Karimah Al-Marwaziyyah: Female Hadith Expert

 

Karimah Al-Marwaziyyah: Female Hadith Expert

The history of Islamic civilization informs us that in the first centuries of Islam, many women were actively involved in intellectual discussions with men in mosques, educational and cultural centers that spread in various places. They learn from each other Islamic scholarship, such as interpretation, hadith, fiqh, fiqh methodology and social science. The early Islamic generation understood and understood that women had the same rights to learn, acquire and disseminate knowledge. In fact, many sources state that many male scholars obtained their knowledge from female scholars. Some of them are Imam Malik, Imam al-Shafi'I, Imam Ibn Hazm and Ibn Arabi. Imam al-Shafi'i is a student and discussion partner of the female cleric Sayyidah Nafisah. It says:

اَكْثَرُ الْعُلَمَآءِ جُلُوسًا اِلَيْهَا وَأَخَذَ عَنْهَا فِى وَقْتِ اللَّذِى بَلَغَ فِيهِ مِنْ الِامَامَةِ فِى الْفِقْهِ مَكَانًا عَظِيماً. وَكَانَ يُصَلِّى بِهَا التَّرَاوِيحَ فِى مَسْجِدِهَا فِى شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

"Imam al-Syafi'I was the scholar who was with him most often and recited to him, even though at that time he had already become a great jurist (mujtahid). In the month of Ramadan he prayed Tarawih with him in his mosque."

One of the women who became the head teacher for the scholars was Karimah binti Ahmad al-Marwaziyyah (d. 463 H). Imam al-Dzahabi in his famous book Siyar A'lam al-Nubala (Biographies of Intelligent Men) mentions Karimah as "al-Sheikhah" (female teacher), "al-'Alimah" (female scholar), and "al- Musnidah" ​​(great hadith expert), titled "Al-Mujawirah bi Haram Allah" (female neighbor of the holy land of Makkah). While Moroccan scholars call her "al-Ustazah" (female professor) and "al-Hurrah al-Zahidah" ​​(female Sufi).

Karimah bint Ahmad al-Marwaziyyah was the first woman to study Sahih al-Bukhari. In fact, it was he who had the most valuable manuscript which later became the source of writing al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqallani's great work, Fath al-Bari, a syarah on the most authoritative book of hadith.

It was said that Karimah al-Mawaziyyah was always waiting for the pilgrimage season to come. Because at that time he will meet with great scholars from all over the world and can gain knowledge, especially getting a history of hadith from those who have authoritative positions. But at the same time in Makkah, Karimah organized a “halaqah”, forum, recitation for all male and female students and scholars.

Some of the great scholars who studied under Karimah and obtained degrees from her are: Imam Abu Bakar Ahmad al-Khathib al-Baghdadi (d. 1070 AD), the author of the book Tarikh Baghdad, Abu al-Muzhaffar al-Sam'ani (1095), Abu al -Ghanaim Muhammad bin Ali bin Maimun al-Nursi (1116 AD), Muhaddits of Kufah.

All Ulama from the Eastern world and the Western Islamic region recognize the scholarship, scholarship and excellence of this Karimah al-Marwaziyyah.

فَالْعُلَمآءُ كَافَّةً سَوَاءٌ أَكَانُوا مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ أَمْ مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ يَعْتَرِفُونَ بِقَدْرِ هَذِهِ الْعَالِمَة الْمُحَدِّثَةِ الْكَبِيرَةِ فَلَا يُشِيرُونَ اِلَيْهَا إِلَّا بِالتَّبْجِيلِ وَالتَّقْدِيرِ وَالْأَدَبِ، وَقَدْ شَهِدُوا لَهَا بِالْاِتْقَانِ فَي الضَّبْطِ وَالْمُقَابَلَةِ وَالْمُعَارَضَةِ وَالْفَهْمِ

"All scholars from the Eastern and Western regions acknowledge the expertise/scholarship of this great hadith expert. They have high respect, honor and appreciation for him. They testify to his intelligence and expertise in Islamic knowledge, especially hadith, discussion and debate."

قَالَ أَبُو الْغَنَائِمِ النُّرْسِي :أَخْرَجَتْ كَرِيْمَة إِلَيَّ النُّسْخَة “بالصَحِيح” ، فَقَعَدْتُ بِحِذَائِهَا ، وَكَتَبْتُ سَبْعَ أَوْرَاقٍ ، وَقَرَأْتُهَا ، وَكُنْتُ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُعَارِضَ وَحْدِي ، فَقَالَتْ : لَا حَتَّى تُعَارِضُ مَعِي . فَعَارَضْتُ مَعَهَا .

"Abu al-Ghanim al-Nursi said, "Sayyidah Karimah issued a handwritten manuscript of the hadith of Sahih Bukhari. I sat in front of him, I wrote 9 sheets and read them in front of him. I want to discuss it myself with other people. Then he said: Don't. You should discuss it with me. So I discussed it with him."

The history and biography of this figure is written in many books. Some of them are: Ibnu Atsir in Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Ibnu al-Jauzi in Al-Muntazhim, Al-Dzahabi in Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, Ibnu Katsir in Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Ibnu Imad in Syadzarat al-Dzahab and Al-Zirikli in Al-A'lam.

All the biographies above inform us that this prominent female cleric did not marry until the end of her life, in 1070 AD Hiya Maatat Bikran Lam Tatazawwaj Abadan.