writing_womans_lives_symposium_paper_book_v2

also worked in the fields or in shops in town. They worked alongside other women in textile
workshops. Due to limited space, I will provide three examples to convey the richness of these
entries:
Aminah, the mother of ‘Imad al‐Din b. al‐Shirazi, and daughter of As’ad ibn al‐Muzaffar
ibn al‐Qalanisi died on Wednesday night, the 13 th of Shawwal (726). Prayers for her were
said on Thursday morning after which she was buried in the Qasyun cemetery, in the
mausoleum of her father. She was the wife of Taj al‐Din ibn al‐Shirazi, and the mother of
his children. He married her virgin. He received great happiness because of her. [After her
death] her husband returned the waqf that she enjoyed from her father back to her
brother, ‘Izziddin, because the stipulation of the waqf of the Ibn al‐Qalanisi family is that
none of the proceeds go to the daughters’ progeny, [it passes only] to the progeny of the
males. 20
The following example is telling in many respects:
On Sunday, 27 Safar, (726) died Lady Aisha, daughter of Shihab al‐Din Ahmad ibn Qara
Suql, wife of Ala al‐Din ibn al‐Baghdadi al‐Baridiyy who lived in the neighborhood of
Hammam Atika. She was buried in the Atika Cemetary in the tomb of her sister, Dulk
Khatun, who had just passed away the previous month. Dulk Khatun had made a last will
and testament that her husband will not marry other than her sister. So, seven days after
the death of his wife, Ibn al‐Baghdadi married her sister and fulfilled his wife’s wasiyya. He
gave her a kiswa of 500 dirhams, a bejeweled shawl worth another 500 dirhams, and gave
her 500 dirhams more to complete the 1500 . He wrote a contract that he owes her 30
Egyptian [gold] dinars. They were together one night and she woke up with a fever and
severe pain for 14 days and then she died. Ibn alBaghdadi felt great sadness and wept for
a long time. 21
The following example reveals more of a person in addition to cultural and artisanal references:
Rabi’ah, the mother of Salah al‐Din and Ahmad b. al‐Nuwayri, daughter of Muhammad
b. ‘Abd al‐Rahman al‐Qurashi, the jeweler, died. She died in Rahba and was buried there.
She, her husband and her son Ahmad, had journeyed to Rahbah to visit her [other] son,
Salah al‐Din, who was in the service there. She was always keen on traveling, [an activity]
her husband did not like. But she convinced him of her opinion and they all traveled
together. The husband did not feel comfortable in Rahba and he went from there to
Aleppo. As for her, she stayed put to meet her fate and to fulfill her destiny, as the Qur’an
says “no soul knows in which land it will die.” [Qur’an 31:34] She was a blessed woman,
generous, and could be counted for several men. She was energetic and quick to serve
those in need. She cooked a variety of good dishes according to recipes. She sewed cloth
elegantly and embroidered with all kinds of needles. She wove trousers and made many
such products, all with constant prayer and fasting and other forms of worship. She served
everyone who came [for help] without effect, but with good nature and a smiling face. 22
al‐Jazari gives the obituary of his neighbor as “Daifa, daughter of Umar ibn Abi Talib and wife of
Muhammad al‐Irbili [who lived] next to the hammam of ‘Atika and who died on Friday night (
5/12/729). She was a good woman who stayed for a while in Egypt before she came back home with
her daughter. Her husband had related to me that once in the month of Ramadan he suffered a bout
of ophthalmic disease and could not work and they had no income to buy even bread. So Daifa had
to work in the Kawafi workshops [as a seamstress] and was getting paid half a dirham per day. Her
supervisor paid once every two days, so Daifa and her husband used to eat one day and remain
hungry the other. When Muhammad al‐Irbili finally was able to work as lessee of a caravanserai and
a hammam, he used to give all the income to Daifa and she was able to save a good sum.” Al‐Jazari
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