The Women Carrying the Legacy of Prophet Muhammad

From the Editor

They are in the forefront of not just the Islamic world, but the entire world, including the West. What was the place of women -- who have always been at the center of all religions, political movements and rules placed by philosophies and have become subject to different sets of rules -- in the history of Islam and what place do they hold today? While a majority like to speak of this matter using memorized texts, it will beneficial to not overlook and   determine the mistakes that have been committed in the past and continue to be committed until today. Is it fair to say that history is filled with wrong doings and the Islamic world of today is buried in its own mistakes? What do the women of Islam, or in other words the women whom Islam reveals to us today who have in a sense taken on the legacy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), tell us and the world?

Each one of the millions of Muslim women -- some lawyers, some human rights defenders, some teachers, some artists, some businesswomen, some thinkers, some politicians, some mothers -- who represent a different face of Islam are looking at the world through different facets.

Aisha (ra) who is regarded as the "Mother of believers," unfortunately only comes into the limelight by those questioning Islam, due to her age at the time of her marriage. However, in terms of her characteristics and activities, Aisha carries all the qualities to make her a model for believing women. Alongside the fact that she matured in the company of the Prophet, the steps she took to develop herself and the women, old and young alike, around her, were only part of the initial path she paved for women to develop themselves in the realm of knowledge. The prominence of Aisha in the most reliable of hadith and her playing a role in the important political developments of her time are clear attestations to the fact that Islam does not seek to lock women behind closed doors. Those who have been confined today, are women who have been imprisoned in the name of religion and confined by the cages of prejudice.

LastProphet offers profiles of Muslim women who have become symbols proving that it is possible to be successful and live in accordance to Islam. The notion of being successful should be understood not just in terms of career success, but also in areas such as religious life and family life. The examples we will feature will remain limited in reflecting the entirety of such people due to the limited space allotted for each text. However, we do wish that this series will play a role, albeit small, in awakening the consciousness of carrying the legacy of the Prophet.