Nusaybah Bint Ka’ab



Nusaybah bint Ka’ab was one of the earliest female converts to Islam and one of only two women to swear an oath of allegiance to Islam directly to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). A member of the Banu Nagjar trip in Medina, she was one of the first people to welcome Muhammad (PBUH) upon his arrival in Medina after fleeing persecution from the Qurasyh in Mecca. She took part in the swearing of allegiance, or what is referred to as the second oath, on a mountaintop where people from Medina converted to Islam and swore their allegiance to Muhammad (PBUH) as the last Prophet. After her conversion, she began teaching Islam to the women of Medina, education them about the practices and the new religion. She was also a warrior, believing that both men and women had the duty to defend Islam in battle. She participated in the battles of Hunain, Yammah, and the Treaty of Hudaybia, among others. In one battle, she lost her hand and in the Battle of Uhud, she defended Muhammad (PBUH) with her own sword. She had four children and raised two of them to be soldiers, however they would both go on to be martyred during battle. She was an avid warrior and fighter, and continued to fight until she was about 60 years old, having dedicated her life to defending the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) reputation and life and the religion of Islam.