Umm al-Darda
Umm al-Darda al-Kubra was a companion of prophet Muhammad. She was a prominent jurist during the 7th century in Damascus. She lectured in the male section of the mosque. As an orphan child, under the sponsorship of Abu Darda, she prayed with men, until she reached maturity at which point she started praying with women. She became a teacher of hadith and fiqh and lectured in the men's section. Her husband was the fellow companion Abu Darda.
One of her students, ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, was the 5th Umayyad caliph. He studied fiqh under Umm al-Darda The 14th-century Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun states, "ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwan is one of the greatest Arab and Muslim Caliphs. He followed in the footsteps of ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, the Commander of the Believers, in regulating state affairs."
