Muslim Women Who Taught Their Husbands

FATIMAH BINT MOHAMMED IBN AHMAD AL SAMARQANDIYYAH-FAQEEHAH, AALIMAH, MUHADDITHAH

We have discussed many Muhaddithat so far on this blog, so today I want to take it a bit further and tell you about Fatima bint Mohammed ibn Ahmad Al Samarqandi, who was not only a Muhadithah and a great Aalimah but she was also a Faqeehah, and used to issue fatwa (religious edicts and verdicts). She lived about 500 years after the Prophet ﷺ.

Fatima was taught by her father, the great jurist (Faqeeh) Mohammed ibn Ahmad ibn Abu Ahmad Al Din Al Samarqandi. He who wrote the famous kitaab, Tuhfatul Fuqaha, which his daughter had memorized. Fatima was an expert in Hanafi Fiqh (jurisprudence). She was also extremely acquainted with the verses of the Qur’an and the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. When Fatima would issue a fatwa, the fatwa was written by both, her and her father (and later also her husband).

Her husband, Alaa-ud-Deen Abu Bakr ibn Mas’ood Al Kaasani was a student of her father and an expert in the Usool and Furoo’ (Principles and Particulars) of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh). Interestingly enough, Fatima’s dowry was Imaam Kaasani’s book, Al Badaai’us Sanaa’i,  a commentary that he wrote on her father’s book, Tuhfatul Fuqaha. Her father was so impressed by the book that he accepted it as her dowry on behalf of Alaa-ud Deen over the kings that had asked for her hand and offered more.

Fatima’s skill in jurisprudence surpassed her husband and she became a mentor for him. Whenever he needed help with his fatwas or any religious advice, he would turn to her. Ibnul Adim said, “My father narrated that she used to quote the Hanafi madhab (doctrine) very well. Her husband, Al Kaasani, sometimes had doubts and erred in the issuing of a fatwa; then she would tell him the correct opinion and explain the reason for his mistake.”

*I also want to mention something else. We come back to a recurring theme, which is education. Imagine how much education and knowledge Fatima had to have in order for her to get to the status that she was. When we look at great people, we also need to look at how they got to where they were. I promise you nine times out ten, they worked really hard for it and studied, and read and read and read. We live in a time where everyone is after their fifteen minutes of fame (even in the Muslim communities), but real change and real establishment of one’s knowledge takes time, years. Work hard for it and increase your knowledge. You don’t need to be an Aalim, but you need to know who you are as a Muslim, which includes knowing your religion well and its history.

What do you all think of this story?

“Muslim Women Who Taught Their Husbands.”

Edited from:

Mosaic of Muslim  Women