Despite the stereotypes, Muslim women have always played a vital role in the Muslim community, and not only in traditional roles. Early Muslim women served the community through scholarship, teaching, nursing, and other important activities. Far from being downtrodden slaves to the men in their lives, these women served Allah and their community with bravery and wisdom. Muslim women look to them as role models. Among them:
- Afra bint Ubayd
- Asma bint Abu Bakr
- Asma bint 'Umays
- Asma bint Yazid
- Barakah
- Fatimah bint Al-Khattab
- Hamnah bint Jahsh
- Khawlah bint Al-Azwar
- Nasibah bint Ka'b
- Rumaysa bint Milhan (Um Sulaym)
- Safiyyah bint Abdul-Muttalib
- Salma bint 'Umays
- Sumayya bint Khubbat
