Umm Hani

Umm Hani

Biography

Umm Hani, also known as Maryam, was a prominent hadith transmitter. She was raised by her grandfather, the respected Egyptian judge, Muhammad Ibn Muhammad al-Qayati. She began studying hadith at the early age of seven, when the judge took her to Mecca, to learn with some of the masters at that time. Upon her return, her grandfather began to teach her himself and she received several certificates. She was well traveled, having performed the pilgrimage to Mecca thirteen times. Umm Hani married twice. When her second husband died, she decided to use the inheritance to independently purchase and run a spinning-wheel workshop. During this time, she also taught hadith to both men and women, who praised her learning and piety. She never wrote a book and received training on short and basic texts of Shafi’i jurisprudence.

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