Ali A Olomi

Al-Khansa was a famous poet and early convert to Islam. Another poet said of her, “you are the finest poet of the jinn and humans.” She composed stirring elegiac verses commemorating her fallen brothers and was reputed to be Prophet Muhammad’s favorite poet.

Upon hearing her poetry he was moved to tears.

Muhammad’s own daughter was an accomplished poet. Fatimah wrote a moving tribute when her father passed: "They sky turned grey, the sun shot out of sight, leaving a black afternoon The Prophet is dead, the earth trembling and depressed over his loss.." (trans. al Udhari)

There was also Umm Sinan bint Khaithama who praised Ali ibn Abi Talib with verses comparing him to a luminous moon surrounded by benefic planets. The benefic planets in astrology were Jupiter and Venus.

Layla bint Tarif was a warrior poet of the Kharijites, a fanatical group rejected by mainstream Muslims. She exemplified a tribal ethos, leading men into battle while composing rousing poetry.

Another warrior poet of the Kharijites, Ghazala famously routed the Umayyad general Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. She taunted him with verse: “You are a lion against me, but were made into an ostrich which spreads its wings and flees on hearing the chirping of a sparrow.”

Humayda bint Nu’man ibn Bashir also famously used verse to taunt. She was married three times and her husbands were often the target of her ridicule.

Her last husband was Fayd, whose name mean “flow.” She composed a poem as a play on the meaning of his name accusing him of not flowing with gifts, but with shit.

Among the Umayyads of the 7th century, Layla al-Akhyaliyya was renowned for her lovelorn poetry. In her youth she was in love with Tawba ibn Humayyir, but her father wanted her to marry another. Tawba died and she spent her days writing poetry lamenting his loss.

Despite being married to another, she publicly and openly wrote of her love for another

Inan bint Abdallah was an enslaved woman who held poetry recitals in her master’s house. She was eventually bought by Caliph Harun al Rashid who took her as a lover. She was famous for her bawdy verses and public flirtations with the literati of her era.

She would exchange verses with other poets in competitions of wit and eloquence and is said to have bested the famed, Abu Nuwas

There were even poets among Abbasid princesses. In the 8th and 9th century Ulayya bint al Mahdi was the half sister of Caliph Harun al Rashid. An accomplished singer and poet she composed short verses.

In one of her poems she writes: "I held back my love’s name and kept repeating it to myself Oh how I long for an empty space to call out the name I love..."

In the 11th century, Wallada bint al-Mustakfi was the daughter of Muhammad III in Cordoba. She famously opened a poetry hall where she trained women of all stations and classes in poetry.

She publicly went without a hijab preferring to wear stunningly sheer garments decorated with embroidered verse.

She had a famous love affair with the nobleman poet, Ibn Zaydun. The two exchanged tumultuous and passionate letters. When he spurned her, she took up with his rival Ibn Abdus who exacted her revenge by having Ibn Zaydun arrested.

In Yemen, Queen Asma bint Shihab co-ruled with her husband and upon his death assumed control of his kingdom alongside her famous daughter-in-law Arwa. Asma was renowned as a legendary poet who other poets praised in their verses.

Little is known about the 12th century, Safiyya al-Baghdadiyya, but according to literary historian al Udhari she left behind the following verses: "I am the wonder of the world, the ravisher of hearts and minds Once you have seen my stunning looks, you’re a fallen man."

Then there was the 16th century Sufi mystic, Aisha al Ba’uniya, a prolific scholar and poet. She taught students in religious matters, but also composed verses dedicated to God.

She wrote: "You effaced me in awe Until vanquished, I vanished. And this brought Your beauty, So You stabilized and restored me to grace." (trans. By Homerin)

In the 19th century, Nana Asma’u was a fula scholar and poet and daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate. She wrote in Arabic, Hausa, and Fula. She composed didactic verses on matters of religious education

In one she execrates the wicked: "The userers will see their bellies swell bigger than gourds and exposed to Ahmada. They will rise on the Last Day as if possessed by the Devil The Quran told their fate, Ahmada. The stink of the adulterer is worse than the stench of carrion"

In another she writes of paradise: "Let us dwell there and drink milk and honey And enjoy bliss together with Ahmada. For there is no illness, no aging, no poverty No death: we will remain forever" (trans. Mack and Boyd)

There is a large corpus of poetry by women in the Islamic world. Despite various historical and structural obstacles women wrote and composed some of the most famous poems in Islamic history.

Poetry seemed to transcend class and we find princesses and the enslaved composing verse alike. Indeed, poetry was one way in which enslaved people like the qiyan could earn power and prestige for themselves.