1. Name: A History of Islam in 21 Women
2. Author: Hossein Kamaly
3. Genre: Non Fiction/History
4. Book Post No. : 73
5. What is it about? : Muslim women have played an important part in Islam’s history throughout the ages, from seventh-century Mecca to 21st century United States of America. This book explores the life and achievements of 21 such extraordinary Muslim women from different parts of the world and eras. From Khadijah, the first believer to Maryam Mirzakhani, the celebrated mathematician (after whom the Maryam Mirzakhani Award in Mathematics is named) this book looks at some truly exceptional women.
6. How I came to read it? : Same as my previous book, a casual search of Surrey Libraries catalogue revealed this book to me and I had it on my to-read list for a while now. I picked it up recently as part of my ongoing project to improve my knowledge regarding Muslims, their place in India and the world, their history and the current situation of the Muslims in the world. Also, it is my goal these days, in today’s polarized outlook toward Muslims, to better equip myself with knowledge of Muslims and Islam and also to share good books with my readers. It is my own small contribution to combat Islamophobia.
7. Did I like it ? : This was a moderately good read. The book starts off in seventh century Mecca with Khadija, the first person to believe in Prophet Mohammed’s message and accept Islam. A shrewd merchant with a flourishing business even before she married the Prophet, Khadija was a source of immense support for the prophet. It then moves onto Fatima, the prophet’s daughter (the Fatimid dynasty, which traces their ancestry to her, is named after her). Next is Aisha, another of prophet’s wife, who played an important political role after the death of the prophet.
From here, the narrative moves out of Mecca, to Basra, in the Kingdom of the Umayyads. Rabia al-Adawiyya or Rabia Basri was a famous sufi poet in the 700s. Next we move to a city in Iran, Nishapur whose inhabitant, Fatima (of Nishapur) or Fatema Daqaq was a scholar of Hadith or Hadees. Next we move on to the first queen in the list, Arwa al-Sulayhi of Yemen. She ruled Yemen from 1067 till her death in 1138, which is almost six decades, a testament to her intelligence, charisma and political acumen.
Terken Khatun is next. She was a queen in the Khwarazmian empire, which spanned the eras of present-day Iran and Iraq, in the 1200s. Next is Shajara al-Durr, who ruled Egypt in the 1250s after the death of her husband. She along with her husband firmly established the Mamluk sultanate that later posed a tough resistance to the Mongols and the Crusaders. It remained the most powerful force in the Middle East till the coming of the Ottomans in the 15th century. Shajara is followed by an Andalusi-Moroccan ruler of the 1500s, Sayyida al Hurra. She was the governor of Tetouan (a city in northern Morocco) and also in today’s words, a privateer. Pari Khanum, the Safavid princess is next. Regarded by many to be the most powerful woman in Safavid history, Pari Khanum played a very influential role in the succession crisis after her father’s death. As the author states “Her ingenious and effective interventions rescued the Safavids at moments when their power base almost imploded.”
Next the narrative moves to my home country, India. Noor Jahan, the Mughal empress, was the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir (1600s) and was more decisive and proactive then her husband. Apart from her political influence she was a huge patron of art and architecture. She built many sarais, gardens and palaces. Safiye Sultan of the Ottoman empire is next. She was a wife of a sultan and later mother of another sultan. The most powerful woman in the empire, she played an important part in internal and external affairs. She also had a flair of diplomacy and corresponded with many foreign kings and queens, of which the most known was Elizabeth 1 of England.
Then we have Taj ul-Alam who was the ruler of Aceh in the early 1600s. She was an able and pious ruler which made Aceh peaceful and prosperous. The influential poet and women’s rights activist, Taherah of early 1800s Iran is next. Then we have the first African women, Nana Asmau, who was a princess, poet and a teacher. She was the daughter of the founder of Sokoto Caliphate in West Africa in 1804. She played a prominent role in women’s education and even today many women’s organizations and schools in Nigeria are named after her.
“In the same way you care that your clothes be beautiful and clean, never forget to adorn yourself with knowledge and good manners. A human becomes a human not with clothes but with knowledge and good manners.”
~ One of Mukhlisa’s student’s mother’s advice
Mukhlisa Bubi, was an educator and the first female qadi (Islamic Judge) in Russia in early 1900s. She played a huge role in education of women and their legal rights. In 2014, the Tatar Museum of Islamic Culture in Kazan opened a permanent exhibition devoted to her life. Next is Halide Adip, the Turkish novelist, teacher, and feminist intellectual. She remains one of the most-read Turkish writers of her generation. Halide is followed by Noor Inayat Khan, a British agent who served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in World War 2. She was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her service, the highest civilian decoration for gallantry in the United Kingdom.
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Next is Umm Kulthum, the immensely popular Egyptian singer who was given the honorific title ‘Star of the Orient’. Rolling Stone ranked Umm Kulthum at number 61 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. The penultimate entry is Zaha Hadid, an Iraqi and British architect. She is recognized as one of the important figures in early 21st architecture. Amongst many projects, some of her most famous works include the London Aquatics Centre and the Guangzhou Opera House. The final entry is about Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian mathematician and the first woman to win the Fields Medal, often called the Nobel of mathematics. She is considered one of the greatest mathematicians of her time.
Muslim women have played an important part in its history throughout the ages but far fewer books exist on women than on men, though this can be said of any other religion as well. This book fills that gap. I feel that the author has selected women mostly from the Persian geographical area and woman from other areas have been overlooked.
Overall a good book for anyone interested in the history of some of the famous women in Islam.
8. Positives:
- Short chapters
- Breezy read
- Provides good context of the time and space where the figures are placed
9. Areas of improvement:
- I feel the title is slightly misleading. It could have just gone with something like ’21 Influential women in Islam’ or something similar.
10. Any other personal notes, observations, fun facts etc.
Full list of all the women mentioned in this book and their Wikipedia links:
- Khadija : The first believer
- Fatima : Prophet’s daughter
- Aisha : Prophet’s wife
- Rabia al-Adawiyya : The Sufi Poet
- Fatima of Nishapur : Scholar of Hadees
- Arwa of Yemen : Queen of Sulayhid Dynasty
- Terken Khatun: Empress of Khwarazmian Empire
- Shajara’-al-Durr : Ruler of Egypt
- Sayyida al-Hurra : Governor Tetouan
- Pari Khanum : Safavid Princess
- Nur Jahan: Mughal empress
- Safiye Sultan : Ottoman Valide Sultan
- Tajul-Alam Safiatuddin Syah : Ruler of Aceh
- Taherah : An Iranian Poet
- Nana Asmau : A princess, scholar and poet
- Mukhlisa Bubi : An educator and qadi in Russia
- Halide Edip : Turkish novelist, teacher and feminist intellectual
- Noor Inayat Khan : British resistance agent
- Umm Khulthum : Egyptian Singer
- Zaha Hadid : Iraqi and British Architect
- Maryam Mirzakhani : Iranian mathematician
Personal Note
This post is part of my ongoing effort to better understand the history and contributions of Muslims, across time and geography. The book includes figures from different sects, cultures, and eras, and while I’ve tried to summarize their stories respectfully, interpretations may vary depending on one’s background or beliefs. My intention is not to present a definitive history, but to share what I’ve learned and found meaningful. I hope this encourages further reading, reflection, and conversation.