Women’s Spiritual Role in Early Muslim Society

Another woman who made a signal contribution to the spread of religious learning in Muslim history is that of the daughter of Imam Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi (229321 AH), the famous Traditionist whose book, Sharh Ma’ ani al-Athar, is regularly included in the syllabus of Islamic seminaries. He dictated his book of traditions to his daughter, and as he read out the Hadith, he would explain its finer points to her, and then she would write it all down. The whole book was prepared in this way. This is one of the finest examples of a woman helping her family members in matters of religion. The above examples show the nature and extent of the contribution that can be made by believing Muslim women to the cause of Islam. Just as men function on different planes of religiosity, so do women have their separate spheres of religious effectiveness. Preserving their femininity, innumerable Muslim women participated in various religious and worldly activities.