Uns bint AbdelKarim was an expert in Hadith sciences and one of the few women to teach 1,000 students in the masjid of Amr bin al-As in Egypt. She was the daughter of Qadhi Karim al-Din, and at the age of 18, she married classic Islamic and Hadith scholar Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani.
The couple shared a passion for the sciences of Hadith and together, they studied Asānīd (the chain of hadith reporters), Mutūn (the text of the hadith), and Seerah (biographies). Any hadith that Ibn Hajar heard from his teachers, he would transmit it to Uns and thus knowledge became a strong bond between them.
Although Uns received numerous certifications (Ijazat) in the same books as her husband, if he had a higher rank in the chain that led back to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Ibn Hajar ensured to re-study the books with Uns so that she earned another certificate with a higher position in the chain.
Uns was mostly famous for her narration and transmitting of the Hadith. She was the only woman who had a narrating council in the masjid of Amr bin al-As and was narrating Hadith in the presence of her husband, and many scholars were reciting to her. Her husband was so proud of her that one time when he entered the masjid and saw many respected scholars listening to the lessons delivered by Uns, Ibn Hajar smiled and remarked, “Now you have become a Shaikha, O Uns!”
Moreover, it’s reported that there were over a thousand inkwells present in her study circle indicating the number of students jotting down notes. One of her students was the renowned hadith scholar and historian Al-Sakhawi. Because of her lectures, Al-Sakhawi collected forty hadith narrated by forty different scholars. In addition, Al-Sakhawi would recite and authenticate hadith specifically with Uns.
On one occasion, a student of Ibn Hajar asked him about his wife Uns and kids. Ibn Hajar replied, “What an excellent wife is she for me! What an excellent mother is she for her daughters! And what an excellent Shaikha is she for her pupils!” Then the student asked Ibn Hajar another question, “How did she get this virtue?” Ibn Hajar answered, “She used to get up in the middle of the night and pray except if she had an excuse. Verily, I see a blessing of these units of prayer in our house and our daughters.”
Among her many traditions, Uns distributed sweets to her students after completion of every lecture series as a display of honor to them. Besides her scholarly works and accomplishments, Uns teaches all of us lessons on how to deal respectfully and thoughtfully with students.
Uns passed away in 867 AH and was buried next to her daughters. Her life as a scholar indicates that there was no gender bias regarding the seeking of knowledge be it Islamic or worldly sciences by a woman. Also, there was no gender bias to learn from a woman, as the only criteria for a teacher are possessing the relevant expertise.
Furthermore, the relationship between Uns and her husband Ibn Hajar shows how they supported and encouraged each other in their pursuit of knowledge for the sake of Allah (SWT). A great example for all married couples to emulate.
