MEGASTARS

Islamic Scholar

Aisha Abdel-Rahman (Bint el-Shat'e)

(1913-1998)

By Prof. Mahmoud K. Booz FRCS, Ed, FRCS, Eng, FACS

Introduction:

Aisha Abdel-Rahman, known as Bint el-Shat'e, the first 20th century woman scholar in Islamic religious science, philosopher, poet, writer, playwright, critic, journalist and professor of Islamic sciences in Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. She was brought up in days when education for girls was not the norm and only available in Cairo and few other cities in Egypt. Reared in a religious family, her maternal grandfather was the reverent Sheikh Al-Azhar (Al-Damhoogi). Her father was Dean of Damietta Religious Institute and at the same time a Sufi leader. Her father planned religious studies for his five-year-old daughter and she was enrolled in the Kottab (a primitive religious school) to study Quran. 

At the tender age of eight, the young girl wanted to go to primary school, following her friends from rich families. Her father was adamant not to do so. Religious culture in Egypt in those days rejected modern schooling imposed by the British, who had invaded Egypt in 1882. At that time, one tactic of fighting the invaders was to refrain from modern education. All those with religious background,  especially in the countryside, chose religious studies that will lead to the Al-Azhar University at the end. The young Aisha, being determined to join the modern line of schooling, insisted on joining that line of education even without discarding the religious line, but running both systems in parallel, so as not to offend her father. Her mother, elder sister and maternal grandfather plotted against the father and facilitated for Aisha to pursue the modern education in secret.

Difficult as it may seem, yet heroic in the sense of achievement, Aisha became a master of modern education and Al-Azhar studies, with extensive knowledge of foreign languages: English, French and Italian. She qualified from Fouad The First University, and the Azhar Institute for Women Teachers simultaneously. In 1936, she was appointed by Al-Ahram (the country's leading daily newspaper) to be a regular writer, a position she held for 63 years until her death. During her university days she fell in love with one of her professors (Sheikh Amin Al-Khouli), a leading scholar in Islamic studies. Their marriage had a tremendous effect on her life, career and future, as well as on their bright children: two girls and a boy. Following his death, she overcame her grief and continued to pursue the same path.  

The origin of the name Bint el-Shat'e?

Being a country girl, the daughter of a leading Sufi cleric, and a descendant of religious ancestors, she was aware of the old traditions. In the 19^th and early 20^th century,  women did not participate in public life and it was a disgrace that a woman be seen in public or her name publicly mentioned. When she started her job in Al-Ahram, she thought that her real name may shame her family. Concerned about the feelings of her respected father, she chose the name "Bint el-Shat'e," a name that became very famous from that point forth.

When I met Bint el-Shat'e

I first read and heard about Bint el-Shat'e when I was a secondary school pupil during World War II. I was fascinated by her writings in Al-Ahram, magazines, and numerous books. In 1979, her nephew became my son-in-law. At that time I became a senior orthopedic surgeon with special experience in Medical Rescue, a member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent  Societies and participated  in wars of the Middle East such as Binzart , between Tunis and France 1961, The Arab-Israeli War 1967, The Afghan Russian War 1979, Eriterian-Ethiopian War 1981, Medical Rescue to Afghan Refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan 1986 and 1987. Being a benevolent lady she wanted to help and I was privileged to meet such a leading figure. Furthermore, I knew beforehand that my father, a Sufi himself, followed the same movement as her father. I knew as a child that my father went up the Delta to Manzala for rituals, prayers, and meetings on fishing boats on the Lake Manzala. The senior Sufi Sheikh Mohammad Ali Abul Rahman, Bint el-Shat'e’s father, led the procession. Perhaps that brought us closer. I met her frequently on family gatherings and academic occasions

Bint el-Shat'e in the World:

Bint Ashate’s impact on the world was great. Her literature was very widely read by many people in different countries. Some of them were so impressed and they embraced Islam (“Fatima Azahra” The Japanese Tiroko Tokomasu). Some of them wrote about her life, personality and achievements in the Arabic language and Islamic science. Many chose subjects about her for theses in post-graduate studies such as Masters or Doctorates degrees. Those efforts and participation of many scholars lead to her work being translated to many languages such as English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Turkish and Uzbek. We may mention the name of the  Uzbek Orientalist Muslim lady Mariam Baba Khanoof. Koogi, a professor at Arabic Studies Institute in Amsterdam University, chose her doctoral thesis on the life, personality and impact of Bint el-Shat'e on the Arabic language and Islam. Pawla Kaytani, the Orientalist Italian, chose for her doctoral degree one of Bint el-Shat'e’s books ‘New Values in Arabic Literature.’

Conflict with Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akad

Being an authorized critic that commands a regular article in Al- Ahram newspaper for decades, it is not a surprise that Bint el-Shat'e would have so many disputes with many authors. However, when she wrote a critical essay on the book ‘The Woman in Quran’ by Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akad it was a bombshell. Al-Akad, a fiery writer and critic himself, did not accept any of her criticism. In his reply, he did not only renounce her, but he renounced all women being totally unfit to write or comprehend. In a nutshell, he stated that women are inferior to man.

Bint el-Shat'e, a master in Arabic language, literature and Islamic studies was stressing the status of women in history, starting from Eve. It was a great opportunity for her to emphasize the equal responsibility of Adam and Eve in their story about the apple tree that  they were forbidden to touch. She explained how women in history were so glorified by Quran such as Virgin Mary, the wife of the Pharaoh, daughters of Shoaib, the wife of Moses, the mother and sister of Moses and Hager, the mother of Ismail. She argued strongly that such women are not at all inferior to man, past or present. Women in history became very successful queens (Queen of Sheba) and important wives of kings. In Arabian history there are many women, poets (Al-Khansaa), queens, women judges, preachers and teachers. In the present day, she brought to light the fact that women in the Arab world became professors in universities, deans of colleges, doctors, leading lawyers and businesswomen.

That of course did not stop Al-Akad from attacking Bint el-Shat'e using his great talent in writing. After months of exchanges of hot arguments, which readers enjoyed very much, leading figures in public life and literature tried to mediate between the two. The last word she wrote in this respect: "every man has a mother." 

Conflict with the 1952 Revolution

On July 23rd 1952, King Farouk was deposed by military uprising led by Col. Jamal Abdul Nasser. Tremendous joy and support by most Egyptians followed. Few were skeptics, especially those in politics, parties, wealthy landlords and businessmen.  This large group preferred slow democratic change and stability to dangerous military intervention by inexperienced young officers. Alas, the new regime chose the dictatorial line, closing down political parties, silencing outspoken writers, and jailing many activists from the  Muslim Brotherhood and the Communist movements. Furthermore many opportunists wrote books praising the new system. Then came the role of Bint el-Shat'e. She had to write on these books and present them to the readers in her capacity as a leading figure in Al Ahram newspaper. She often refrained, and whenever she wrote as a critic, her views were not favorable. Nonetheless, she received many honors during the eras of President Sadat and President Mubarak.      

Conflict with Al-Azhar

Bint el-Shat'e was one of the most prominent woman to reach the pinnacle of religious Islamic knowledge. Not only was she highly qualified , but also an author, a teacher, a professor of Islamic Studies, a writer, a scholar and a woman of wisdom. In this capacity, she was invited to lecture in Al Azhar Hall. She was the first woman in history to have been granted this honor. The topic was admission of girls as students, teachers and professors in the Al-Azhar University. The Lecture Hall of 4,000 capacity, housed 6,000 (Sawt Al Orouba,15 12 1959). She was received by a storming welcome. Some men did not favor her presence, as a breach of centuries of tradition. Others were very upset that she did not wear a hijab. Loud objections, nasty words and comments were spoiling the atmosphere. A gentleman went up the platform asking her politely to leave. She did not, and became very upset. Another put his Kashmir Shawl on her head. That made her more furious. Some leading figures in the audience left the Hall. Her reaction was explaining how ignorant and how backward anti-feminine, anti progressive look. It was a  great opportunity to remind them of the place of women in the dawn of Islam. The profit’s wives used to teach not only women, but also men. Bint el-Shat'e became a constant participant in women's movements, Al Azhar committees , Universities and Ministry of Education Boards in Egypt and the Arab and Islamic countries. In other words, whenever education for girls was discussed or planned. 

Receiving King Faisal Prize  from Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz

Receiving Qatar University Prize

Receiving a prize from President Sadat

Decorated by President Mubarak

Published books:

a-      Quranic and Islamic studies:                                                                                                                     

Prophet’s Household: The Prophet’s Mother, Daughters, and Wives (translated to Farsi, Urdu, Indonesian and Japanese).

b-     Linguistic, Historical and Literature (15)

c-      Novels: Village Master (1944)                                                        
           On the Bridge and other Stories 

d-     Short Stories: Bridge’s Secret and other stories                                             

e-      Sinful Woman and other stories

f-       Readings in Bahai documents (1986)

g-      Israelites and intellectual invasion (1974)

h-      Ascertainment of:

·        Ibn Al-Salah in Hadeeth Science (1976 & 1983)

·        Al-Seerag Al-Balqeeni: Euphemistic Verbatim (Mahasin Alistilah)

·        Ibn Sayedoh Al-Andalusi: Dictionary Al-Muhakam (1963)

·        Pardon Thesis (Resalet Al-Ghufran)

·        Ibn Al-Qareh Thesis (Resalah)

·        Al-Sahil and Al-Shahig Thesis

i-        Abu Alaala Al-Maari:

·        Human life (1944)

·        His Life Story

·        Series of Arab Greats

j-       Contemporary Women Poets

k-     Al-Khansaa: The First Woman Poet in Islam, in the days of the profit

l-        New Values in Arabic Literature: Old and New

m-    Our Language and Life

n-      Our Heritage, Past and Present

o-     Human Enemies: Historical Studies

p-     The Land of Miracles in History (Journey in the Arab Peninsula)

q-     Introduction to Method of Research (Al-Manhag)  

Researches Presented to International Meetings:

·        International Orientalists: Munich 1957, New Delhi 1964

·        Arabian Culture: Baghdad 1957

·        First Asian and African Writers Conference: Tashkand 1957

·        Arabic Scholars Conference: Cairo 1968, Kuwait 1960, Baghdad 1964&1970

·        African Women Conference: Accra 1960

·        International Meeting for Contemporary Arab Literature: Rome 1961

·        Arab Teachers Conference: Algiers 1963

·        City of Baghdad Millennium: Baghdad 1963

·        Morocco’s Celebration on 14 Centuries of Quranic Revelation 1967,1968

·        Umm Durman (Sudan) Quran Colloquy 1968

·        Founding University, Islamic Universities: Fas, Morocco 1969

·        Islamic Scholars Conference: Marrakesh, Morocco 1966

·        Islamic Movement Conference: Tripoli, Libya 1970

·        Imam Malik Colloquy: Rabat 1971, Fas 1980, Marrakesh 1981

·        Islam and Family Conference: Al-Azhar University 1975

·        Poet Iqbal Carnival: Pakistan 1969

·        The Poet Ibn Zaydoon Millinium: Rabat 1975

·        Historian Abu Marwan Ibn Hayyan Al-Qurtobi Colloquy: Rabat 1981

·        Islamic Books Exhibition in the Egyptian Cultural Centre: London 1980

·        Al-Azhar Conference on the Prophets Biography and Sunnah: Cairo 1975

Published Researches as Co-author:

Kuwait, Syria (Damascus, Aleppo & Hems), Iraq (Baghdad, Najaf & Basra), Palestine, Jordan, Pakistan (Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad), Algiers (Algiers, Ennaba & Qustanteena), Tunis (Tunis & Qayranwan), Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Sudan (Khartoum, Umm Durman, Port Sudan, Wad Madani, Obayed & Atbara), Arabian University of Beirut (Beirut & Tripoli), Girls Colleges (Riyadh & Jeddah), Egyptian Cultural Centre (London).

 Honours

   1-King Hassan the second of Morocco

   2-Egyptian State Prize 1973

   3-Egyptian State Prize for Literature 1978

   4-Linguistic Convention, Cairo 1950

   5-Arabian Organization for Culture and Education, Egypt 1980

   6-Egyptian State Prize for Social Studies in Egyptian Countryside 1936

   7-Institutions that honour her name:

         a-Bint el-Shat'e School for girls, Damietta, Egypt

         b-Classroom, Om Dorman Secondary School for Girls, Sudan

         c-Lecture room, Women Teachers Institute, Wad Madany, Sudan

Prof. Mahmoud K Al-Booz, FRCS (Edin), FRCS (Eng), FACS is the Counsellor, Pan-Arab Orthopaedic Association and Vice-President, Global Doctors. His email is mkbooz@hotmail.com.

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