At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
Walk this pathway
12steps · 40min · student · family
Khadija
The beginning: the first to believe, in the account.
Umm Ayman
She who cared for the Prophet as a child.
Sumayya bint Khayyat
She who held firm under torture in Mecca.
Asma bint Umays
She emigrated to Abyssinia.
Umm Habiba
She emigrated and returned after years.
Nusayba bint Ka'b
She who pledged at al-Aqaba and defended on the day of Uhud.
Asma bint Abi Bakr
The one of the two waist-belts on the Hijra journey.
Safiyya bint Abd al-Muttalib
The Prophet's aunt, and what is told of her on the day of the Trench.
Fatima
The Prophet's daughter; note how she is remembered among Sunnis and Shi'a.
A'isha
Among the most prolific narrators of hadith; read the perspectives section on the page, the Sunni view first.
Hafsa
And what is related of her in the preservation of the mushaf.
Umm Salama
And her counsel on the day of al-Hudaybiyya.
Tell it back
Tell what you learned in your own words. What you write stays on this device only, and no one else reads it.
- Where would you start if you told this to a friend?
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- Sum it up in two sentences of your own.
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The aim of this trail
To learn the roles of women in the first generation as they have reached us from the sources, and to place each one in her proper position in the story.
What you will know at the end
- Recall what each of them is known for.
- Connect each woman to an event or a stage of the story.
- See how differences between traditions are presented in the biographies of some of them.
How to read this trail
Each step is one woman and one documented page. On every page, judgements and accounts are attributed to those who voiced them. Where the traditions differ, the Sunni view is presented first, followed by the others, each named. Approximate duration: 40 minutes; 12 steps. This is an experimental trail within "Tour and Learn".
Before you begin
It is best to begin with The Meccan Period: From the Cave to the Hijra.
The steps
1. Khadija
Khadija bint Khuwaylid: the beginning. In the account, the first to believe. 1
2. Umm Ayman
Umm Ayman Baraka bint Tha'laba: she who cared for the Prophet when he was young. 2
3. Sumayya bint Khayyat
Sumayya bint Khayyat: she who held firm under torture in Mecca. 3
4. Asma bint Umays
Asma bint Umays: she emigrated to Abyssinia. 4
5. Umm Habiba
Umm Habiba Ramla bint Abi Sufyan: she emigrated, and returned after years. 5
6. Nusayba bint Ka'b
Nusayba bint Ka'b: she who pledged at al-Aqaba and defended the Prophet on the day of Uhud. 6
7. Asma bint Abi Bakr
Asma bint Abi Bakr: the one of the two waistbands, on the journey of the Hijra. 7
8. Safiyya bint Abd al-Muttalib
Safiyya bint Abd al-Muttalib: the Prophet's aunt, and what is related of her on the day of the Trench. 8
9. Fatima
Fatima bint Muhammad: the Prophet's daughter. Note how she is remembered among Sunnis and among Shi'a. 1
10. A'isha
A'isha bint Abi Bakr: among the most prolific narrators of hadith. Read the perspectives section on the page, with the Sunni view first. 9
11. Hafsa
Hafsa bint Umar: and what is related of her in the preservation of the mushaf. 1
12. Umm Salama
Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya: and her counsel on the day of al-Hudaybiyya. 1
When you finish
Sources
- Ibn Sa'd, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (Bewley translation, Ta-Ha)
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.57
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.90
- Siyar a'lam al-nubala' — al-Dhahabi (al-Abyari edition, vol. 2) , p.204-205
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/38; cite:ibn-sad-tabaqat-bewley
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.148
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani , p.1911
- Watt, Muhammad at Medina (1956)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Women Around the Prophet: Twelve Lives”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/exhibits/path-women-around-the-prophet/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-21.