Questions Women

Were there any female prophets in Islam?

Checked by our team

Short answer

No, according to the majority of scholars. The Quran says the messengers sent before the Prophet ﷺ were men, and most scholars hold that prophethood was given to men only. A minority, including al-Qurtubi and Ibn Hazm, held that Maryam was a prophet. All agree that women such as Maryam and Asiyah reached the highest rank of righteousness.

Hanafi position

The Hanafi and Maturidi position, with most of Ahl al-Sunnah, is that every prophet was a man. Women such as Maryam are siddiqah (women of complete truthfulness), honoured with inspiration and the speech of angels, but not prophets.

The four schools agree on this.

Explanation

Three times the Quran says that the messengers Allah sent before the Prophet ﷺ were men to whom He revealed. Most scholars read this as covering prophets as well as messengers, and say that prophethood includes public leadership and calling people openly, which was given to men.

The other view rests on women who received revelation in some form. Angels spoke to Maryam and told her Allah had chosen and purified her above the women of the worlds. Allah inspired the mother of Musa to place him in the river. On this basis some scholars, such as al-Qurtubi and Ibn Hazm, said these women were prophets, though not messengers. The majority answer that inspiration and the speech of angels can come to righteous people without making them prophets, and that the Quran calls Maryam a woman of truth (siddiqah), not a prophet.

Whichever view a scholar takes, the honour of these women is not in doubt. The Prophet ﷺ said that many men reached perfection, but among women only Maryam daughter of Imran and Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh did, and he praised Aishah above other women. Khadijah and Fatimah are also counted among the best women of all time.

For the lives of the prophets, see the prophets in Islam. For the women around the Prophet ﷺ, see Khadijah, Aishah and the wives of the Prophet.

The evidence

Quran, Surah Yusuf 12:109

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًۭا نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۗ وَلَدَارُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٠٩﴾

And We sent not before you [as messengers] except men to whom We revealed from among the people of cities. So have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? And the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah; then will you not reason?

The messengers sent were men.

Quran 12:109, translation by Sahih International

Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:42

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصْطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٤٢﴾

And [mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.

Maryam was chosen and addressed by angels, which is why some held she was a prophet.

Quran 3:42, translation by Sahih International

Quran, Surah Al-Maaida 5:75

مَّا ٱلْمَسِيحُ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌۭ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُۥ صِدِّيقَةٌۭ ۖ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ ٱلطَّعَامَ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ ثُمَّ ٱنظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ ﴿٧٥﴾

The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded.

The Quran describes Maryam as a siddiqah.

Quran 5:75, translation by Sahih International

Sahih al-Bukhari 3411

Sahih

... كمل من الرجال كثير ولم يكمل من النساء إلا ...

"Many men reached perfection, but among women none reached perfection except Maryam daughter of Imran and Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh."

Shows the highest rank women have reached.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3411 · Sahih · Read on sunnah.com

Where the ruling is recorded

  • Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Commentary on Surah Al Imran 3:42. Discusses whether Maryam was a prophet and gives his view that she was.

Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.