The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam

It is often said that two-thirds of the religion of Islam was handed down by women and one-third was shaped by women. "Of worldly things," the Prophet Muhammad said, "women and fragrance are made dear to me and the comfort of my eyes is made in prayer."

Muhammad was born to a widowed mother, tended by a female slave, and fostered by a Bedouin woman. Throughout his life, women were among his closest friends and companions, and they fought by his side for Islam. His marriage to Khadija, a weal...