You mocked Muslim women as academically insignificant in Islamic history, claiming we only hear about Rijāl al-Isnād (men of chains of narration), not Nisā’ al-Isnād (women of chains of narration). Malik, you misunderstand the Arabic concept of taghlib—where even if there is one male among a thousand females, the masculine form is used by linguistic convention, not because women were absent.
Consider these facts:
ʿĀʾishah bint Abī Bakr narrated about 2,210 hadiths, making her the most prolific female narrator and a crucial source of Islamic knowledge.
Umm Salamah narrated around 378 hadiths, known for her wisdom and significant role in early Islamic events.
Fāṭimah az-Zahrāʾ, the Prophet’s daughter, narrated about 18 hadiths.
Other women such as Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr and Umm Hānīʾ narrated smaller but still important numbers, ranging from 40 to 60 hadiths.
Among the Tābiʿūn (the generation after the Companions), notable women narrators include:
Umm ʿAtiyyah al-Ansariyyah, who narrated from the Companions and taught hadith in Medina.
Umm ʿAmr bint ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, a respected hadith teacher in Medina, who learned from Sahabah and taught many Tābiʿūn.
Fatimah bint al-Mundhir, a renowned hadith scholar and important transmitter in the isnād chains.
Among the Tābiʿ al-Tābiʿīn (the generation after the Tābiʿūn):
ʿĀʾishah bint ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, granddaughter of ʿĀʾishah bint Abī Bakr, narrated hadith from the Tābiʿūn.
Umm al-Dardāʾ as-Sughrā (the latter wife of the Sahabi Abu Ad-Dardaa), a prominent teacher in Damascus.
Hafsah bint Sirīn, the formidable lady from the family of Sirīn.
Have you ever heard of Kareemah al-Marwaziyyah? She was the lady who transmitted one of the best manuscripts of Saheeh Al-Bukhari from al-Kushmeeanee back to Imam Al-Bukhari himself. I doubt it.
And here’s an everlasting reminder for you and your sponsors: the world’s first university was founded by a Muslim woman in a Muslim country. Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez, Morocco, established in 859 CE by Fatima al-Fihri, is recognized by UNESCO and the Guinness World Records as the oldest continuously operating degree-granting university.
Please name the equivalents of these noble ladies from Medieval or Renaissance Europe. If you cannot, shame on you—until you either die in disgrace or retrace your steps back to Islam.
I will be waiting for any response you muster. Be assured, what I have provided here is only the tip of the iceberg. I am prepared to present you with tens more responses. I do not mind if you are just a young man coming of age; I do this for those who might be in your shoes or risk falling victim to your sponsors’ jaundiced and crooked views against Islam.