The Role of Early Female Muslim Scholars in the Development of World Knowledge

Abstract: The world was introduced to the first academic establishment granting degrees when Fatima al-Fihriya, a female Muslim scholar, established Jamia al-Qarawiyyin, in the ancient city of Fes in 859 CE. After spreading throughout the Arab Muslim world, it took hundreds of years for this new establishment to make its way into Europe with the university of Bologna in 1088 CE in Italy. Despite the critical role played by female Muslim scholars in advancing knowledge, their contributions have been largely undermined. This is especially the case in the context of higher education in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and within Moroccan universities. This paper reviews some key female Muslim scholars’ contributions to the advancement of knowledge. Among these are Fatima al-Majritiya and Mariam al-Ijliya, experts in astronomy; Labana of Cordoba, an expert in mathematics; and Fatima al-Fihriya, who, in addition to establishing the first university in the world, was an expert in astronomy, theology, law, rhetoric, prose, and verse writing.