Umm al-Darda' al-Sughra

Umm al-Darda' al-Sughra (Hujayma bint Huyayy al-Awsabiyyah, d. 81H) was the leading female scholar of the generation after the Companions (Tabi'in) in Syria. She studied hadith from Abu Darda' (whom she later married), Abu Hurayra, 'Aisha, Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, and other companions. She was known to sit in the men's learning circles (halaqas) in the mosque and issue legal opinions. The Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan reportedly studied under her. Her legal opinions circulated among Damascene scholars. She represents a documented precedent of women teaching men in Islamic scholarship.