Although we hear very little about it from our scholars, many women companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) contributed to the cause of Islam through their intelligence and professional skills. During the early period of Islam, many women were actively engaged in various professions that later were restricted to men. Farming is one such occupation. Sahl ibn Sa'd, a companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned a women who had her own farm. She used to cultivate beets and barley to feed the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with it after Friday prayer.

The daughter of Abu Bakr, Asma', mentioned that when she was married to Zubair, they did not have wealth. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them some land about two miles away from their home. She used to farm and transport the produce by herself. Asma' bint Abu Bakr reported, "One day I was coming back with date stones on my head. Then I met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with some people from Madinah. He asked me to ride with him on his camel's back."

It was apparent that farming was independently done by women. Moreover, they transported farm produce. If they had modern trucks, trains, ships and planes, Asma' and other women would have used them rather than carrying the goods on their heads. Quite a few women companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were engaged in trading. Khadija, the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) first wife, is the most famous example. Other women such as Khaula, Lakhmia, Thaqafia, and Bint Makhramah traded perfumes. A companion named Quila said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "I am a woman who buys and sells things."

Then she asked several questions about buying and selling. Clearly, business was a legitimate activity of the women companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The wife of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud met her expenses by manufacturing and selling handicrafts. These able ladies may be compared to modern women who craft computer chips and other high technology equipment and appliances, or to women bioengineers who design artificial limbs, hearts and respirators. Saudah, the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) wife, was an expert in tanning skins. Many examples of women actively participating in war could be found at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). One companion, Umm 'Umarah, demonstrated courage and fearlessness in the battle of Uhud. When Muslims suffered defeat in the Battle of Uhud, there was some confusion in the Muslim camp.

Then Safiyah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib left Madinah armed with a spear and aroused a sense of shame among those who were returning from the battle. She angrily asked them, "Did you leave the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) behind?" Asma' bint Yazid fought and killed nine enemy soldiers in the battle of Uhud. The grandmother of Hashraj ibn Ziad and five other women also went to the Battle of Khaiber. They told the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Oh, Allah's Messenger! We have come that we might spin yarn and by this means help in the way of Allah. We have medicine for the wounded. We will give arrows to the archers and, when needed, provide barley water to the fighters." Rufaidah Aslamiyyah was an expert in medicine and surgery. She used to tend to the sick and wounded in the battlefields.

According to Ibn Sa'd, her tent was equipped with equipment for surgery and first aid. When Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was injured in the Battle of the Trenches, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) transferred him to her tent for medical care. Some other great women experts in medicine and surgery were Umm Muta', Umm Kabashah, Hamnah bint Jahsh, Mu'adhah and Laila. Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwaidh ibn 'Afra was a great companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). She tended to the wounded and sick and supplied water to the thirsty soldiers in many battles. With other women, she transported the wounded and the dead in the war.

If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and companions were defending Islam today, those great women warriors would have been carrying machine guns, manning submarines, and manufacturing arms. If the modern ambulance systems had been in existence, the women would have been giving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and transporting the sick to the nearest hospital. Those Muslim women would have been trained in nursing and medical schools to take care of wounded soldiers. These women companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have been in the forefront of designing Star Wars technology to defend Muslims and other oppressed people. Since the 11th century, many have asserted that women cannot think and are weak psychologically. These are contrary to the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

For example, the Prophet consulted with Umm Salamah when he negotiated the treaty of Hudaibiah. Many companions were angry with the weak terms of the treaty. It was Umm Salamah whose counsel helped ease the situation. Fatima bin Qais was a very able and intelligent scholar and when 'Umar died, the nomination committee consulted Qais on the selection of the next Caliph. 'Umar appointed Shifa bint 'Abdullah ibn Shams as the administrator of the Market of Madinah which was one of the largest markets in those days. Women not only gave their opinion on various problems but also criticised state matters and participated in the evaluation and reckoning of a ruler's actions. It is commonly believed that freedom of speech originated recently in the West. This is no more than myth. Islam introduced equal rights and freedom of expression for women fourteen hundred years ago. The incident about dowry in the Caliphate of 'Umar is well known. When he decided to fix the dowry money, an old woman protested that he had no right to decide about it, showing clearly she had the freedom to express her views.

There are many female jurists in early Islamic history. In jurisprudence, 'Aisha had few equals and Umm Salam also gave many legal rulings. There were not many different kinds of jobs during the days of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Farming, trading, construction, tool making, tanning, bread making, teaching, transporting goods, nursing, health care and defence of the nation were the major economic activities in those days and female companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) participated in all these activities with his approval.