Magnificent Muslim Women - A Brief List

Photo by Mari Potter on Unsplash

You may or may not know that I'm writing a Muslim-themed fantasy epic temporarily titled The Chronicles of Mourra (or CofM for short). I've been working on it off-and-on for about a decade now, which means I've been doing research for it for the same amount of time. I'm quite blessed in that I grew up surrounded by easy access to an excellent Islamic education (any and all ignorance is a reflection of me entirely lol).

My parents especially instilled in me a love of my history, traditions, and religion. Both my parents are educators and storytellers, in different ways, so that I haven't really needed 'outside' research to create the world of CofM (as it stands now). I base a lot of it on my lived experience!

​Still, when someone on Facebook asked me if I was able to do my research easily, and lamented struggling to find resources on notable women in Islam, especially in positions of power and leadership, I went on a researching binge and compiled a very non-exhaustive list of resources on magnificent Muslim women.

This is more a jumping off point so you can have a direction when researching online (there's a lot of books out there too!) I focused mostly on medieval women, as there's a wealth of easily accessible information out there on all the incredible female companions and contemporaries from the Prophet's (ﷺ) time. (Although, if y'all want a list of them, do let me know and I'll make a part 2 to this!)

1) Via Ballandalus, a truly excellent online resource on Islamic history:

• 15 Important Muslim Women in History 
• 20 Influential Medieval/Early Modern Muslim Women 
• 20 Influential Medieval/Early Modern Muslim Women 
• Women in Islamic History 
• Famous Historical Muslims of African/Black Origin
• 27 Prominent Medieval Andalusi Women

​
2) Extraordinary Women from the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation via 1001inventions
​
3) Women’s Contribution to Classical Islamic Civilisation: Science, Medicine and Politics via MuslimHeritage

All these links include references that should lead you to more information! I did my best to make sure they're all credible too. Some standout favourite women I want to learn more about include:

1. Lalla Fatma N’Soumer
2. Rābi‘a al-‘Adawīyya
3. Lubna of Cordoba
4. Fāṭima b. Abī al-Qāsim ‘Abd al-Rahmān b. Muhammad b. Ghālib al-Ansārī al-Sharrāṭ
5. Shajar al-Durr
6. Zaynab b. Ahmad
7. Sayyida al-Hurra
8. Parī Khān Khānum
9. Fatima al-Fihri
10. Maryam bint Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Fihr
11. Mariam “Al-Astrolabiya” Al-Ijliya
12. Zaynab Al Shahda
13. Gevher Nesibe Sultan
14. Queen Amina of Zaria
15. Zubayda bint Abu Ja’far al-Mansur
16. Dhayfa Khatun
17. Sitt al-Mulk
18. Shajarat al-Durr
19. Sultana Razia
20. Umm al-Dardā’ Hujayma bt. Ḥuyayy al-Sughra
21. Sayyida Nafīsah al-Ṭāhirah
22. Kanzah bt. Isḥāq b. Muḥammad al-Awrabiyya
23. ‘Arīb al-Ma'muniyya
24. ‘Ā’ishah b. Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Qādim
25. Zaynab bt. Isḥāq al-Nafzāwiyyah 
26. Fāṭimah bt. Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Samārqandī
27. ʿĀʾisha al-Mannūbiyya 
28. Fāṭimah al-Ḥurrah
29. Ā’ishah al-Ba‘uniyyah
30. Malahayati of Aceh
31. Gulbadan Begum
32. Nūr Jahān 
33. Nānā Asmā’u 

Do you know of notable Muslim women of history that are absent from this list? I would particularly like to find more women from outside the Arab world! Comment below and let me know!

Until next time, happy reading!