The Women of Makkah

The first person to ever inhabit the holy city of Makkah was a woman. We know her as Hajar, may Allah be pleased with her. Since then, women have been central to shaping the Islamic city across the years. Unfortunately, the history of women is often disregarded due to the patriarchal system that puts women on the margins. While women have made countless incredible contributions to the development of the Islamic city of Makkah, few are remembered today. In addition to this forgotten history, women have also disproportionately been the subjects of oppression and violence, especially during pre-Islamic periods. Newborn girls would be buried alive out of shame and fear, a sin so grave that it was denounced several times in the Holy Book.

But the story has a bright side. Women have transformed the course of Makkah’s growth by opening Quran schools, investing in Islamic education, and serving the visitors of Allah from all corners of the world. More recently, new efforts are being made by Makkah’s municipality to include more women in leadership positions in the Islamic city.

Makkah’s iconic and holiest place is undeniably Masjid Al-Haram, housing the Ka’ba. The Ka’ba was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail peace be upon them, and has been frequently cared for by local residents every year for pilgrimage. Across history, there were 3 women that undertook the expensive task of clothing the Ka’ba. The first woman was Zayd Ibn Thabit’s mother, Al-Nawar Bint Malik. She was pregnant with Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both) when she worked on the covering of the Ka’ba using threads from Arabian fabrics brought from what we now know as Yemen. Second was the mother of Omar Ibn Al-Hakam, who worked on a cloth large enough to cover the entire Ka’ba.

The third woman was Nateela Bint Janib, who was the mother of Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib from the Quraysh family. She was the first to include silk in the fabric covering the Ka’ba. When her son Abbas was of a young age, he went missing. She promised that if she found him, she would take the responsibility of clothing the Ka’ba. When she eventually found him, she kept her word and completed the financing of the cloth. Covering the Ka’ba was expensive, as it involved importing goods from the far lands of Yemen to Makkah. Since there was a great honor in this responsibility, the family of Quraysh kept this task within their family for many generations.

Within the Holy Mosque, women have held various positions from cleaners to pilgrim leaders. The role of guiding pilgrims is an entrusted role and a responsibility that is often passed on from generation to generation in the same family. The recent pandemic has left many of those guides longing for the many pilgrims who travel to Makkah annually from all around the world. The guides often speak multiple languages in addition to Arabic, are well-versed in matters of faith, and are able to support pilgrims across the various stages of the journey.

One guide is Shadia Ghazali Janbi, who has been serving pilgrims for over 60 years. Shadia’s nickname is “Daughter of Two Jewels” as both her parents worked as guides in Masjid Al-Haram during the pilgrimage seasons. Shadia has been guiding pilgrims in the Mosque since she was seven years old, where she traveled with her family to various countries in East Asia to help pilgrims in their journey to Makkah. Because of the diverse nature of the work, she speaks six languages in order to communicate with the diversity of pilgrims who visit Makkah. During the past Hajj season, she was selected to be among the few guides for pilgrims due to the social-distancing measures of the pandemic. Shadia continues to serve the Holy Mosque, both in aiding pilgrims and training future female guides to work in this profession.

One of the most inspiring stories is about the longest operating school to date in Makkah. There was an Islamic school on the verge of closure due to limited space and funding available for the growing number of students. In fact, the school was downsized and returned to operating in the Holy Mosque, becoming inaccessible for many students. That same year, a woman by the name of Sawlat Al-Nisaa travelled from India to perform pilgrimage in Makkah. She heard of the school that closed, which robbed many students of the opportunity to study and learn the Book of Allah. She gave a large portion of her wealth in order to help purchase a space for students and fund their learning journey. The community was so grateful for her donation that they named the school after her: Al-Madrasah Al-Sawlatiyyah. Today, this school is open for both male and female students, Arab and non-Arab, to learn and memorize the Quran as it came down to the Prophet peace be upon him.

Women have also played an important role in preserving historical sites through their generous endowments. One of the women known for her charity is Fatimah Al-Kattan. The library of Makkah, steps away from Masjid Al-Haram, is thought to be the likely birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him. Fatimah redesigned the birthplace into a library for visitors and scholars to benefit from for years to come. She also redesigned Dar Al-Arqam (the residence where new Muslims would gather in secret before Islam became public in Makkah) into a Hadith school and the home of Khadjia (may Allah be pleased with her) into a Quran school for students.

These snippets of history are mere reminders of women's efforts in shaping the Islamic city of Makkah. There are countless examples of incredible achievements in fields such as business, innovation, law, and governance. The past and present contributions of women give hope to a future where women are more involved and celebrated in the Islamic city, as in the past. In a world where gender-based inequality still exists, increasing awareness and documenting the important contributions of women can help us reconnect with the true Islamic tradition of equity and respect between both men and women. Of course, honoring the legacy of women is only the beginning, and hopefully the future holds more changes towards inclusion and equity.