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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Abida Mahmood

photo of Abida Mahmood Administrator and teacher trainer at the Qurban & Surraya Educational Trust

Alaa Nasief

photo of Alaa Nasief Founder and General Manager of Hadara

Amina Wadud

photo of Amina Wadud Islamic Scholar and Consultant

Aminah McCloud

no photo available Director, Islamic World Studies Program and Professor at DePaul University

Anjum Babukhan

photo of Anjum Babukhan Director of Education, Glendale Academy

Anjum Malik

photo of Anjum Malik CEO of the Alhambra US Chamber of Commerce

Asha A. Samad

photo of Asha A. Samad Professor and Human Rights Specialist, City University of New York

Asma Afsaruddin

photo of Asma Afsaruddin Professor, Indiana University; member of the WISE Shura Council

Asma Siddiki

no photo available Associate Dean for Development at the Dubai School of Government

Azza Kamel

photo of Azza Kamel Director of Appropriate Comunication Techniques for Development (ACT) and Founder of Women Research Centre

Dewi Fortuna Anwar

no photo available Professor; Member, UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters

Esha Faki Mwinyihaji

photo of Esha Faki Mwinyihaji Lecturer, Maseno University

F. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar

photo of F. Cangüzel Güner Zülfikar Associate Director of The Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilization at the UNC Chapel Hill

Faiza Shahrukh

photo of Faiza Shahrukh Head of The Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust School

Fatima al-Fihri

no photo available Founded the University of Qarawiyyin, the oldest degree-granting university in operation.

Fatima Sadiqi

no photo available Scholar

Fatima Seedat

photo of Fatima Seedat Ph.D Candidate at McGill University/Co-Founder Shura Yabafazi

Fawzia Afzal-Khan

no photo available Professor of English at Montclair State University

Fawzia Al-Attia

photo of Fawzia Al-Attia Professor of Sociology-Baghdad University

Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons

photo of Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons Assistant Professor of Religion, University of Florida

Halide Edib Adivar

photo of Halide Edib Adivar Novelist, Professor, Women’s Activist

Hatoon Al Fassi

no photo available Professor, King Saud University, Riyadh

Heba Metwally

photo of Heba Metwally Researcher/ English translator/media specialist at the State Information Service

Homayra Ziad

no photo available Assistant Professor of Religion at Trinity College, Member of WISE Shura Council

Irfana Hashmi

no photo available Islamic Law Consultant; Doctoral Candidate

Jamilah Ariffin

photo of Jamilah Ariffin President, Asia-Pacific Forum on Families

L. Heidi Primo

photo of L. Heidi Primo Head, King Abdullah Scholars Program

Laleh Bakhtiar

photo of Laleh Bakhtiar First American woman to translate the Quran into English, WISE Shura Council Member

Li Shuhuan

photo of Li Shuhuan Masters candidate in Ideological Political Education

Loren Hallilah I. Lao

photo of Loren Hallilah I. Lao Treasurer, Young Moro Professionals Network, Inc

Margot Badran

photo of Margot Badran Historian of the Middle East and Islamic societies/ Specialist in Gender Studies, WISE Shura Council Member

Mariama Shaheed-Carson

photo of Mariama Shaheed-Carson Assistant Principal

Mehnaz M. Afridi

photo of Mehnaz M. Afridi Professor, Antioch University and National University

Nawal El Saadawi

no photo available Novelist

Nevin Reda

photo of Nevin Reda WISE Shura Council Member

Nur Laili Rahmah

photo of Nur Laili Rahmah

Nurah Amatullah

photo of Nurah Amatullah Manuscript librarian in the Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Books Division at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Nurjannah Ismail

photo of Nurjannah Ismail Lecturer, Faculty of Letter, State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Ar-Raniry

Qudsia Huma Khan

photo of Qudsia Huma Khan Principal of the Junior School, Qurban and Surraya Educational Trust

Raja Rantisi Hamayel

photo of Raja Rantisi Hamayel Professor, Author

Rashida Manjoo

no photo available United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women

Rawya Al Busaidi

no photo available Minister of Higher Education

Rosnani Sahardin

photo of Rosnani Sahardin Senior Lecturer, Research and Teaching Assistant, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh

Sa’diyya Shaikh

photo of Sa’diyya Shaikh Senior Lecturer of Islamic Studies and Feminist Theory at the University of Cape Town

Sabiha Gokcen

photo of Sabiha Gokcen World’s First Female Fighter Pilot

Salwa Baccar

photo of Salwa Baccar English teacher, High Institute of Management, University of Tunis

Samina Bashir

no photo available Assistant Professor, Faculty of Shariah & Law, International Islamic University

Sara Silvestri

photo of Sara Silvestri Assistant Professor in International Politics at City University London

Seemi Bushra Ghazi

photo of Seemi Bushra Ghazi Lecturer in Classical Arabic, University of British Columbia

Shahdah “the Writer”

no photo available Calligrapher and one of the most distinguished Islamic scholars (ulema)

Siba Maraachli

photo of Siba Maraachli National Project Officer for the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labor

Siti Musdah Mulia

photo of Siti Musdah Mulia Research Professor, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)

Sobia Malik

photo of Sobia Malik Educational Consultant

Syeda Sultana Razia

photo of Syeda Sultana Razia Associate Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

Yamina Mermer

photo of Yamina Mermer Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Carthage College

Zaynab bint Sulayman

no photo available Princess and Teacher

Ziba Mir-Hosseini

photo of Ziba Mir-Hosseini Scholar, Anthropologist, WISE Shura Council Member

Zilka Spahić-Šiljak

no photo available Academician Focusing on Women in Islam
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.