A History of Islam in 21 Women

Hossein Kamaly is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary. A scholar of the Middle East, focusing on the history of ideas, he has previously taught at Barnard College and Columbia University, and is the author of God and Man in Tehran. He lives in New York.

Introduction



 



1  Khadija (ca. 560–619): The First Believer



2  Fatima (ca. 612–633): Prophet Muhammad’s Flesh and Blood



3  Aisha (ca. 615–678): “Get Half of Your Religion From Her”



4  Rabia al-Adawiyya (ca. 717–801): The Embarrassment of Riches, and its Discontents



5  Fatima of Nishapur (ca. 1000–1088): Keeper of the Faith



6  Arwa of Yemen (ca. 1050–1138): The Queen of Sheba Redux



7  Terken Khatun (ca. 1205–1281): Doing Well and Doing Good



8  Shajara’-al-Durr (d. 1257): Perils of Power, Between Caliphs and Mamluks



9  Sayyida al-Hurra of Tétouan (ca. 1492 –ca. 1560): The Free Queen



10  Pari Khanum (1548–1578): A Golden Link in the Safavid Chain of Command



11  Nur Jahan (1577–1645): Light of the World



12  Safiye Sultan (ca. 1550–ca. 1619): A Mother of Many Kings



13  Tajul-Alam Safiatuddin Syah (1612–1675): Diamonds Are Not Forever



14  Tahereh (ca. 1814–1852): Heroine or Heretic?



15  Nana Asmau (1793–1864): Jihad and Sisterhood



16  Mukhlisa Bubi (1869–1937): Educator and Jurist



17  Halidé Edip (ca. 1884–1964): Author of the New Turkey



18  Noor Inayat Khan (1914–1944): The Anxiety of Belonging



19  Umm Kulthum (ca. 1904–1975): Lodestar of Union



20  Zaha Hadid (1950–2016): Curves in Glass and Concrete



21  Maryam Mirzakhani (1977–2017): The Princess of Mathematics



 



Afterword



Notes



Further Reading



Bibliography



Acknowledgments



Index