Builders of a Nation

by Haifaa Younis

Historically, women have been an integral part of spreading our Deen. They have contributed as mothers, wives, supporters, and defenders of our religion. This book allows the reader to take a glimpse into the lives of thirty-seven amazing women. Starting with the women from the Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) household to female companions and pioneers of Islamic History. Women in Islamic History have had a huge impact on building nations. Many that have been through education, raising children, raising scholars or being scholars themselves. These exceptional women have helped shape the world.

These women have a lot of favours upon us, the least we can do is learn about them and share their amazing lives with others so that they can also be inspired.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Faith, Parenting

198 pages, Hardcover

Published March 12, 2024

About the author

Dr. Haifaa Younis is an American Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist with roots from Iraq. Her pursuit of Islamic knowledge initiated when she began to study with various Islamic scholars from across the United States while she simultaneously attended individual courses and lectures on subjects including Aqeeda, Fiqh, usual Fiqh, Hadeeth, and Tazkiyah (purification of the soul).

From the United States, she moved to Saudi Arabia where she graduated from the Mecca Institute of Islamic Studies (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) and Al-Huda Qur’an Memorization School (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) where she completed the memorization of the Qur’an.

She is the founder and Chairman of Jannah Institute and currently teaches seminars on the thematic commentary of various chapters of the Holy Qur’an and their practical relevance in our day-to-day living. Additionally, she offers retreats on key topics that inspire hearts, combining the inner essence of Islam with an outward expression of practice. Dr. Haifaa is passionate about spreading the word of Allah (SBW) and igniting the love of Islam and the Qur’an through her teachings.

Reviews

[miilkyblues · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by Dr. Haifaa Younis and I loved it sooo much✨ had been watching and listening her videos on YouTube for a long time so it was so a great to read one if her books as well🌷 This book tells the stories of thirty seven amazing women including the important women around the prophet and many more that contributed in making this religion to what it is now🤍 It’s also a really great book if you want to learn more about the sahabah ✨ I loved it a lot and literally had tears in my eyes throughout all chapters~ My favorite chapter was the one about Sayyidah Asma ( Asma Bint Abu Bakr (r.a)) and her son Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (r.a). Couldn’t hold my my tears back while reading so it has a very special place for me💌

[Abeer Arain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Builders of a Nation" by Sh Haifaa Younis is based on her video series of the same name, about great Muslim women of Islamic history.

Starting with the wives and daughters of RasulAllah, then a selection of other Sahabiyyaat, and finally a section on later female scholars and important figures, this book serves as an introduction to names both known and unknown. I particularly appreciated the third section, featuring female scholars whom I had learned about only much later in my life, given that the average "women in Islam" books never mentioned their existence.

However, I'll be honest. It is definitely a very basic introduction to these great women, and in terms of book production, this book (like pretty much every Kube book for adults) requires serious editing. There are random sentence fragments, incomplete sentences, overly long sentences, inconsistently capitalized subheadings... small things that could (and should) have been very easily fixed but weren't. Kube REALLY needs to step up with editing their work, because it's an irritating detraction from the actual work.

The other drawback to this book is that no citations or references are given for any of the biographical information provided - which means it's not something that you can fact-check or refer to if you're doing any kind of research. I was also alarmed by one particular anecdote mentioned, with information that I will be following up on, as it is potentially problematic.

The cover is super aesthetic tho! And it's still worth getting as a basic intro to important Muslim women of our history. Potentially worth providing to 12+.

Thanks to @kubepublishing for the review copy!

3.5/5 🌟

#Bookstagram #Muslimbookstagram #MyMuslimShelfSpace #bookreview #Islamicbooks #IslamAndWomenReads #IslamAndWomen #MuslimWomen #islamichistory #biographies #seerah #nonfiction #books #bookish

[•°Dahlia ( hiatus ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖5 🌟
AHH loved this so much , reading this was so peaceful and I learned so much from this 🤍🥺

----
➻Pre-Read:
I just came across this and it written by my favorite moftiya so yeah here we go 🤸‍♀️

[Yusra Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️

I learned so much and hope to adapt some of these qualities myself ❤️ one of the biggest patterns that I saw was how they have lots of knowledge, hunble, modestly, elegance, kindness and etc. While many people value these attributes irl I also noticed that they way to abstain it is by also carrying yourself by these qualities (lots of action). Would recommend!

[khadija 🌷]

“the prevailing notion that islam subjugates women is a misconception rooted in the way we practice the faith today. many people hold onto the idea that women in the islamic and post islamic eras took a backseat when it came to education or other noteworthy intellectual achievements. however, this could not be further from the truth, as we find accounts of numerous muslim women who were to bearers and pioneers in educational and religious scholarship.”

i don’t really rate non-fiction often lol it just feels strange, which is why i didn’t give this book a star rating. i highly recommend this book tho.

so let me get this right:
1) the first person to convert to islam was a woman (khadija wife of the prophet ﷺ)
2) the first ever martyr of islam was a woman (sumayyah bint khayyat)
2) aishah wife of the prophet ﷺ was also a scholar and leading female narrator of hadith, narrating 2210 hadith herself
3) the first university in the world was created by a muslim woman, fatimah al-fihriyyah in the 9th century (university of al-qarawiyyin in fez, morocco - recognised by the UNESCO and guinness book of records as the first degree-granting university in the world)
4) rufaydah al-aslamiyyah - first nurse to perform surgery, and pioneer of medicine, health and disease prevention that still is used today
5) one of the most notable female warriors in islam is nusaybah bint ka’b

so we have muslim women throughout history as educators, mothers, teachers, wives, scholars, daughters, doctors and nurses, homemakers, traders, jurists, martyrs, social activists, poets, hafiza (memorisers of the qur’an), etc…

…what were you saying again about islam oppressing women?

[noor. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars !
a literal beauty. <3 i will forever be in love w this book ! 🌷 it describes women beautifully literally this book is a part of girlhood like don’t argue w me <3 one of my first islamic books that like i acc read fully and recently ! i loved this so totally picking up another haifa book soon! it was literally so fun to meet her at mas con she’s such a inspiration 💞

[Sahifah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating based on content only: Great to read about all the amazing women that have contributed to the religion! I wish this was more common knowledge. I found a couple of the descriptions of the wives of the Prophet (S) to be contradictory, and I wish there were deeper discussion of how women in the current era can better understand the wisdom behind the marriages of the Prophet (S), but perhaps that's another book altogether.

I realize that my issue with the Islamic books I've read is actually with Kube Publishing - there is so much filler like introductory paragraphs to each chapter that make me feel like I'm reading a high school essay. There are also a lot of descriptive language without detailed action (e.g. "she represented values of morality" without telling us how she did).

[_x0xo.rr · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was very informative mashaAllah! every woman mentioned was very throughly researched and respected! may Allah have mercy on all of these women, bless the author and every reader Ameen!

additionally, the book helps to shut down those who say that muslim women are oppressed. through reading this book, we learn about the incredible things muslim women have done (ex: founding one of the oldest universities)! take that islamaphobs!

[Dila Rasiti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Haifa Younis' "Builders of a Nation" offers a profound journey into the lives of remarkable women in Islamic history. It eloquently highlights the pivotal roles these women played as mothers, wives, supporters, and defenders of the faith. The book not only sheds light on their contributions but also serves as a source of inspiration for individuals like yourself, juggling roles as a mother, wife, educator, and societal contributor. Their stories, filled with resilience and sacrifice, evoke gratitude and a deep sense of admiration, making this book a powerful reminder of the strength and impact women have had in shaping the Muslim faith and society.

[sarah dough · Rating 3 out of 5]

if I could give this an extra 1/2 star I would

it has benefits, hearing about contemporary female scholars provides important guidance on how to navigate societies that are often hostile towards us and how to maintain our faith in the face of modernity

however the beginning chapters were overly simple for me and some the concepts explored deserved more time when considering the perspective of a newvert

[Farha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and easy read. However, most information were repetitive and wasn’t as detailed as I expected it to be. It’s still a good purchase if you want to know the basic information of the prophet’s wives :)

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful, some of the most powerful women to ever exist ❤️

[Hida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely an inspiring book about different Muslim women leaders who shaped the history of Islam through their contribution and dedication to the religion and education on Islamic studies.

[Khadija]

DNF

[Areesa Shezad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love haifa younis

[Sabah Nalbant · Rating 5 out of 5]

BarakAllahufikum dr. Younis for writing this book and teaching us about the female pioneers of pour religion and the wonderful position of women in Islam. May we all get to follow into their footsteps inshaAllah.

[Nashwah · Rating 5 out of 5]

so amazing to learn about the different representations of femininity in islam, from scholars to medics to warriors <3 so inspiring, highly recommend

[Amal J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book about accomplishment of muslim women from time of prophet SAW until now. This book inspires me to continue to seek as much knowledge as possible while living by islamic values. 5/5!

[hana ฮาน่า · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good introductory book to the influential and inspiring women of islam. some of their stories on pursuing academic knowledge served as good reminders for me, as did the others on character. i got pretty confused by the structuring of consecutive chapters of women with the same name; a note to myself to return to this book for reference in the future. the writing and "lessons to learn" were quite general and simplistic, plus there were no sources provided, hence the 4 stars.

[Khadijah Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book includes chapters on nearly 40 Muslim women with inspiring stories and achievements. I loved how it didn’t solely focus on women from hundreds of years ago, but also included some women from relatively modern times.

I would have loved if this book included more detail for each woman, as it often felt rushed and included very basic information about some of the more famous women. I was really hoping for more depth in their stories.

This collection would be perfect for a lower YA audience who are learning about great Muslim women of our past for the first time. It’s a useful overview, but I’m now looking for something a little deeper with more detail.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it so much ~ InshaAllah one day my daughter/ daughters will also read this book!

It does a great job at summarising the lives of so many inspirational women, and in doing so it highlights the important and the positive impacts that women make as a part of the ummah.

I think some people say it doesn’t go into enough dept but I don’t think that’s what it’s trying to do. This book shows a verity of women in a verirrt of positions… from rich to poor, from born Muslim to revert, from house wife to warrior and I think it’s great!

[oumayyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a compelling compilation of remarkable women who made their mark from the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) until around the 20th century. It offers valuable insights into the lives of these influential figures, highlighting their contributions to Islam through their knowledge, devotion, and resilience. However, as the book does not provide references for the stories narrated, it is essential to approach it with an open mind and complement the reading with further research to verify and deepen one’s understanding of the historical accounts.

[Leslie Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. As a revert who has mostly relied on the internet and YouTube to learn about Islam, this book gave me a depth and clarity I didn’t even realize I was missing. It offered so much insight, especially through the stories of these women, and I found myself deeply relating to many of their struggles.

The writing is absolutely beautiful-thoughtful, gentle, and powerful all at once. Reading this felt like a gift. Truly, it feels like a blessing from Allah that I was able to come across this book and read it in this lifetime.

[Bilqis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have read by the wonderful Dr. Haifaa Younis. In this book, she describes the contributions of various women throughout the course of Islam. The sections are broken into: the Prophet (PBUH) household, female companions, and female pioneers.

It was wonderful to especially read about the household of the Prophet (PBUH) because what each wife and daughter was known for was discussed. I loved reading what made each of them so special to the Prophet (PBUH) and to the early Islamic world.

The other sections were also lovely, but sometimes, it felt as though the contributions of some of the women were measured by how successful the men around them were/became.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars (possibly 4.5). It is a great book for discussions and for general knowledge.

[Salma ElBahy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt it was a bit shallow for the first half about the prophet's household, expected more about their acts, impact and community engagement beside what is mentioned about their blood lines and how they came across the prohet life and marriage reasons. The third part was much better.

overall good book for a brief idea if someone wants to have a good start reading about women role in Islam , especially with the less mentioned/scripted names.

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Youtube series this is based on, but in book form it just ends up feeling quite repetitive, especially as it's not particularly well edited. And due to its length, it's very surface level information that anyone who's studied any amount of seerah will probably mostly already know. It's good enough for what it is, but I don't see myself ever referring back to it.

[Sumayah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read Parts 2 and 3 so far and really did not click with the writing style and felt some of the messages were misplaced from what the story was telling. Very much insinuating women gain their respect from being good to men in some of the stories. Also most of the stories were very simple and had no depth.

[hala]

i just realized this book is based on a podcast/video lecture series. which i’ve enjoyed the first few eps of.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

on the subject of pivotal Muslim women in the era of the Rasullah SAW and Sahaba RA, I would also recommend Sheikh Yasir Qadhi’s Mothers of the Believers lecture series.

[Marwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a rich book! Summaries the stories & contributions of some remarkable women in the Islamic world. This is certainly just one of the many times I will read this book in sha Allah. So much to reflect on. So much to unpack. So much to try to follow & practise from these amazing women.