I am very excited to start the series on Aisha (RA). She is one of my favorites and the most one that we can emulate and learn from. However, before we start the actual story, I wanted to address the issue of Aisha’s age. This has never been an issue for me but I know that it is for many people and one that the critics of Islam continuously use to criticize the Prophet ﷺ. So today instead of a story, we will have a discussion. Remember, I am not a scholar- I am just a person with a passion for Islam and I am just like you. I invite you to join me through the comments to discuss this issue, but I only ask that you be respectful in your comments.

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Some time after the death of Khadejah (RA), a woman named Khawla bint Hakeem went to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him when he will get married again. He cried and responded, “How can there ever be anyone after Khadejah (RA)?” She kindly told him that his household needs a woman to help him raise his daughters and tend to the everyday needs of the house. She suggested two women for him, a widow and a virgin. The widow was Sawdah bint Zamah and the virgin was Aisha bint Abi Bakr. We know that every one of the Prophet’s ﷺ marriages was for a specific reason. He did end up marrying Sawdah, and Inshallah we will be discussing her story at another time. At the same time, he got engaged to Aishah (RA).

When Khawla bint Hakeem came to Abu Bakr’s house to bring them the news of the Prophet Mohammed’s ﷺ proposal, the people in the house who received the news were Aishah (RA) and her mother Um Ruman (RA). Um Ruman said to wait for Abu Bakr to return in order to get his opinion. When Abu Bakr received the news, he told Khawla, “I cannot give you an answer at the moment.” A while back, someone else had already asked for Aishah’s (RA) hand and was given consent. This was a non-Muslim by the name of Zubair bin Muta bin Ali. Abu Bakr did not feel it was right to give his daughter’s hand to the Prophet ﷺ, even though he was his best friend, without talking to the family of Zubair and seeing if they are still interested. However, when Abu Bakr got to the house of Muta bin Ali, he was given harsh words against Islam and against Abu Bakr. They wanted to punish Abu Bakr for becoming a Muslim and in short, that engagement never happened. Abu Bakr went back and told Khawla to give Mohammed ﷺ his consent.

Now some people say that Aishah (RA) was 7 when she got engaged and 9 when she got married. Some people say that she was closer to 12 and 14 and some people even say she was 17. Either way, we can all agree that she was very young and we can all agree that she did not move in with the Prophet ﷺ and the marriage was not consummated until after she hit puberty. And yes, her age is one that would be frowned upon for marriage today. However, we cannot look at a civilization that existed 1400 years ago with the same lens in which we view our civilization today.

For starters, lets look at the people around the Prophet ﷺ and their reaction. Do you remember the story of Zainab bint Jahsh? When the Prophet ﷺ married her, there was such uproar from the community and the Prophet ﷺ himself felt a bit uncomfortable at first. Don’t forget that the Quran was coming down in bits and pieces so the people around the Prophet ﷺ were still learning and asking questions and their reactions to certain events are well documented. However, no one had any kind of reaction to the idea of Prophet ﷺ Mohammed marrying Aishah (RA). Also, she was already about to get engaged to someone else. This goes to show us that at that time, marriage at that age was considered normal.

Now you might have some comments against the Arabs, so lets move out of the Middle East for a minute. In most past civilizations, the legal age of marriage was that of puberty. In Ancient Rome, the common and legal age for marriage was 12. In the 13th century England, there are records of marriages of girls ages 12 and younger. In Medieval Europe, ages of marriage were as young as 7 even though the legal age was 12. In the early American colonies, the marriage age to be eligible for dower was 9 and marriages under the age of 12 were very common. In fact the late 19^th century in America, the age of consent of marriage was 6 up until 1886. In 1887, the state of California moved the age of consent to 10 and then again to 14 in 1897. In some states today, the age of consent is at 15 and 16. There are still some countries around the world that have the age of marriage at 14 and 15 with legal consent. So looking at these facts, it is easy to understand why it would be normal for Aishah to get engaged at such a young age in the 7th century.

So now you might say, well those people were abusing these girls’ rights. You might say that those were times of ignorance. However, lets go back and compare our time to the time of Aishah (RA). In our time, a young girl will be going to elementary school, then middle school, then high school, then she has to go to college and grow and experience life and form her personality. Then she gets a job and forms some kind of independence before she is ready for marriage. However, all of those things didn’t exist 1400 years ago. The concept of university was not even setup then and people were educated informally in their houses. Girls of Aishah’s (RA) age helped take care of the household and were given responsibility. Their mindset and maturely level were completely different from young girls today. If this concept is hard to grasp, lets look again at our time. Can you say that a young girl who grew up in a middle class home in America has the same mindset and maturity level as a girl who grew up in a warzone like Palestine or other countries? Have you ever watched a video of a 5 year old in Palestine speaking passionately and wonder how someone can have such wisdom at such a young age? Have you ever seen documentaries on children in African countries, who at ages 10 and 12 have lost their parents and are caring for their younger siblings and tending to the needs of their household?  I don’t think we can deny that the environment and circumstances of one’s life play a huge role in maturity and development. Also remember that King Tutankhamun took the throne age 9 and there are other accounts throughout history of young kings.

So now you might say, that is all true, but can a person that young handle marriage? This question has to do with the Western unease about the topic of marriage. In America, you can find girls as young as 12 and 13 who are having sex and getting pregnant. However, if someone were to suggest that she marry the man who impregnated her, people will reply that you will ruin her life and restrict her, never mind that she already has a child at age 12. You have feminists that imply that the very establishment of marriage is a hit at women’s rights. There is a general feeling  in the West that sex at the age of 12 and 13 can be swallowed but marriage at that age cannot. There is an implication that marriage will ruin their lives at that age but having to take care of an infant and losing their sense of innocence will not. It is with those illogical implications that some critics of Islam use to attack the age at which Aishah (RA) got married.

Now lets discuss why Aishah (RA) was chosen and why at such a young age. Aishah (RA) came from a noble family. Her father was Abu Bakr Al-Siddique, the closest friend of the Prophet ﷺ, who once said of Abu Bakr, “Indeed if I can take a friend from my nation, I would take Abu Bakr.” In regards to Aishah’s (RA) mother, the Prophet ﷺ used to say, “If you want to look at a woman from Paradise, look at Um Ruman.” So as a foundation, Aishah (RA) was raised by noble and good parents who were of the first to become Muslims. Aishah (RA) was born five years after the Prophet ﷺ received his message so her first consciousness was of her parents practicing Islam. Remember on Monday when we talked about how Asma, Aishah’s (RA), sister who was 100 years old and still had perfect memory? Aishah (RA) was the same way. The reason for her being married to the Prophet ﷺ so young was that she could absorb information better than an adult. You ever hear people saying that if you want to learn a language, learn it when you are young because it will be much harder when you get older. It is the same with Aishah (RA). She was a sponge when it comes to learning from the Prophet ﷺ and she related so many Hadith from him, especially those than concern women’s issues, marriage, and social issues. Also, the reason that he married her instead of just teaching her was that she could be close enough to him to ask him intimate questions that could not be asked without that special relationship.

Most importantly, it was Allah that told Mohammed ﷺ to marry Aishah (RA). Angel Gabriel came to Mohammed ﷺ for three nights in his sleep and he would show him a piece of silk. On it would be a picture of Aishah (RA). “She is your wife in this life and the hereafter, “ Gabriel would say.

Aishah (RA) had such a great impact on Islamic history and related so many vital Hadith. She was also such a great role model for young women, which I hope you will see as we move forward with her story.

Now lets open this for discussion. What are your thoughts?

Quṭb, Muḥammad ʻAlī. Women around the Messenger. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2007. Print.

“King Tut.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_tut>.

“Marriageable Age.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age>.

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On Monday, I discussed the gaining of knowledge and how Islam advocates us to continuously be learning. There is a book I am reading called Civilization of Faith that is absolutely fascinating and I thought I would share something awesome I recently read about libraries.

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It turns out, the whole concept of libraries being public lending systems and being organized by card catalogs was started by the Muslims, about 200 years after Hijra, during the heights of the Abbasid and Ottoman Empires.

Books were considered extremely sacred and the Muslims took very seriously the verses in the Quran about the importance of gaining knowledge. Poetry was written about the love people had for their books.

There was a story about a litterateur who was once called by the Caliph. When the servant came to tell him his presence was requested he was reading, and he replied, “ I have wise men with me, with who I am discussing things. When I am finished with them, I will come.” The Caliph did not like that answer and asked his servant who the wise men were. The servant replied that there were no men in the room. So the Caliph once again called the litterateur and asked him, “Who are the wise men that surround you?” The man replied:

“They are companions whose speech does not bore,

They are honest and trustworthy whether you are absent or present,

When we sit with them, their speech will be the best help in eliminating worry and anxiety,

They teach us the knowledge of those who passed away before us and they teach us the wisdom, discipline, and advice and the way of leadership,

We do not fear betrayal or bad manners from them,

And we are not trying to protect ourselves from their tongues or their hands,

If you say that they are dead, you will not be lying,

And if you say they are alive, you will not be exaggerating.”

Thus the Caliph realized that he meant the scholars who have written books in which he was reading and was no longer upset with him, but understood completely. That was the love and respect the Muslims had for books. Books were held in such high regard that they were considered treasures to the hearts of the Muslims. One time, a man named Ibn Al Amid found that enemy soldiers had attacked his house and all the stores he owned. But he was not worried about his business or his residence but went running to the place where he stored his books. He had an extensive library that would take over 100 camels to transport. He saw the servant that took care of his library and ran to him. “They are safe, no one has touched them,” said the servant. The man was relieved and said, “I bear witness that you are a real man, for the rest of the stores can be replaced, but this treasure (the library) cannot be replaced.”

At the height of the Islamic civilization, Europe was in the Dark Ages and important works of literature by the likes of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers and other sacred works were being destroyed. The Muslims used to acquire these works and translate them to Arabic in order to preserve them. In fact, there are many works of literature that we would not have today were it not for the Muslims. Collecting and translating books were so important that the Caliphs would pay anyone their weight in gold for translating a book. Some people who had private libraries would pay their translators the weight of the book in gold and others would give them a salary of 2,000 dinars a month, which in our time would be a six figure salary, if not more.

Because there was no printing press at the time, books were translated and copied by hand by scribes. This made books too expensive for poor people to afford, so public lending libraries were set up. Soon, there was not a school or a mosque that did not have a library attached to it. The government funded these public libraries and every city and every capital had a wealth of libraries in a way that had never before been seen in medieval history. The public libraries had employees and usually the librarian would be the most famous scholar of his time. There were assistant librarians that would retrieve books for readers, translators, scribes who made copies of books, binders who would bind the books in leather, cleaning crews and many other employees that helped make the libraries comfortable for people. All libraries were furnished lavishly with furniture that was comfortable to sit on for long periods of time.

Even the privately own libraries were open to the public. They were extremely large buildings that had many different libraries within. Within one library, you would find a Fikh library, a medicine library, a literature library, sometimes up to forty different rooms each with a different category. Then there were rooms for readers, rooms for the scribes (the printing room), music rooms, rooms for study circles and academic discussions, rooms for eating, and rooms for sleeping for people who came from out of town to read and gain knowledge. People who owned these private libraries, which also had a large number of employees, would fund everything from their own pockets, including the food and accommodations for the strangers who would come from all over.

One such example was Abdul Qasim Jafar bin Mohammed ibn Hamdan Al Mosali and his library which he called Dar Al Ilm, House of Knowledge. He never turned any stranger away from coming to his library. In fact, he would give money and free books to anyone who came to seek knowledge and his library was open 24/7. That system doesn’t even exist in our time!

The Islamic libraries were the first to incorporate an index system that classified the books in a way that is easy to find. In addition to a main card catalog system, there was also a list written on each shelf with the books that were on that shelf. This made the process of lending books out to readers easier to keep tabs of. To check out a book, people would put a small deposit, whatever they could, that they would get back when they returned the book.

Now lets take a look at some of the renowned libraries:

The Library of Fatimid Caliphs in Cairo:

This library had a large collection of rare Mushafs (Qurans). It was said that in total, it contained more than 2 million books.

Dar Al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) Library in Cairo:

It was founded by Al Hakim bi Amrillah and was completed in 395 Hijri (about 9^th or 10^th century). It was completely staffed with supervisors, librarians and cleaners and was beautifully furnished and decorated. It consisted of forty compartments, each with more than 18,000 books. It was open to the public and contained in addition to books, ink, pens, paper, and inkpots for anyone who wanted to copy a book.

Bayt Al-Hikmah (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad:

It was founded by Caliph Harun Al Rashid (Zubayda’s husband) and it became more like a university that contained books because it was a place where people would debate about educational topics in addition to reading and copying books. It was said that the books in this library were collected from all over the world and many from the conquests of Ankara, Amorium and Cyprus. During the time of the Caliph Al Mamun, the Romans were defeated by the Muslims in one of the battles and Al Mamun only asked that they turn over all their books and be given permission to translate them. What a great example of a victorious leader who saw that the greatest reward he can give to his nation was books.

Al Hakam Library in Adalusia:

This library had one of the most detailed indexes, with the index for the poetry section alone having forty-four sections. It had four hundred thousand volumes and professional scribes and book binders.

Bani Ammar Library in Tripoli:

This library was so huge that the number of scribes that worked there were 180 alone. This library had their own team of specialists and traders who used to travel and bring back books from different countries. It contained about one million books.

These libraries that I listed above were just the publically funded libraries. There were many privately funded libraries that were just as large and extravagant. In fact, it was very hard to find a scholar who didn’t have his own collection of thousands of books in his house.

So what happened to these great libraries and all these books? I hate to end this amazing post with anything negative but unfortunately they were destroyed. When the Tartars attacked Baghdad, they threw all the books they found in the Tigris River. The river overflowed and there were so many books in it that it ran black for months from the ink and riders could ride their horses on the books to get from one side of the river to the other.

The Crusaders burned books in Tripoli, Al Maarrah, Al Quds (Jerusalem), Gaza, Asqalan, and many other cities. The books destroyed in Tripoli alone were about 3 million. The library of the Fatimid caliphs was destroyed by the Mamluks and the Turks. The libraries in Islamic Spain were destroyed by religious fanatics.

However, what we can get out of it is that now the Islamic system of booking lending and cataloguing is being practiced all over the world. At the time of these libraries, the Islamic civilization was one of the most prominent civilizations, all because they put such a large priority on reading and gaining of knowledge. IQRA. The first word ever to come down from the Quran. Do not take it lightly. Great things can be achieved if you make reading a priority in your life. You can start by starting a small library in your own house. Gather books that you read and create a library that you can pass on to your children. Share books between each other. Work together to increase your knowledge. No matter how much technology we have, nothing can ever take the place of reading a book.

Sibāʻī, Muṣṭafá. Civilization of Faith: Solidarity , Tolerance and Equality in a Nation Built on Shari’ah : A Journey through Islamic History. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2005. Print.

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Asma bint Abi Bakr was born seventeen years before the Prophet ﷺ began his message. She was fifteen years older than her sister Aishah (RA) and was like a mother to her. She is the only one of the Companions that had four generations of Companions in her family. Her grandfather was Abu Quhafah, her father was Abu Bakr Al-Siddique, her husband was Zubair bin Awam, her mother in law was Sophia bint Abdul Mutallib, and her son was Abdullah bin Zubair.

Asma was the 18^th person to embrace Islam. Because she was of the valuable house of Abu Bakr, a place of refuge and rest for the Prophet ﷺ, she was a major participant in the Prophet’s ﷺ mission. One of her most important contributions came at the time of the migration.

Asma was 25 years old when the Prophet ﷺ was given the command to migrate. However, the migration had to be planned out strategically.  The Prophet ﷺ came to Abu Bakr’s house to lay the plans for the migration, which was done in the presence of Aishah (RA) and Asma. The plan was for Abu Bakr and the Prophet ﷺ to travel in the opposite direction of Madinah and wait in Cave of Thawr in order to lose anybody who might be tracking them. The only problem was that they would need someone to keep them in touch with what was going on in Mecca once they were at the cave so that they would know when to leave. They would also need someone to bring them food and a way to cover the tracks of those that were helping.  So it was decided that Asma’s brother, Abdullah, will be the one to bring the latest news from Mecca and Asma would be bringing the food, but they would go at different times. Amir ibn Fuhayrah, Abu Bakr’s freed slave who was the shepherd of his flock, would herd his sheep at their heels so that their tracks would be covered.

You would think that Abu Jahl would have them followed because it was obvious that if anyone was going to help, it would be Abu Bakr’s children. However, Abdullah was clever enough to escape suspicion and Asma had a very big reason as to why she wouldn’t be suspected at all- she was seven months pregnant. No one thought that it could possibly be her that would be helping out in any way. However, Asma, much like many of the women at the time was stronger than ten men. The Cave Thawr was three miles away (so six miles roundtrip, about 10 kilometers) and it was a rocky mountainous trail. However, Asma was able to do it every day for three days without any difficulty.

The last day in which the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr were to stay in the cave, Asma prepared the food container and water skin. However, she had no rope to tie them closed. So she tore her girdle, or waist belt, and used half of it to tie up the provisions. When the Prophet ﷺ saw what she did he smiled and said to her, “Indeed, Allah has given you, in exchange for this girdle, two girdles in Paradise.” This is how she came to be known as “The Lady of Two Girdles.”

Asma, along with her brother Abdullah and sister Aisha (RA) were the only people who knew the whereabouts of the Prophet ﷺ. After they had taken off for Madinah from the cave, Abu Jahl grew frustrated at the fact that Mohammed (PBUH) had escaped.  He furiously went to Abu Bakr’s house and when he banged on the door, it was Asma who opened it. He asked where her father was, and since they were somewhere on the way to Madinah, she replied confidently that she didn’t know. He then slapped her so hard, he tore the earnings from her ears. He asked her again, and Asma, completely unfazed, again replied, “I do not know so go ahead, hit me as hard as you want.” Abu Jahl walked away in a fury.

Asma later ended up migrating to Madinah with a group that included the Prophet’s ﷺ daughters. She had her son, Abdullah, in Madinah and he was the first boy to be born there from the migraters.

Asma was one of the most brilliant female students of the Prophet ﷺ. She is the source of 58 Hadith, and many men related Hadith from her. Asma is a great role model because she was such a successful woman. She was not only successful as a wife and mother, but she also used to work with her husband, tending to his horse and picking and grinding grains from his field. Asma was successful in many different areas. She was also very active in the community and never let any food in her house stay overnight without donating it.

Asma was extremely pious and used to pray with full concentration. Her husband Zubair, said that he came home one day and found her praying and weeping and repeating this verse from the Quran:

“Allah has blessed us and saved us the torture of the burning winds.” {52:27}

He left to the market and came back much later to find her still praying and crying and repeating the same verse.

One day her mother came to visit her in Madinah. Her mother had not become a Muslim so Asma rushed to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked him if she could still embrace her mother in her life. The Prophet (PBUH) repeated three times that she should. So Asma welcomed her mother completely in her life and took care of her.

Asma raised her son, Abdullah ibn Zubair, in a household that taught him to be a good Muslim and a courageous and understanding person. He would later be involved in a huge battle against Hajjaj Ibn  Yousuf. Before her son went to battle, he told his mother that he was worried that they would cut up his body if he were to lose. She said to him not to worry about something like that, as just as the skinning of the sheep will not hurt him after he is dead, so he should not worry about what happens to his body after he passes. What he should be more concerned about is that he is doing the right thing and he dies an honorable death.

Abdullah did end up dying in that battle and Hajjaj had him crucified. He then said that he would not take him down until his mother came to request it, in order to crush her dignity. Asma, who was blind at the time, went to up to where her son was held and said, “Is it not time for the rider to dismount?” Al Hajjaj said to her, “Do you see how I have defeated your son?”

“You may have defeated him in this battle, but he has defeated you for eternity (in the hereafter),”replied Asma.

Asma passed away a day after burying her son, 75 years after Hijrah. She was 100 years old and never lost her memory and had a full set of teeth.

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*I have noticed that most of the women at the time used to balance taking care of their household and working outside the house.  Even when you study the Muslims at the time of the Abbasid and Ottoman Empires, you notice the same thing about the women. They raised their children to be great people, took good care of their husbands and their houses and also contributed to their society, whether it be having a job or doing community work or research.  Its funny how at our time, you are either taking care of your kids and the house or you have a career. Society tells you that it is either or. However, when you think about it, women’s brains were created in a way where they can multi task, probably for this very reason. We are given the ability to balance several things in our life and just like any other issue with the human brain, you either use the ability to multi task or lose it. You do not have to have a career at the cost of your family and you do not need to take care of your family at the cost of your personal advancement in society. Almost all the examples we have of Muslim women are ones that did both. In fact, I feel that Islam tells us that we need to be constantly learning and applying, and learning and applying. Islam tells you to focus on your household but you are required just as much as men to gain knowledge and apply it to the society around you. You need to be constantly working your mind and growing. I truly believe that doing that will help you succeed in your role in the household. Be a role model for your children and be the person you want them to become.

*Don’t you think its interesting how Asma never lost her memory, even at the age of 100. I feel that my memory is horrible and I am in my early twenties. I think it has to do with the way they memorized the Quran. What are your thoughts?

Quṭb, Muḥammad ʻAlī. Women around the Messenger. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2007. Print.

Fatima Al Zahraa (RA) lived a life full of ups and downs. She lost a child, her mother, her sisters, and her father. She lived through times of war, times of hunger and through social and economic hardship. On the other hand, she had a wonderful marriage and enjoyed raising her four children, as well as having the opportunity to witness the prophethood in its fullest.

When the Messenger ﷺ became ill, Fatima (RA) went to visit him and knew he was not well because it was the first time that he did not get up to kiss her. She went to him and he whispered in her ear and she began to cry. He then whispered something else in her ear and she began to laugh. When Aisha (RA) asked her what he said, she replied, “I cannot reveal the secret of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

The Prophet ﷺ passed away that night. It was an extremely difficult time for everyone, especially Fatima (RA). After the funeral, she bumped into Anas ibn Malik, one of the men who buried the Prophet ﷺ. “Anas!” she said to him. “How were you able to throw dirt on the face of Prophet ﷺ? How were you able to do it?” And without waiting for an answer, Fatima (RA) started sobbing and ran off.

After the funeral of the Prophet ﷺ, Aisha (RA) again asked Fatima (RA) what the Prophetﷺ whispered in her ear. Fatima replied, “When he whispered in my ear the first time, he told me he is dying tonight. So I started to cry. Then, he whispered in my ear, you will be the first to follow me. So that made me very happy.”

After the passing of the Prophet ﷺ no one ever saw Fatima (RA) smile. Her grief overwhelmed her and made her sick. While the Prophet (PBUH) had to bury all his children, Fatima (RA) was the only child who had to bury him. It was about six months after her father’s death that Fatima (RA) became so sick, she was close to death. She started to give advice and life lessons to her children and she made two requests of Ali. The first one was the after she died, for him to marry Ummama, her niece, because she will be the most loving to their children.  The second one was that when they buried her, for her to be completely covered as they are taking her to the burial site because she wished to maintain her modesty, even in death.

Fatima Al Zahraa passed away on the 3^rd day of Ramadan in the year 11 Hijri. Her body was washed by Ali, Asma bin Omais and Salamah Umm Raf and buried in Al Baqi by Ali, Abbas, and Fadhal bin Abbas. She was 29 years old.

Ali cried uncontrollably for months. He said that nothing has ever took a toll on him as the death of his beloved wife, Fatima (RA). Her children mourned her at a very young age but they grew from her advice and lessons and became great leaders.

We learn from Fatima (RA) in her faith. She embraced Islam at the age of 5 and witnessed and absorbed the verses of the Quran being revealed. She stood strong in her faith and strongly by her father’s side as the persecution, banishment and mistreatment of the Muslims happened around her. She witnessed the prophethood in its entirety and became a patient, believing woman because of it.

We learn from Fatima (RA) as a daughter and sister. She was like a mother to her older sisters and to her father. She witnessed her mother’s illness and death and helped her father deal with losing Khadejah (RA) along with the hardship he was getting from disbelievers.

We learn from Fatima(RA) as a wife. Because Fatima (RA) had such an excellent upbringing and father figure, it helped her in her household with her husband. She respected Ali and appreciated everything he did for her. She loved him deeply and bore the hardships with him, never once complaining about their state of poverty.

We learn from Fatima(RA) as a mother. She taught her children the lessons that would help them in later life and taught them the religion of the Prophet ﷺ. Her children inherited her wisdom, deep faith, and sincerity to Islam. They remained close to each other.

The Prophet ﷺ named Fatima(RA) the Lady of the People of Paradise. He said that on the Day of Judgment, he, Fatima (RA), Al Hassan and Al Husayn and the ones who love them will sit with together in the shade and eat and drink until the Judgment is over.

May Allah grant us to be among them Inshallah.

Quṭb, Muḥammad ʻAlī. Women around the Messenger. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2007. Print.

“Amr Khalid- Assayida Fatima.” YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuUTkOxsg8o>.

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  |1. How did the idea for Muslimah Girl come about?

It all started when my friend and I were really bored one day and desperately wanted to read magazines. Unfortunately for us, we couldn’t find any magazine directed at Muslim girls. So we decided to make our own magazine. We thought it would beat our boredom plus provide other girls with a magazine. All of that was on a phone call, but the idea stayed in my mind; making a magazine would be fun to write and design and would also be a kind of Dawa at the same time.

     |2. How did you get the magazine started?

I consider the first issue as an epic failure even though I thought it was just stunning back then. It was designed on Microsoft Word, I had less than 20 subscribers and last but not least, most of the articles weren’t even mine. But then, I installed professional designing programs and started teaching myself how to use them. It has been a long, bumpy ride!

     |3. Tell us about your team and how you all came together.

The team is around 25 girls. Honestly, 5 of them or something are my friends. But the rest are all subscribers who just liked the magazine and decided to join. (You just complete a form at the site) The MGM team all share their passion for writing, but what’s special is that we don’t live in the same countries and we’ve never seen each other. I think that makes the team very unique.

     |4. How do you feel staying close to your deen has helped you in your magazine and in general?

I feel being close to my deen has helped me gain respect and be dedicated to everything I do, including the magazine. I think it’s like when you’re closer to Allah that He showers his blessings on everything you do, which obviously helps!

     |5. What do you think are the main issues that young Muslimahs have to deal with?

The main issues young Muslimahs have to deal with, in my opinion, are peer pressure and merely trying to be a good Muslim.

February Issue of Muslimah Girl

     |6. In what way do you think Muslimah Girl can help young Muslim girls?

MGM publishes articles that are suitable for young girls to read. Most of the articles try to deal with the problems that face Muslimah girls nowadays. We also care about health and beauty so that our girls can be pretty from the inside and the outside!

      |7. Where do you hope to see your magazine in the future?

I really hope to see the magazine printed and sold worldwide. It is my ultimate dream that every Muslim girl in the world knows about MGM. Inshallah one day it will come true! I’m full of optimism!

     |8. What advice do you give to other young Muslimahs who are also interested in starting their own magazine?

Patience, persistence, dedication, working hard and being organized. If you have these qualities, your magazine will be the best ever. You need to have clear intentions that will help you keep working when times are hard.

     |9. What are you most proud of as a Muslim girl?

I think I’m most proud of being so protected. It makes me feel extra special and so grateful that I’m covered and concealed like a precious and valuable jewel that people can’t have access to.

     |10. What would you like non-Muslims to know about Muslim girls?

I’d like them to know that we’re ordinary teenage girls with the same feelings and ways of thinking. We’re not oppressed. The only difference is that we follow another religion.

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You can learn more about the magazine here

You read the latest issue of Muslimah Girl here

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As I mentioned when I first started Mosaic, some women of the past have a lot of information on them while others have very little. While doing my research, I come across many incredible women that have only a few sentences that describe what they did. This is one of them.

Labana of Cordoba was a female Muslim mathematician from Spain who lived during the 10^th century. As a mathematician, she could solve some of the most complex geometric and algebraic problems that were known at the time. She was also very well educated in science and literature. These skills got her the position of being employed as the private secretary of the Umayyad Caliph of Spain, Al Hakam II.

I wish we knew more about Labana. She was a genius enough mathematician to be remembered throughout history so it makes you wonder whether she created new equations or what specifically she worked with as a mathematician. Allahu A’lam.

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Fatima’s (RA) role as a mother was just as historic as her other roles, as her children were so profound in Islamic history.

In addition to being so much like her father, Fatima (RA) also resembled her mother’s character more than any of her sisters. Before Fatima (RA) actually became a mother, she was already “motherly,” as we know by her nickname, Um Abeeha, or her father’s mother. She had that caring, loving characteristic by nature and was also like a mother to her three older sisters.

Her first son, Al Hassan, was born in Ramadan in the 3^rd year after Hijrah (migration to Medina). When the Prophet ﷺ asked Ali what he named his first grandson, Ali replied Harban (war). The Prophet ﷺ kindly suggested that they name the child something with quite the opposite meaning, Al Hassan, which means good or beautiful. One year later, in the month of Shaban, a second son was born. When the Prophet ﷺ asked Ali what he named his second grandson, Ali again replied Harban. The Prophet ﷺ again suggested a name with the opposite meaning, Al Hussein. There was a third son, Al Mohsin (also changed from Harban by the Prophet ﷺ) who died in infancy. We know all the Sunna related to what to do when a child is born from what the Prophet ﷺ did with Fatima’s (RA) children.

In the 5^th year Hijri, Fatima (RA) was pregnant when her sister Zainab passed away. Ali took the baby girl born that year to the Prophet ﷺ to name and he chose Zainab after his daughter whom he was still mourning.  That was a difficult time for the Prophet’s ﷺ family as Rukkaya and Um Kulthoom also passed away all within the same two years. In the 7^th year Hijri, Fatima (RA) gave birth to another girl and named her after Um Kulthoom.

Fatima’s (RA) children grew up in a very happy household. Their household was one in which their parents loved each other and loved them and their father set an example to the boys as to how to love and respect their sisters. The Prophet ﷺ was overjoyed with his grandchildren and would say that they are the leaders of the youth of paradise. Sometimes the Prophet ﷺ would take Al Hassan and Al Hussein and carry them wherever he went. When people asked him who these children were, he would say that they are his daughter’s sons and he would love all those who loved them. Another time, the Prophet ﷺ was making sujood (prostrating) when Al Hassan, Al Hussein, and Zainab came and starting jumping and playing on his back. The Prophet ﷺ took an especially long time making sujood and when he was finally done praying, Fatima (RA) came to him worried and asked him why he took so long in sujood. He responded that the children were enjoying playing and jumping on his back and he didn’t want to ruin their fun.

Fatima (RA) time as a mother was short and she did not live long enough to see her children as adults. She passed away when they were very young. However, her lessons and upbringing stayed with them as they grew older. Before she passed, she gave 7 year old Zainab two words of advice. The first was to be a mother to her brothers and care for them. The second was be a mother to the Umma (people, brotherhood) of  Mohammed ﷺ (kunni umman li ummet Mohammed ﷺ). Zainab took that to heart and grew up taking care of orphans, the elderly and all those who were in need. Al Hassan and Al Hussein were great warriors and left a great legacy. Most importantly, the boys and their father Ali, knew the importance of getting a woman’s opinion and would always get Zainab’s advice on many issues, including those of battle and leadership.

May Allah bless us all with children who are as great as these.

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*Islam is a peaceful religion even when it comes to naming children. The first thing we can learn is the importance of naming your children something positive and a name that has a good meaning. I heard, and I am not positive on this, that there are some names that you are actually not suppose to name your children because they are so negative. If anyone knows anything about this they can post below.

*Women make men. It is one of the greatest blessings that we have to be mothers. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Your mother, your mother, your mother.” Three times. No matter what restrictions society might put on you, you have a natural blessing to raise a boy into the type of man you would like to see in the world and to raise a girl into the type of woman you would be proud of. That is the most profound way we can create change, and that is a gift from God. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, when you educate the women, the children come up more educated and successful.

*Fatima’s (RA) daughter Zainab has an incredible story which we will discuss soon Inshallah.

Quṭb, Muḥammad ʻAlī. Women around the Messenger. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2007. Print.

“Amr Khalid- Assayida Fatima.” YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuUTkOxsg8o>.

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When we think of famous nurses throughout history, the first one that comes to mind is Florence Nightingale. However, many years before Florence Nightingale was Rufaydah Al-Aslamiyah, a famous Muslim nurse who established the first mobile hospital.

We hear many stories about how the women during the Prophet’s ﷺ time used to care for the wounded during the battles. All of these women used to work in Rufaydah’s Tent, and she was the head nurse. The location of Rufayda’s Tent was in an important location near (or in) the mosque and near the Prophet ﷺ and was known to all the Companions. The first time the Tent was mentioned, Mu’adh was struck in his brachial artery with a sword and the Prophet ﷺ said, “Let him stay in Rufaydah’s Tent so he will be close to me and I can visit him.”

During the time of the Prophet ﷺ most of the doctors were educated at a medical school in Jundisapoor that was established by the Chosroes in the sixth century. It is not known if Rufayda herself was educated there, but she had advanced knowledge and experience in the treatment of wounds and broken bones and in the mixing and applying of medications and drugs.

Everything in the tent was provided by Rufayda with her personal money. This included surgical instruments, autopsy materials, drugs and medications, special foods, bandages for wounds, and wages for the nurses who were the female Companions that were trained and supervised by Rufayda. She personally did not take any wages or rewards for her work. When you think about the number of battles fought under the leadership of the Prophet ﷺ you can imagine how much effort and expense she went through all for the sake of Allah.

Rufayda’s tent was one of the early foundations of Islamic civilization. After Rufayda’s Tent, mobile hospitals started to become more large and common.  During the later empires, they were so large, they were transported by about forty camels and had everything the patients, doctors, and pharmacists needed.

 Quṭb, Muḥammad ʻAlī. Women around the Messenger. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2007. Print.

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When we talk about Fatima as a daughter, we are talking more about the relationship between father and daughter. The majority of the Hadith we have tell us about the Prophet’s ﷺ actions and it is through his actions and words that we know how strong his love for Fatima was. It is because of this, that this story is just as much about the Prophet ﷺ as a father as it is about Fatima (RA) as a daughter.

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Fatima (RA) was known to be the favorite of the daughters. The Prophet ﷺ loved his daughters equally and never showed more love to one over the other. However, Fatima (RA) had a special place in his heart, especially being the baby of the family.  The most significant reason is that she was the only one, with the exception of Abu Bakr, who experienced his entire prophethood. She was a young child of five when he became a prophet and she endured all the hardships and events that followed. Her sisters however, were much older, were married and died young. The prophet ﷺ had to bury all this children and their beloved mother, except for Fatima (RA), who had to bury him.

From a very young age, Fatima (RA) was her father’s shadow-going wherever he went and learning from him as she grew. Aishah (RA) narrated that no one bore a resemblance to Mohammed ﷺ as much as Fatima (RA) did. She not only looked like him, but all her mannerisms-her way of speaking, walking, sitting, standing, etc.- were exactly like him.

After the death of her mother, the pressure on the Prophet ﷺ increased and Fatima (RA) made extra sure that she was always with him when he left the house, sometime having to sneak after him and he wouldn’t know at first that she was with him. One such day, she saw about 10 men surround the Prophet ﷺ and she immediately ran to her father’s side and started throwing rocks at the men, scolding them for taking advantage of her father after the deaths of her mother and his uncle. She took care of her father so much that people gave her the name Um Abeeha, mother of her father.

When Fatima got married to Ali, she had to move far outside the city. Mohammed (PBUH) started to miss her and was not used to her being so far from him. Harithah bin Numan Ansari had a large lot of land in which he had built houses for the Prophet’s ﷺ wives. One day Harithah asked the Prophet ﷺ if he would like to bring Fatima (RA) into one of those houses so she can be closer to him. Prophet Mohammed ﷺ replied that he does, but he was too shy to ask. And so it was that Fatima (RA) and Ali moved to their new house close to her father.

Whenever Fatima (RA) walked into a room, Prophet Mohammed ﷺ would immediately stop everything to go kiss her forehead and welcome her with so much love. He would take her hand and sit her down next to him before he continued whatever he was doing. Near the time of the Prophet’s ﷺ death, Fatima knew that he was dying because it was the first time he didn’t get up to kiss her when she walked into the room.

The Prophet ﷺ once gave a Khutba in which he said that Fatima (RA) was “a part of me. Anything that upsets her will upset me.” Aishah (RA) said that it was like Fatima (RA) left the aura of her personality wherever she went. If the Prophet ﷺ saw her troubled, he would become troubled and if he saw her happy, he immediately would break into a smile and be happy. Whenever she was in any kind of pain or starvation, the Prophet ﷺ used to make Duaa (supplication) for her and tell her what verses of the Quran to read to help ail her symptoms.

There was one night when a lady gave Fatima (RA) some pieces of bread and some roasted meat. Fatima (RA) covered the food with a cloth and sent for her father to come have his meal at her house. When her father arrived, she uncovered the food and was shocked to find an abundance of meat and bread. The Prophet ﷺ smiled and asked her who had sent all this food? “It is from Allah, He provides sustenance to who He pleases without limits,” she replied. They ate the meal along with Ali and the children but there some so much left over that they passed it along to the Mothers of the Believers who in turn had their fill and passed it to their neighbors. Prophet Mohammed ﷺ thanked Allah for the food and for blessing him with a daughter that resembles much of Mariam. In fact, one of Fatima’s (RA) nicknames was Al Batool because of how much she resembled Mariam in her humility and her devotion to God. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The best women that ever lived are four: Mariam (Mother of Jesus), Asiyah (Pharaoh’s wife), Khadejah (RA) and Fatima (RA).

Fatima (RA) was very humble and did not favor herself over others for being the Prophet’s ﷺ daughter. Aishah (RA) said that she never saw anyone more devoted to the truth than Fatima (RA). She would stand shoulder to shoulder with all the other women during the battles and tend to the wounded. When she saw her father wounded she couldn’t handle it and tended to his wounds herself.

Whenever the Prophet ﷺ came back from a journey or from a battle, he would pray two rakahs in the Mosque and then visit Fatima (RA) before doing anything else. If he was going to leave Madinah, he would never leave without visiting Fatima (RA).

Fatima (RA) continued to be around her father all the time until the day he died. Her devotion and love for him and the fact that she lived throughout his entire Prophethood is why she was named one of the greatest four women who ever lived.

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Next week, we will talk about Fatima as a mother Inshallah!

*Don’t you think it is such a wonderful thing that the person that resembled the Prophet Mohammed ﷺ most was a woman? It could easily have been Anas ibn Malik or Zaid ibn Harithah or even Ali who were with him all the time, even from a young age and would probably also have picked up his mannerisms. Subhannallah, Allah has given such a great value to women even in the small details.

*The Prophet’s ﷺ humbleness continues to make an impact on me time and time again. He could have easily asked that his daughter be moved next to him from even before she moved into the house that was far away and he wouldn’t have been granted it. But he was too shy! And when Fatima was hungry he could have easily asked people to feed her but instead he made duaa that Allah bless her with food. It is just so incredible to see how humble he was and how he never saw himself as more privileged than anyone else, even in times of need. Mashallah what an incredible example he is. May Allah grant us the strength to be like him, Peace be upon him.

Don’t you just love the relationship between Fatima (RA) and the Prophet Mohammed ﷺ? Its so beautiful.

Quṭb, Muḥammad ʻAlī. Women around the Messenger. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2007. Print.

“Amr Khalid- Assayida Fatima.” YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. Web. 10 Jan. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuUTkOxsg8o>.

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