded so that none should live to tell the tale. Under Amina, Zazzau controlled more territory than ever before. To mark and protect her new lands, Amina had her cities surrounded by earthen walls. These walls became commonplace across the nation until the British conquest of Zazzau in 1904, and many of them survive today, known as ganuwar Amina (Amina's walls).
Beyond her expansion of Zazzau territory, Amina created trade routes throughout Northern Africa.  Additionally, Amina has been credited with ordering the construction of a distinctive series of ancient Hausa fortifications, known as ‘Amina’s walls’, and with introducing kola nut cultivation in the area.

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Amina bint Wahb

Amina bint Wahb (b. 549 CC [66 BH], Mecca, Arabia - d. 577 CC [36 BH], Al-Abwa, Arabia), was a noble woman of the Banu Zuhrah clan, and the mother of the Prophet Muhammad.

Amina was born to Wahb ibn Abd Manaf and Barrah bint 'Abd al 'Uzza ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Abd al-Dar in Mecca. She was a member of the Banu Zuhrah clan in the tribe of Quraysh who claimed descent from Abraham through his son Ishmael. Her ancestor Zuhrah was the elder brother of Qusayy ibn Kilab, who was also an ancestor of Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib. Qusayy ibn Kilab became the first Quraysh custodian of the Ka'ba.

Abdul Muttallib proposed the marriage of Abdullah, his youngest son, and Amina. Some sources state that Aminah's father accepted the match, while others say that it was Aminah's uncle Wuhaib, who was serving as her guardian. The two were married soon after.

Abdullah spent much of Amina's pregnancy away from home as part of a merchant caravan, and died of disease before the birth of his son.

Three months after Abdullah's death, in 570 CC, Muhammad was born. As was tradition among all the great families at the time, Amina sent Muhammad to live with a milk mother in the desert as a baby. The belief was that in the desert, one would learn self-discipline, nobility, and freedom. During this time, Muhammad was nursed by Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb, a poor Bedouin woman from the tribe of Banu Sa'ad, a branch of the Hawazin.

When Muhammad was six years old, he was reunited with Amina, who took him to visit her relatives in Yathrib (later Medina). Upon their return to Mecca a month later, accompanied by her slave Umm Ayman, Amina fell ill.

She died around the year 577 CC and was buried in the village of Al-Abwa'. The young Muhammad was taken in first by his paternal grandfather Abd al-Muttalib in 577 CC and later by his paternal uncle Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib.

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Amiri, Sarah bint Yousef Al

Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri (b. 1987, United Arab Emirates) is the Minister of State for Advanced Technology within the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology in the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), chair of the UAE Space Agency, and the United Arab Emirates Council of Scientists, and Deputy Project Manager of the Emirates Mars Mission.

Amiri was born in the United Arab Emirates in 1987. She studied computer science at the American University of Sharjah, earning bachelor's and master's degrees. She was always interested in aerospace engineering but grew up at a time when the United Arab Emirates did not have a space program.

Amiri began her career at the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology, where she worked on DubaiSat-1 and DubaSat-2. In 2018 she was appointed the chairwoman of the UAE Council for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and in 2016 the head of the Emirates Scientist Council.

In 2020, Amiri was the science lead for the Emirates Mars Mission, Hope. The mission was partnered with the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of California, Berkeley, and Arizona State University. She spoke at TEDxDubai Salon about the Hope Mars Mission. In November 2017, Amiri became the first Emirati to speak at an international TED event when she spoke about the Hope Mars Mission in Louisiana. The mission launched in July 2020 and reached Mars in February 2021 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates. In 2015, the World Economic Forum honored Amiri as one of its 50 Young Scientists for her contributions to science, technology and engineering.

In October 2017, Amiri was named Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and became a member of the United Arab Emirates Cabinet. In an effort to increase global scientific collaboration, Amiri toured scientific institutions in the United States in November 2017. On November 23, 2020, Amiri was placed on the list of the BBC's 100 Women and, in February 2021, she was also named in Time’s 2021 List of Next 100 Most Influential People.

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Great Women of Islam

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Introduction

Notes on the Use of Great Women of Islam

Appendices

A Index

Haleh Afshar, Who Fought for Rights of Muslim Women, Dies at 77