Why Are There Such Few Female Scholars?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Are there any female Islamic scholars who have issued fatwas besides our mother `A’isha (Allah be pleased with her)? If not, why are so few female scholars recognized for delivering fatwas?
Answer
Thank you for your question. Yes, there are female scholars from Islamic history other than Sayyida ’Aisha; I have linked some of their details below. As for the reason for the fewer number of female scholars, I am unaware of the reason for this. However, I can attest that pious and God-fearing women gave birth to men who studied, were encouraged, supported and loved to become the great Muslim scholars of our past and present.
I encourage you and all Muslim women to sincerely pursue female scholarship and use it for the guidance and betterment of Muslims. Narrated ’Abdullah bin ’Amr bin Al-’As that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Indeed Allah does not take away knowledge by removing it from the people, but He takes away knowledge by taking the scholars, until there remains no scholar and the people begin to ask the ignorant leaders, so they give their verdict without knowledge. They will go astray and lead the people astray.” [Tirmidhi]
Please see more details here:
Where did the shaykhas go? Afterthoughts on Female Scholarship from the SeekersHub Retreat
Amra bint Abdurrahman–15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Nafisa al-Tahira–15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Maryam al-Istirlabiyya –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Karima bint Ahmad –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Fatima bint Saad al Khayr –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Razia Sultan –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Queen Aminatu –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Al Adar Al Karima –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Bibi Raji –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Fatima al-Fihri–15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Mumtaz Mahal –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Asma Ibret –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Nana Asma’u –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
Amina Assilmi –15 Centuries of Female Scholarship
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
