I simply cannot imagine that this kind of rigidity—and it is only one example among several I possess—could ever produce women upon the way of the salaf who are able to shoulder all the wholesome social duties that life demands of them, just as the women of the righteous predecessors once did. Let me therefore cite a few sound examples, trimming the reports and contenting myself with their original wording as recorded elsewhere. Among them are:
• Umm Sharik al-Ansariyyah, whose house was a regular lodging for guests, as related in the ḥadith that will appear later in the book ⦗66⦘;
• the wife of Abū Usayd, who prepared food for the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and those with him on the day her husband invited them after consummating the marriage; she served them herself although she was the bride;
• Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr, who served her husband al-Zubayr: she would feed and groom his horse, look after its needs, carry date-stones on her head from al-Zubayr’s land two-thirds of a farsakh away (more than three kilometres), and even grind the stones;
• the Anṣāri woman who welcomed the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—spread a mat for him beneath the palm-trees, sprinkled water around him, slaughtered an animal and prepared food that he and his Companions ate;
• ʿĀʾishah and Umm Sulaym, who used to carry waterskins and give water to the troops, as will also be mentioned ⦗40⦘;
• al-Rubayyiʿ bint Muʿawwidh, who would set out with a group of Anṣāri women to supply water to the soldiers, serve them, treat the wounded and transport the slain back to Medina.