Umm Waraqah

Umm Waraqah bint Abdullah (dates uncertain, died during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab) was a female companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the Ansar of Medina, distinguished by two extraordinary qualities: she had memorized the entire Quran during the Prophet's lifetime, and she was given the prophetic permission to lead her household in congregational prayer. Her full name in some sources is given as Umm Waraqah bint Nawfal al-Ansariyyah.

Umm Waraqah was an extraordinarily pious and learned woman who was among those who had committed the Quran to memory, earning her a place among the hafizat (female memorizers of the Quran) of the companion generation. She was devoted to the Quran and to worship, and the Prophet ﷺ visited her at her home as a mark of honor and respect for her knowledge and piety. Her status as a Quran memorizer placed her in the elite of the Muslim community at a time when the Quran was still being regularly revealed and had not yet been compiled into a single book.

The Prophet ﷺ granted Umm Waraqah permission to have a muadhdhin (caller to prayer) lead the adhan in her home and to lead the people of her household — which included both male and female members — in congregational prayer. This permission, recorded in hadith collections including Abu Dawud, has become a significant reference point in the scholarly discussion about whether and under what circumstances women may lead men in prayer. Classical scholars have debated the scope of this permission extensively.

Umm Waraqah had asked the Prophet to allow her to join the Battle of Badr as a participant in fighting, but the Prophet directed her to remain at her home, saying that she would achieve martyrdom. The prophetic prediction was fulfilled when her own servants — a male slave and a female slave — murdered her while she slept. When Umar ibn al-Khattab learned of her death and the circumstances, he captured her servants and had them executed. The Prophet's designation of her as "the martyr" (ash-shahidah) was thus fulfilled, and she is honored among the companion martyrs.