When talking about Muslim women, the common narrative is that we are oppressed, limited, restrained and restricted. It is unfortunate that this is how people have come to think of Muslim women. Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, Muslim women have been running successful businesses, going into battle, learning and spreading knowledge, and doing so much more. 

There are numerous amazing Muslim women out there doing wonderful things even today. In fact, when trying to list a few amazing muslim women who shatter stereotypes, I found it incredibly hard to restrict myself to just a few. We have Muslim women who are athletes, like Ibtihaj Muhammad, Kulsoom Abdullah, Sania Mirza, Khadija Diggs, and Sarah Attar to name a few; and scientists like Dr. Hayat Sindi and Tahani Amir; politicians and activists like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Linda Sarsour. 

There are so many Muslim women who shatter stereotypes, and achieve great things. In this list we talk about a few that may not be extremely popular, but are definitely extremely inspiring and doing wonderful things in their fields, showing us that there is nothing that Muslim women cannot do. 

 

Naima B. Robert

Naima B. Robert has authored over 20 books of fiction, a few of poetry, and a memoir and helps and encourages other Muslim women to become writers and tell their stories. She is the founder of Sisters Magazine, and she does all this all covered up! If she isn’t an example of a muslim woman breaking stereotypes, I don’t know who is!

 

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My favourite section of the bookshop: the children’s section! I have been writing children’s books for 20 years and, this year, my 20th book was published, alhamdulillah! Some of you may have read the book I wrote with @muftimenkofficial and wondered, ‘How does she do it?’ Well, all is about to be revealed 😁 You are ALL invited to my live Children’s Book Workshop next Thursday 15th of October at 9pm UK time. In that workshop, I will be sharing some insider secrets and the personal strategies that have allowed me to write books for toddlers, primary age and teens, fiction and nonfiction for several different publishers including @quartokids @franceslincolnpub @hachettebooks @mantralingua @kubepublishing and @littlehibba Sound interesting? Register for free via the link in my bio or bit.ly/childrensbookworkshop See you there, insha Allah!

A post shared by Na'ima B Robert (@naimabrobert) on Oct 11, 2020 at 6:13am PDTAsmaa Hussein

 

Asmaa Hussein

Asmaa Hussein is the author of over 6 children’s books, and 2 books for adults. She is the founder of Canada based publishing company ‘Ruqaya’s Bookshelf’ and she does this as she raises her daughter all by herself. She often talks about a hard time in her life, and the lessons she learnt in the process. The strength with which she has faced her struggles is extremely inspiring, and every word she writes stays with you.

 

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When Allah (swt) takes the thing or person you love the most, it's a test of faith, of patience and of courage in the short-term and in the long-term as well. We hear most often about the importance of being patient at the first strike of a calamity. And so we are vigilant—we guard our tongues and our actions. We hold on tightly to patience even though it’s extremely difficult and painful.But what are we meant to learn from our calamities in the long run, and how are we meant to change? I remember the days and months after Amr was killed, I became incredibly vigilant—I never left a debt unpaid no matter how small, I wrote my will, I tried to be selfless in all of my actions, I tried to come to the aid of other people, I actively sought out the things that would make me a better person. Because I saw and felt death in such a sudden and close way, I felt that death could reach me at any moment. I understood that any given day could have been my final day in this world. Now I often feel myself slipping back into my old routine. That urgency to do good deeds and to remember death often has receded into the background of the daily grind of life. And when I sit down and reflect on this, it’s painful because I know that Allah (swt) doesn’t give us purposeless calamities. Every hardship that befalls us is meant to change us, not just in the short-term, but in the long run, too. It takes fortitude to remain steadfast in our concern with the hereafter as we are when calamity strikes. The real test isn’t only about momentarily being patient in times of hardship – it’s also about weathering the pain in a way that allows us to become overall better, more God-conscious people. Sufyan ath-Thawri once said, “In our view, a person does not have an understanding of the religion until he thinks of a hardship as a blessing, and comfort and luxury as being a hardship.” We should be wary of who we are at times of comfort and ease. It’s often during these times that we lose sight of our final destination. May Allah (swt) bless us with patience and focus that is continuous until our final moments.

A post shared by Founded By Asmaa Hussein (@ruqayas.bookshelf) on Sep 29, 2020 at 8:27am PDTShehzeen Rahman

 

Shehzeen Rahman

When I think of inspirational bloggers and influencers, I think of Shehzeen Rahman. She is the perfect example of a Muslim woman doing wonders in the world of lifestyle blogging and influencing. She is a delight to follow and an inspiration for all bloggers.

 

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During these times of tissue paper stock outs, a small change that you can practice on if you don't do it already, is to make the switch to cloth towels. A lot of people I know use paper towels in the kitchen to wipe up spills and for general cleanup. This is waste we can all avoid. Since many of us are being conservative with paper towel usage cos it's constantly running out on grocery store shelves, it would be something amazing to try and switch over to an environment friendly habit because of those stockouts. Use cloth towels in your kitchen for cleanup that you can toss in the laundry with your regular wash each week. Use them mindfully as a habit you're moving over to, instead of seeing them as a temporary arrangement, and hopefully it should stick around long after the stocks are back :) I use general absorbent cloth wipes but you can find various kinds, even in a roll format, on Amazon etc. For the extra food stocks that we've all been keeping at home, there's so much plastic packaging we all must have bought in place of fresh produce....I don't know how to avoid that in these strange times, but maybe we can try for other better things. If you make the switch or already have a sexy towel to show off🤪, tag me on Stories so we can all get in the spirit. 💛 Suggestions are welcome. Also don't miss the cloth in my hand for this picture, I posed just for you guys 😛🙏 New hashtag cos this year we're going to talk beyond plastic 👉 #dwwlovemyplanet

A post shared by The Desi Wonder Woman (@shehzeen.r) on Mar 19, 2020 at 1:48am PDTAfra Said

 

Afra Said

When it comes to pregnancy, labour, and motherhood, there is so much we need to learn and unlearn and also so much support we need. As a doula, Afra provides support to new, and also expecting, mothers. Her mission is to empower women to embrace the craziness that is motherhood and not lose themselves in the process. 

 

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We are going through some really testing times. I know how stressful this time is. I know how overwhelming it is managing all the kids, trying to work and getting EVERYTHING done at home. I know how it feels to be pulled in all different directions. Cleaning & cooking is now something that happens at least 3 (if not not more) times a day. Mothers are literally on call all day! You feel me?. • When Linda (@breathebaba) & I worked on the Zen Mom Meditation, we didn’t know Covid was near us. This meditation creates a protective shield so that mothers can feel a sense of peace and calm amongst the chaos that Covid brings. It is something for mothers to listen to in the morning & in bed to sleep, to relax their minds. The less stress mothers are under, the stronger their immunity can be. It creates a space where time doesn’t exist and mothers can truly be in the present. • We really want mothers everywhere to be able to listen to this magical meditation, so for the next 4 days you can avail the meditation at over 40% off AND get the Bonus 5 min meditation for FREE using the code ZEN15 (link in bio). . And yes you can purchase it for someone as a gift! Swipe to see the testimonials! . #meditation #meditate #zenmom #calmnessofmind #calminchaos #covıd19 #supportingmothers

A post shared by Afra | Postpartum Doula (@afra.said) on Mar 26, 2020 at 6:28pm PDTHina Cheema

 

Hina Cheema

An OBGYN, with a penchant for Interior design, Hina profile is a treat on Instagram. She quit her job as an OBGYN a while back to be able to give her time to humanitarian work. She now volunteers her medical expertise at a free women’s health clinic set up for those who have no insurance. 

 

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Fear of being ordinary (FOBO) What if, this is all I could do in life even when I want to do so many things? What if I am just ordinary? Some 5 years ago, I was consumed by this fear. I wanted to do big things but this fear of being ordinary stalled me. I kept getting lost in the “what if” I die not having done something significant. One day, I sat down and answered these questions in my journal. • What are my values? • What do I really want from life? • Why do I want it? What is that need that is unfulfilled? • What is that small voice in my head telling me? After answering those questions, I set out to do the absolute best I could to make my dreams a reality. To go after what I really wanted in life. To fulfill that need. To not get stuck in perfectionism rather do my best Let me say this out loud, We are all ordinary. I’m over here getting some laundry done. Pretty ordinary. The issue begins when we think ordinary is a bad thing. Please remember that everyone of us starts out ordinary and ordinary people do extraordinary things. I understood that behind this FOBO, there was this fear of not being good enough. When we get lost in this fear, it prevents us from doing extraordinary things. There is ALWAYS someone coming up behind you that is better at something that you do. It might be years from now but there will be people who come along who are faster, cleverer and smarter at that thing that you do. That doesn’t mean we don’t do our absolute best. The day we get over This fear of being ordinary This fear of not being good enough is the day we unleash our maximum potential 💕 #fearofbeingaverage #fobo #successmindset #motivationalquotes #unleashyourpotential

A post shared by Hina Cheema MD (@storyofstyle) on Sep 1, 2020 at 9:53am PDTHuda Fahmy

 

Huda Fahmy

A Muslim cartoonist documenting the struggles of the average American Musllim through hilarious cartoons! Huda’s cartoons are available on her Instagram, and she also has a book out! 

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Pay attention to the kinds of stories they let be told and which stories are more heavily promoted. It's a constant struggle but don't ever stop trying to get your authentic voice heard.

A post shared by Huda F (@yesimhotinthis) on Oct 19, 2020 at 8:26am PDT

Hana

Girls can't use power tools- says who?! Hana is an amazing DIY-er who does excellent wood work! building a table? Not a problem for her! Building a wooden dollhouse AND designing it? Piece of cake! Build a play structure for her kids? You got it! Hanna is out there sharing her DIY experiences and encouraging other women to try it and not be scared of power tools! 

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PLAY STRUCTURE REVEAL ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This project shows that you CAN dream big. Go chase your dreams ❤️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #showemyourdiy #showemyourstyle #cljsquad #hunkerhome #sodomino #ispyraddesign #diychick #handywomen #Buildlikeagirl #Chickswhobuild #Girlswithtools #Chickswithtools #Imadethis #maker #PlaceStructure#Playhouse #KidsPlayhouse #KidsSlide #Swingset #DIYBackyard #KidsDIY#DIYPlayStructure #Clubhouse #KidsClubhouse#buildsomething

A post shared by Hana | DIYer and Dreamer (@hanashappyhome) on Aug 21, 2020 at 4:11pm PDT

 

 

And these are just a few! There are so many more inspiration women out there- Muslim women who shatter stereotypes with their work in their fields.