Strong, Not Fragile:The True Strength of a Muslim Woman

giochtn
Aug 27
4 min read

For generations, the image of a Muslim woman has often been shaped by words such as inferior, oppressed, and unequal. Her faith is questioned, her choices are misunderstood, and even her modesty is sometimes mistaken for weakness. But how did these assumptions become so deeply rooted in the way she is seen?Is it because of her hijab? hijab is a boundary that you set -- they are not a cage. They are a fortress. You are not hidden; you are guarded.The stereotypical culture has perfectly shaped the ideology of the people that the talk about Muslim women is often linked by these negative traits.

Allah says in the Quran:

وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًۭا

Do not follow what you have no ˹sure˺ knowledge of. Indeed, all will be called to account for ˹their˺ hearing, sight, and intellect. (Surah al- Isra 17:36)

Beyond the Label of “Fragile”:

The idea about women were not always the same. Throughout the history of Islam, women have been the bearers of truth, beacons of resilience and the guardians of faith.

· Nusaybah bint Ka'ab (RA)

She wasn’t a soldier. Neither a warrior. She was a WOMAN who refused the battlefield to be a man’s place. She came to the battle of Uhud to help, to bring water to tend to the wounded, to support from sidelines. But when the enemy broke through the ranks and reached Prophet PBUH, she did not even think. She grabbed a sword, charged into battle, she fought shoulder to shoulder with the men. With her own body she shielded Prophet PBUH. With her own hands she struck back at the enemy. With her own blood she proved that courage has no gender. She took blow after blow, wounds across her arms, cuts on her shoulders, but she kept fighting. And the prophet PBUH saw her and even said later on, “Wherever I turned on the battlefield, I saw her fighting beside me.”Is this what a typical fragile woman does?Strength isn’t given. It’s taken and it’s fought for.

· Sumayyah bint Khayyat (RA)

Do you know who was the first person who lost life for Islam? The first ever martyr in Islam? It is not a man. Rather so-called fragile person. A WOMEN. Sumayyah Bint Khayyat (RA)In a society where it was dangerous to convert, her` family were among the first to publicly declare their faith, facing severe backlash from the Quraysh tribe.She saw the truth and logic behind the call to Islam and strove to pledge her faith to Allah ﷻ and her life for Islam.Facing torture and being dragged into the scorching desert to force them to abandon their faith, Sumayyah and her family refused to abandon their belief in Allah and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).upon seeing their suffering, the Prophet (PBUH) told the family:‘Be patient O family of Yasir. For your final destination is Paradise.”

Upon hearing the Prophet’s (PBUH) words, Summaya proudly recited, “I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah and that your promise is truthful.” Her devotion and courage are what ultimately led to her death, when Abu Jahl, a fierce opposer of Islam, became enraged by her refusal to denounce her faith, striking her with a spear and killing her.

· Karima al-Marwaziyya - Musnida of the Sacred Precinct

People refer to Sahih al- Bukhari and consider it as a reliable source. There is an authoritative narrator known as the "Shaykha of Mecca". Karima al-Marwaziyya, not just a narrator but a highly competent critical evaluator of historical lineages. Her personal handwritten manuscript of the Sahih was considered the most flawless copy in existence. Generations of later scholars relied heavily on her documented notations.Are such women too considered weak on whose narration the world relies on?

· Hafsa bint Umar (RA)

Also known as Umm al-Mu'minin (Mother of the Believers) fourth wife of the Prophet Muhammad and the daughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), the second Khalifa of Islam.

Sayyidah Hafsa (RA) was chosen to keep the first copy of the Glorious Qur’an and she very responsibly preserved it until the time of Uthman (RA) when the Glorious Qur’an was officially compiled.She was strong, determined, confident and also diligent in worship.Does anyone give such valuable treasury to a fragile person to safeguard it?

The Myth of Fragility:

These are just few names that I’ve listed. There are more women in Islam who had conquered the world – From rulers and masterminds who governed their kingdom effortlessly to intellects, scientists and founders.

Allah questions the concealers:

يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لِمَ تَلْبِسُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُونَ ٱلْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

O People of the Book! Why do you mix the truth with falsehood and hide the truth knowingly? (Surah Al-Imran 3:71)

Is this what we are taught? - Assume and judge women as fragile. or is it that they feared women and their braveness that they decided to make us all believe that a woman is fragile?

Strength isn’t always a physical factor. It is about conquering one’s fear and standing up for oneself. It isn’t necessary for one to reveal her identity to prove her strength. Gender does not decide strength. FEMININITY IS NOT VULNERABILITY!!

Even after knowing the truth and choosing to be silent is also considered a sin!

So, Think. Choose.

Either to stay quiet and face the wrath of Allah

or be the change. Be the voice that reaches others.

Writer: N K Fouzia Fathima, Associate, GIO Jamalia.

Date: 27 August 2026.