The women muhaddithat of the 8th century (With special attention to Imam Adh-Dhahabi's teachers)

Women, as well as men, had made a significant effort to learn messages of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and pass it on to the next generation. These efforts, which continued throughout the historical process, reached an extreme level in the eighth century and the ninth century, corresponding to the years of sovereignty of the Mamluks. As a matter of fact, there are a considerable number of women scholars among the teachers of famous hadith scholars of the period. Some renowned muhaddithat had penned works introducing their teachers they had taken lessons from. Many of these scholars remembered their teachers they took lessons from with pride. Turkish muhaddith al-Dhahabi, a unique name in the fields of hadith, history and interpretation, is a scholar who lived between the end of the seventh century and the first half of the eighth century. Al-Dhahabi, who came to the fore with his unique works in hadith studies, draws attention because of taking lessons from many women scholars. In her work named Mu'jam al-Shuyukh al-Dhahabi, which includes biographies of her teachers, there are 104 women teachers among her 1,043 teachers from whom she took lessons through recitation, the way of hearing, and permission. Although this number is small compared to the number of male teachers, it is very important in terms of revealing the role of women in scientific life. This study deals with the women muhaddithat of the period of Mamluks in the eighth century, in the context of the teachers whom al-Dhahabi took lessons from. Women teachers of al-Dhahabi were engaged in transmitting hadith during the period in question by forming the center of the study, and the position of women in hadith studies at that time, how they gained a foothold in the tradition of education of the period, and methods of teaching and taking lectures had been tried to be determined by identifying women who gave permission. It is seen that most of the female narrators examined specifically as al-Dhahabi's teachers were affiliated with scholars families. Women hadith scholars began to study knowledge with the encouragement of their parents at an early age, and they obtained permission of the portions of hadith in the hadith councils of the important scholars to whom they were taken. Women who lived relatively longer than men during their periods were in demand for the narration of hadith for their high isnad in their later life. They not only taught women, but also narrated hadith to the famous scholars of their era.