Beyond the Margin: Juridical Authority and Educational Transmission of the Sahabiyyat

Abstract

This study investigates the foundational legal and pedagogical contributions of the female companions (Sahabiyyat) of the Prophet Muhammad to the formation and preservation of early Islamic knowledge. Utilizing a multidisciplinary analysis of Qur'anic exegesis, Hadith corpora, and biographical dictionaries (kutub al-rijāl), this paper demonstrates that prominent figures such as Aisha bint Abi Bakr, Umm Salama, Hafsah bint Umar, Asma bint Abu Bakr, and Umm Atiyyah functioned not merely as passive transmitters of tradition, but as active jurists (muftiyāt), educators, and methodological authorities. Their juridical verdicts (fatāwā) and analytical interpretations directly shaped subsequent legal doctrine across diverse domains, including ritual law (ibādāt), family law, and economic jurisprudence. Furthermore, the study examines their institutional and informal educational roles—ranging from domestic and mosque-based study circles to advanced methods of transmission like samāʿ, qirā'ah, and ijāzah—which established a durable paradigm for female scholarship in Islamic history. By challenging historical narratives of female marginality in early Islam, this research highlights the indispensable role of the Sahabiyyat in shaping the epistemological architecture of Islamic civilization.