Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
5. Muslim women
~ 73 ~
perception in religious matters was so established
that whenever the Companions of the Prophet
found themselves in disagreement over any
religious matter, they would come to her to seek her
assistance. According to Abu Musa ‘Ashari,
whenever they were in any doubt as to the meaning
of any part of the
hadith,
they would turn to
‘Aishah. It was seldom that she was unable to solve
their problems.
62
Although the
Encyclopaedia Britannica
mentions her
as ‘Aishah, the third wife of the Prophet
Muhammad, who played a role of some political
importance after the Prophet’s death,’
63
her real
importance is not that of her own individual
superiority in Islamic history, but the indication her
position gives of the high status women were
accorded within the sphere of Islam, and of the
vastness of the field in which their talents might
honorably be used. It was owing to the distinctive
character of Islam that she was able to render such
important social and political services.
We present below some additional examples of
women who played an effective role in Islam.
