Rufaida Al Aslamia



Rufaida Al-Aslamia, born around 620 AD in Medina, Saudi Arabia was an Islamic medical and social worker. Today she is recognized as the first female nurse and surgeon in Islam. Born into the Bani Aslam tribe in Medina, she was one of the first people to accept Islam when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) arrived there after fleeing the persecution of the Qurasyh in Mecca. Born into a medical family, she practiced her medical skills in the field hospitals during the religious battles. Know to be a kind and empathetic nurse, it is said that Muhammad (PBUH) would order all casualties for the wars to be brought to her tent to ensure they received the highest possible standard of care. These tents that she set up would become the first ever documented mobile care unites, which she also deployed across Medina to meet the medical needs of the community. In her practice, she stressed hygiene and the stabilization of patients before they approached a serious operation. It is also thought that she trained a number of Muslim women in nursing and medicine, including Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH). During her career as a nurse, she participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, and Khaibar, delivering health care to those wounded during these religious battles. Today, her work and legacy is honored in a number of ways, including through a prestigious award at the University of Bahrain, which is given to a student each who has exceled healthcare delivery to patients.