WOMEN IN ISLAM — An Intellectual Role

those conqueror tribes had accepted Islam. As one historian said: “The conquerors have accepted the religion of the conquered.” During the Mughal period in India, certain Muslim women played a great role, e.g. Mariam Zamini, the mother of emperor Akbar, Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of the Emperor Shahjahan and Noorjahan, the wife of the Emperor Jahangir. In Conclusion Some great women have played an outstanding role in the history of Islam: Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet of Islam energetically promoted her husband’s mission, Aisha, a later wife of the Prophet, became a great social reformer, Hajira (Hagar), the wife of Abraham, brought into being a live community which was free of all superstitions and all other corruptions of civilization. It follows that, in every age, there is a need not only for men but also for women to devote themselves to the mission of God. Ideally, they should be individuals who are willing; in the way that Khadijah was, to involve themselves unstintingly in the scheme of God. Such people are like small cogs, which revolve strictly according to the motion of a larger wheel—in this case, the will of God. This is undoubtedly a trying task; but it is also one that carries a great reward. To perform this task is ‘To help God’. There can be no doubt about the excellence and superiority of those whom God chooses to enlist as His helpers. o The greater the learning, the greater the progress in life.