Great Women of Islam

The Great Women of Islam book is Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar's English compilation of biographies covering the Mothers of the Believers — the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)'s wives — and sixteen women companions who were personally given the news of Paradise by the Prophet (PBUH) during their own lifetimes. It was originally written in Urdu and translated into English for this Darussalam edition, which is where most of its English-language readership comes from.

What the book actually covers

Rather than one continuous narrative, the book is organized as a set of individual profiles — each Mother of the Believer and each of the sixteen companions gets her own section. Among the wives: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the Prophet's (PBUH) first wife and the first person to accept Islam; A'ishah bint Abi Bakr, known for the scale of hadith and fiqh knowledge she transmitted after his death; Hafsah bint Umar, who kept an early written copy of the Quran; and Umm Salamah, among others. Among the sixteen companions promised Paradise by name, Asma bint Abi Bakr and Umm Ammarah (Nusaybah bint Ka'b) — remembered for defending the Prophet (PBUH) physically at the Battle of Uhud — are two of the better-known figures covered.

Sourcing and approach

Ghadanfar draws the material from the Quran, authentic hadith, and established early historical sources, and the book is written to avoid the exaggerated or weakly-sourced anecdotes that circulate in less careful compilations on this subject. That's consistent with what Darussalam generally screens for in its biography line, and it's part of why this particular title has stayed in print in English since the early 2000s.

Specifications

• Author: Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar
• Language: English (translated from the original Urdu)
• Pages: 272
• Dimensions: 14 x 21 cm
• Binding: Hardcover, embossed, with an attached bookmark
• Print: 2-color
• Publisher: Darussalam
• ISBN: 9789960897271

Who this is for

Readers who want a reliable, source-based introduction to the women of early Islam, rather than scattered references picked up from sermons or social media. It works as a reference to dip into profile by profile, or as a straight read from cover to cover, and it's a common pick for personal libraries, madrasah reading lists, and gifting.

If you want to go deeper on one figure specifically, Golden Stories of Sayyida Khadijah (R.A) covers the Prophet's (PBUH) first wife in more detail. For a different format on the same broad subject, Questions & Answers on the Mothers of the Believers covers the same women in a Q&A structure, and Honorable Wives of the Prophet (PBUH) is another English title focused specifically on the wives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this book about?

All of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)'s wives, known as the Mothers of the Believers, plus sixteen women companions who were told directly by the Prophet (PBUH) that they would enter Paradise.

Was this book originally written in English?

No — it was originally written in Urdu by Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar and translated into English for this edition.

Is this a storybook or a reference-style biography?

It's organized as individual profiles, one section per woman, so it works either as a cover-to-cover read or as a reference to look up one figure at a time.

What's the binding and print quality like?

Hardcover with embossing and an attached bookmark, 272 pages, 2-color print, 14 x 21 cm.

How long does delivery take?

Most orders arrive in 3–5 working days anywhere in Pakistan, with same-day dispatch from Lahore for orders placed before 1 PM.

Browse more in the Women collection.