Martyrdom in Early Islam: The Role of Martyrs’ Mothers

This paper looks at examples of martyrs’ mothers in the seventh century. The purpose is to explore
the behavior and the role of these mothers in the early history of Islam during the seventh century.
More specifically, the paper examines the relationship between females’ religious beliefs and their
roles within the family and society in the context of early Islamic society. Although the stories of
mothers of Muslim martyrs are available in few English resources, there is little analysis of their
roles. To this end, this paper focuses on four maternal figures in the Islamic tradition: Sumayyahh
Bint Khabbat, Nusaybah Bint Ka’ab, Asmaa Bint Abu Bakr, and Al-Khansaa. The analysis shows
that there is no contradiction between being a mother and promoting the death of a child for the cause
of God.