610–750 CE

Dawn of Islam

فجر الإسلام

Revelation, the first community, and the Umayyad state

Notables
19
Profiles to read
9
Women
12
Leading fields
Islamic Scholars, Physicians, Warriors

In a little over a century, a faith revealed in Mecca grew into a civilisation stretching from al-Andalus to Central Asia. The Prophet ﷺ and his companions built a community where learning was a duty: the Qur'an was memorised and written down, women taught and healed, and Medina became the first centre of Islamic scholarship.

Under the Rashidun caliphs and then the Umayyads, Arabic became the language of administration and coinage, and the first translations of Greek and Persian science began. The foundations of grammar, hadith and law laid in this age made everything that followed possible.

Centres of learning

  • Medina
  • Mecca
  • Damascus
  • Kufa
  • Basra
  • Fustat

People of Dawn of Islam

7th century 600–699 CE

c.555–619 Coming soon Khadija bint Khuwaylid خديجة بنت خويلد Leading merchant of Mecca; first to accept Islam Arabia · Economists, Women
7th c. Profile Nusaybah Bint Ka'ab نَسيبة بنت كعب Defended the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud; early woman warrior and companion Arabia · Warriors, Women 7th c. Profile Rufaida Al-Aslamia رفيدة الأسلمية First nurse in Islam; ran a field hospital tent in Medina Arabia · Physicians, Women 7th c. Profile Umm Muta' al-Aslamiyya أم مطاع الأسلمية Early woman who treated the wounded at Khaybar Arabia · Physicians, Women 7th c. Profile Umm Sinan al-Aslamiyya ام سنان الاسلامي Nursed the wounded and carried water on early campaigns Arabia · Physicians, Warriors, Women 7th c. Profile Al-Shifa' bint Abdullah الشفاء بنت عبد الله Taught reading and writing; appointed market inspector in Medina Arabia · Physicians, Women 7th c. Profile Umm Waraqa أم ورقة بنت عبد الله بن الحارث Memorised and compiled the Qur'an; appointed to lead her household in prayer Arabia · Islamic Scholars, Women
7th c. Coming soon Khawla bint al-Azwar خولة بنت الأزور Commander and warrior in the early Muslim campaigns Arabia/Syria · Warriors, Women
c.613–678 Coming soon Aisha bint Abi Bakr عائشة بنت أبي بكر Transmitted 2,000+ hadith; teacher of jurists Arabia · Islamic Scholars, Women
7th c. Profile Zaynab al-Awadiya زينب الأوَدية One of the earliest named women eye-doctors in Arab history Yemen · Physicians, Poets, Women
c.603–688 Coming soon Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali أبو الأسود الدؤلي Founder of Arabic grammar; introduced vowel dots into the Qur'an script Iraq · Linguists
c.626–682 Coming soon Zaynab bint Ali زينب بنت علي Scholar and orator who preserved the account of Karbala Arabia/Iraq · Islamic Scholars, Women
c.668–704 Coming soon Khalid ibn Yazid خالد بن يزيد Umayyad prince who sponsored the first translations of Greek science into Arabic Syria · Chemists, Poets
d. c.700 Coming soon Umm al-Darda al-Sughra أم الدرداء الصغرى Taught jurisprudence to men and women in the Damascus mosque; teacher of a caliph Syria · Islamic Scholars, Women

8th century 700–799 CE

642–728 Coming soon Hasan al-Basri الحسن البصري Founding figure of Islamic ethics and Basra scholarship Iraq · Islamic Scholars
653–729 Profile Ibn Sirin ابن سيرين Hadith scholar of Basra, famous for the interpretation of dreams Iraq · Islamic Scholars, Psychologists 7th–8th c. Profile Abd al-Malik ibn Abjar al-Kinani عبد الملك بن أبجر الكناني Physician of Alexandria and of Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz Egypt/Syria · Physicians
699–767 Coming soon Abu Hanifa أبو حنيفة Founder of the Hanafi school, systematic legal reasoning Iraq · Jurists
702–765 Coming soon Ja'far al-Sadiq جعفر الصادق Teacher of jurists and scholars; Ja'fari school Arabia · Islamic Scholars, Jurists