Untold

by Kahn, Tamam

• ISBN13: 9780982324653
• ISBN10: 0982324650
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-31
• Publisher: INGRAM

Summary

"Finally, we get to meet the first women of Islam. Thank you for this brave book."--Coleman Barks "Brilliant and illuminating . . . awesome in the depth of its research, the grace of its prose, and the beauty of its poetic voices."--Alicia Ostriker Untolddemystifies the most influential women at the dawn of Islam: Muhammad's wives. They are presented in all their variety, among them a successful merchant, the leader of an army, two Jewish war captives, and a Coptic Christian diplomat. Here we see them, beautiful in their humanity, wily and wise, giving love advice, thwarting a rival's marriage, serving the poor, and saving a vital peace treaty.

Author Biography

Tamam Kahn is one of the foremost authorities on the wives of Prophet Muhammad. She presents her findings at women's gatherings, in schools and universities and at Sufi and interfaith conference and festivals worldwide. Her travels to sacred sites in Morocco, Syria, Andalusia and India and her careful research of early Islamic history have informed her attunement to and knowledge of these vital and nearly unknown historical figures. Tamam Kahn is an author and poet and has released two CD's of poetry and spoken word performances. A tenth generation American whose roots go back our founding fathers (and mothers!), Tamam is married to Shabda Kahn, the spiritual director (Pir) of the Sufi Ruhaniat International with outreach in 50 countries. For more information on Tamam Kahn and her work, visit http://completeword. wordpress.com/.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xv
Who do you think you are?	p. xvii
Preface	p. 1
Marrakesh	p. 1
heart not dog (qalb not kalb)	p. 2
a thousand and one nights	p. 3
reading the Arabian Nights	p. 3
Mawlud and the treasure	p. 5
at the Zaki Hotel	p. 5
the zikr room on Norwich Street	p. 7
Map	p. 8
Introduction	p. 9
instructions for Jahiliyya	p. 10
galaxies	p. 13
Khadija, the white shade cloud	p. 15
Khadija	p. 16
the visitor	p. 17
brocade (al-dibaja)	p. 19
Muhammad comes to collect his salary	p. 20
The family	p. 21
Umm Kulthum: "mother-of-the-round-faced-one"	p. 21
Ruqayya, wakened by the words	p. 23
throw a lucky man in the sea, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth	p. 24
Khadija's lying-in	p. 25
seeing more	p. 26
Revelation	p. 27
Khadija visits Uncle Waraqa	p. 27
Khadija's hair	p. 29
the ban	p. 30
'A'isha, matchfire in the backlight	p. 33
Slander	p. 34
Before widowhood	p. 35
flame, 'A'isha	p. 36
"My wives are like the brothers of Joseph."	p. 38
'A'isha sees Juwayriyya	p. 38
Wanting	p. 39
'A'isha: widow and warrior	p. 41
Privilege	p. 41
owner's manual: the howdah	p. 44
'A'isha discovers how war can be	p. 46
honeycomb: after the year 632	p. 47
Zaynab, the beautiful	p. 48
unwrapped (al-kishaf)	p. 49
Zaynab's wedding meal: a sonnet	p. 51
swaying lamps	p. 53
Zaynab and the people of the bench	p. 55
Zaynab and the honey	p. 57
Umm Salama, mother of peace	p. 59
Abyssinia	p. 60
Land	p. 61
Hind in Africa: leaving the Red Sea	p. 62
Hind's vision	p. 65
Mecca and Medina	p. 66
Umm Salama at Hudaybiya	p. 69
Umm Salama tells of breaking the idols	p. 70
Umm Salama's mourning ghazal	p. 71
Calamity	p. 72
The Jewish Wives	p. 74
People of the Book	p. 75
lament for Hagar's daughters	p. 77
the munafiqin	p. 79
Rayhana	p. 80
Rayhana, pouring out the wine	p. 81
gold coin	p. 82
Muhammad's sigh	p. 83
Safiyya b. Huyayy	p. 84
Safiyya's cat	p. 84
in the tent	p. 85
Safiyya's fall	p. 86
interview with Safiyya	p. 88
Mariya, from among the Christians	p. 89
Muhammad and Christianity	p. 90
locution	p. 90
Mariya leaves Egypt for Medina	p. 93
between	p. 93
Mariya's needle	p. 94
Mariya	p. 95
why they complain about the Egyptian	p. 96
in her garden Mariya has a vision	p. 98
outliving him	p. 99
The Other Wives	p. 101
mother-in-law of Muhammad	p. 102
Sawda: the stamp of approval	p. 103
laughter in the dark of the moon	p. 104
up until the Day Of Rising	p. 105
news	p. 107
Zaynab b. Khuzayma, mother of the poor	p. 107
the other Zaynab	p. 107
Hafsa, the Prophet's librarian	p. 108
Defiance	p. 108
Hafsa's Qur'an	p. 110
Juwayriyya, the little jewel	p. 111
the thirst-quenching well (al-muraysi)	p. 111
Umm Habiba, married by a king	p. 112
watching her	p. 112
exile	p. 114
Umm Habiba's father	p. 115
Abu Sufyan scolds Ramla	p. 116
no black mark	p. 117
Umm Habiba's room	p. 117
Muhammad's marriage challenges	p. 118
on the porch	p. 119
Asma', the unfortunate one	p. 121
Mrs. Muhammad	p. 122
Maymuna, the last wife	p. 123
Maymuna and Muhammad	p. 123
wife of the Prophet	p. 126
The closing poem	p. 127
how the story goes	p. 128
Glossary	p. 131
Muhammad's wives and the year of marriage	p. 139
Index of names	p. 140
Works consulted	p. 145
Endnotes	p. 151
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.