Righteous Women of Our Pious Predecessors

Ghandaka

Ghandaka was a pious lady who would pray for the majority of the night, she would then say: "I seek refuge in Allāh from the angels that are harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allāh ﷻ in what He commands them but do what they are commanded."

Upon completing her prayer, she would say: "This is my effort, and upon You I put my trust."

[Safwatun Nisāʼ of Imām Ibn Al-Jawzī pg.129, Dār Ibn Hazm]

The Maid of ‘Ubaidullāh Al-Anbārī

‘Ubaidullāh Al-Anbārī said: "I had a maid. One day, I woke up and found her in prostration, saying: 'Due to Your love for me (O Allāh), forgive me.' I said to her: 'Do not say, 'due to Your love for me' rather say, 'due to my love for You, forgive me'."

She replied: "It is due to His love for me that He has removed me from polytheism to Islām, and has awoken my eyes and kept yours asleep."

He said: "You are free for the sake of Allāh!"

She said: "You have harmed me! I used to get 2 rewards (due to being a maid) and now I get only one reward!"

[Safwatun Nisāʼ of Imām Ibn Al-Jawzī pg.132, Dār Ibn Hazm]

The Wife of Riāydh al-Qaisī

She would wake up in the first quarter of the night and tell her husband: "Wake up, O Riyādh!" He would reply: "I'll get up." She would pray and then, in the second quarter, she would wake up and do the same, until the last quarter.

She would also beautify herself every night, come to her husband and ask: "Do you need me?" If he replied no, she would busy herself in Ṣalāh until morning.

[Safwatun Nisāʼ of Imām Ibn Al-Jawzī pg.130, Dār Ibn Hazm]

Umm Taql

Muhammad Al-Bāhilī says that Umm Taql would pray 400 rak’āt (units) of prayer, and read lots of Qur’ān.

From among her wise sayings is: "The soul is the king if you obey it, and a slave if you tire it."

[Safwatun Nisāʼ of Imām Ibn Al-Jawzī pg.122, Dār Ibn Hazm]

Umm ‘Īsā & Amah al-Wāhid

Umm ‘Īsā, the daughter of Ibrāhīm Al-Harabī, was a righteous scholar and would pass verdicts in Fiqh.

Amat-ul-Wāhid, the daughter of Qāḍī Husain Al-Mahāmilī, had memorized the Qur’ān, Shāfi’ī Fiqh, the method of calculating inheritance, grammar, and other sciences. She would give abundant charity and would hasten towards good deeds. She would also narrate Hadīth.

[Safwatun Nisāʼ of Imām Ibn Al-Jawzī pg.93, Dār Ibn Hazm]