WOMEN IN ISLAM

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. FORTITUDE OF MUSLIM WOMEN The general conditions for women in the early days of Islam were often difficult. Still, they bore themselves with remarkable fortitude and adapted to whatever conditions they found themselves in. One shining example is that of Abu Bakr’s daughter Asma’ who was born 27 years before the Emigration. When she accepted Islam in Makkah, the Muslims were just 17 in number. When Abu Bakr emigrated to Madinah, he possessed 6000 dirhams, all of which he took. When his father, Abu Qahafa, heard of this, he came to his family to console them and said, “I think that Abu Bakr has not only given us a shock by leaving you alone, but I suppose he has also taken all the money with him.” Asma then told her grandfather that he had left them well provided for. She collected some small stones and filled up the niche where Abu Bakr had formerly