Muslim women played an important role in defence of Islam and the Islamic state under the prophet’s command. They contributed in many battles just to fight for peace in Islam. In almost every military encounter, the participation of Muslim women, including the prophet’s wives and his daughters, played a vital role in many battles. In the battle of Uhud, the prophet’s loving daughter FATIMA, dresses his wounds abd helped the Muslim wounded. The prophet’s wife A’ISHA, and the warrior HAMZAH’s sister, SAFIYA, were active in the battle, carrying water for the soldiers and dressing their wounds. Amongst the other noble ladies of Islam from Mdina who made their mark at Uhud, carrying water-skins and doing nursing duty, were Umm Sulaym, Umm Ayman, Umm Ammara, Umm Saleet, Hannah and Nusaybah, Umm Ammara even fought with a sword in her hand. Parrying a Makkan attacker who tried to get through cordon of the prophet’s defenders. In the battle of the Trench in 627 A.D, the prophet’s aunt, Safiya, fought and killed an enemy agent who was trying to unlock the entrance gate of a small fort in Madina in which the women folk and the children of the Muslim defenders were lodged for safety. When the prophet and his army returned to Madina from the battle of Trench, the prophet had a large tent erected in the compound of the Mosque in Madina for the treatment of the war wounded. A Muslim female Surgeon, RUFAIDA, who did nursing duty in the battle, was put in charge of this tent clinic by the prophet. He himself helped in dressing the wounds of the Muslim warriors and did surgical work for some warriors. The traditionist, BUKHARI, in his chronicles, speak of Rufaida and her tented surgery in the precincts of the prophet’s mosque for treating the wounded from the Battle of the Trench. In later battles also, Muslim women, including the wives of the prophet and his companions, and nursing work and carried water to the Muslim warriors. Those women who did not go to the battlefield took care of their homes and the children praying to Allah (SWT) for the victory of their warrior men under Islam’s banner.
The Muslim women always dressed very modestly, covering most parts of their body, but this did not deter them from going out to serve and nurse injured men during battles. They had important place in the Muslim society and in the institution of Islam.