Muslim Women: Past and Present

Recommend a Muslim Woman

Throughout the ages, from the earliest days of Islam to contemporary times today, Muslim women have been and continue to be active leaders in their communities and countries across the world. This directory is a growing archive of leading Muslim women scholars, activists, writers, politicians, artists, religious and spiritual leaders, civil society leaders and more. Please contribute to this archive by suggesting Muslim women to be featured through our recommendation form.

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Ni’mah Isma’il Nawwab

photo of Ni’mah Isma’il Nawwab

Known For: Poet, Writer, Lecturer, Photographer, Activist, Humanitarian
Country: Saudi Arabia

About

Ni’mah Nawwab was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to a family known for its long lineage of scholarship. She is an internationally published poet, writer, women’s advocate, and humanitarian and is recognized as a “Voice for Arab Women and Youth” and a “cultural ambassadress” who aims to build bridges of understanding related to global peace and rapport. The breadth of her work spans a wide continuum:  Ni’mah is a poet, photographer, film-maker, and youth and women’s activist. 

Ni’mahi s the first published Saudi Arabian female poet in the United States. Her latest work entitled, “Canvas of the Soul: Mystic Poems from the Heartland of Arabia”,  is a sequel to her pioneering work, “The Unfurling,” which included a historic, first-of-its-kind public book signing in Saudi Arabia and Washington D.C. In “Canvas of the Soul” Ni’mah features her passion for Islamic art and calligraphy amid poetic lines reminiscent of the works of mystic poets such as Rumi. Ni’mah’s poetry and academic articles are widely read and have been translated from English into Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic. She is a contributor to several English language publications and served as a reviewer and editor of the globally circulated “Saudi Aramco World Magazine” for 14 years.

As a passionate photographer and art devotee, Ni’mah’s photographic works have been featured globally; most recently she was published in “Saudi Arabia, A Land Transformed”.  Ni’mah has taken her interests even farther and melded her artistic and humanitarian passions into visual media. She has been a contributor to various documentaries on women and peace, such as PBS’s “Beyond our Differences,” a documentary about humanity and faith. Ni’mah also served as a consultant and narrator to the “Arabia 3D IMAX” documentary about Said Arabia in 2010.

Ni’mah is the recipient of numerous awards. Her work and best-selling books have been featured in BBC World News, Newsweek International, MSNBC, AP, The Washington Post, the Japanese English Yomiuri Shimbum, LA Times, Asian Age, GEO France,  Hindustan Times, the Malay Berita Harian, Hello magazine, Eastern Eye, Hi magazine, Arabian Lady, Arab News, Saudi Gazette, ash-Sharq al-Awsat, Al Hayat, Al Watan, Laha, Sayidaty, Khaleej Times, Arabian Lady,  Bahrain Tribune, Ukaz, Al Yawm, Arabiyyah Net, Elaf and many more.

This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women alphabetically by their first names. Many Muslim names have alternative spellings once rendered into English so if you cannot find the name you are looking for, please try the general search tab where you can enter keywords of your choice.
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This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women chronologically by the Common Era century. We are actively building the archive of Muslim women leaders from the past, as well as from today, and we would welcome your recommendations of women to feature. Please complete our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.
This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women by their Country. We are actively building the archive of Muslim women leaders from the past, as well as from today, and we would welcome your recommendations of women to feature. Please complete our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.
This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women leaders by entering the keyword(s) of your choice. If you cannot find a particular woman that you are looking for, please let us know by completing our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.