Fatima al-Fudayliya
Fatima bint Hamad al-Fudayliyya | |
|---|---|
| Title | Shaykha |
| Personal life | |
| Born | |
| Died | 1831 AD, 1247 AH |
| Region | Arabia |
| Main interest(s) | usul, Fiqh, Tafsir, Sufism |
| Occupation | Islamic scholar |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanbali[1] |
| Muslim leader | |
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Fatima bint Hamad al-Fudayliyya, also known as Al-Shaykha al-Fudayliyya (died 1831) was an 18th and 19th-century Muslim scholar of hadith[3][4] and jurist.[5] She is considered one of the last scholars in a long line of female muhaddith.[6]
Biography
Early life
Fatima bint Hamad al-Fudayliyya was born before the end of the twelfth Islamic century, and soon excelled in the art of calligraphy and the various Islamic sciences. She had a special interest in hadith, read a good deal on the subject, received the diplomas of a good many scholars, and acquired a reputation as an important muhaddith in her own right.
Scholarship
She studied under many scholars in the Emirate of Zubair such as Sheikh Ibrahim ibn Jadid[7]. She was also an expert on usul, fiqh and tafsir.[5] In Mecca her lectures were attended by many eminent muhaddith, who received certificates from her. Among them, of particular mention were Umar al-Hanafi and Muhammad Salih.[4] The scholars who studied with her praised her for her piety, righteousness and practice of zuhd. She was also highly regarded for writing books in beautiful calligraphy.[5] Collecting books was a passion of hers and she amassed written works in all Islamic disciplines.[7] She also had a well-established tradition in Sufism and guided many people, especially women, who would become her companions and through her guidance and instruction these women became known for their piety, adherence to religious duties, patience, and overall good conduct.[7]
Later life and death
She performed Hajj [8]and settled in Makkah in the Bab al-Ziyada neighborhood in a house next to Masjid al-Haram.[7] Many scholars from Makkah would come to teach her and learn from her.[7] She would give them permission to transmit hadith from her.[7] These scholars included Umar ibn Abd al-Rasul al-Hanafi and Muhammad ibn Salih al-Rayyis, the mufti of the Shafi'i school.[7] In Makkah she founded a rich public library. She appointed Sheikh Muhammad al-Hudaybi as the supervisor of her books. He kept them until he moved to Madinah.
She lost her sight towards the end of her life and remained blind for two years. There is a miraculous story that was widely circulated in which she saw the Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) with Abu Bakr and Umar (may God be pleased with them both) in a dream. The prophet Muhammad gave her some of his saliva and she wiped her eyes with it, miraculously regaining her sight.[7] A more detailed account of the story states that one day she fell and broke two of her ribs and in her dream she wiped her ribs in addition to her eyes, leading to her ribs miraculously healing along with her sight. [9] She died in 1831 (Hijri 1247).[4] She was buried in Al-Mu’alla in Sha’bat Al-Nur in the enclosure of the late scholar Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Rayyis, next to his grave in accordance to her will.[8]
References
- ^ Suḥub al-wābilah 'alá ḍarā'iḥ al-Ḥanābilah by Ibn Ḥumayd 3/ 1227
- ^ Suḥub al-wābilah 'alá ḍarā'iḥ al-Ḥanābilah by Ibn Ḥumayd 3/ 1228
- ^ Farooq, Dr. Mohammad Omar; Siddiqi, Dr. Muhammad Zubayr. "Women Scholars of Hadith". Women Scholars of Islam: They Must Bloom Again. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Siddiqi, Muhammad Zubayr (1993). "Hadith Literature Its origin, development and special features: Women Scholars of Hadith". The Islamic Texts Society Cambridge: 117–123. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Nadwi, Mohammad Akram (2007). Al Muhaddithat: the women scholars in Islam. London: Interface Publishers. p. 263.
- ^ "Amazing Women Scholars". The True Knowledge. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Al Uthaymīn, Ṣāliḥ (2001). "ص1677 - كتاب تسهيل السابلة لمريد معرفة الحنابلة - ت ه عبد الله بن عثمان بن جامع الزبيري ثم البصري الحنبلي - المكتبة الشاملة". shamela.ws (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2025-02-09. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ a b al-Hafez, Muhammad Muti (1982). "إضافات للنعت الأكمل لأصحاب الإمام أحمد بن حنبل". app.turath.io. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ ibn Abdullah ibn Ali ibn Uthman ibn Humayd al-Amiri, Muhammad (1996). "السحب الوابلة على ضرائح الحنابلة". shamela.ws.