Lady Zainab Cobbold, a convert, was the first documented British Muslim woman to perform Hajj.
This is a thread about her extraordinary journey to Islam 👇
Born into aristocracy as Lady Evelyn Murray in Edinburgh in 1867, her father frequently took her and her family on trips to Algiers and Cairo where she spent the majority of her childhood.
There, she learned Arabic and visited local mosques with her friends.
It was in Cairo that Lady Evelyn met and married her husband who she had 3 children with.
Lady Evelyn's interest in Islam grew and she changed her name to Zainab in 1915. This impacted her relationship with her husband and later became the reason for their divorce in 1922.
Lady Zainab's adventurous spirit flourished after her separation from her husband as she took every opportunity to travel the world.
On one of her trips to Italy, she was invited by friends to meet the Pope. It was during this meeting that Lady Zainab announced she was Muslim.
Though Lady Zainab's conversion to Islam may not seem unusual today, it was often very difficult for members of the aristocracy to announce such a change at that time, especially that Islam was still viewed with some level of animosity during Victorian Britain.
The day Lady Zainab converted to Islam, she made a commitment to perform Hajj.
In 1929, she contacted the ambassador to the UK, of what is now known as Saudi Arabia, about her wish and she was granted permission to visit Mecca & complete Hajj by the King of Saudi Arabia.
In 1933, Lady Zainab became the first British Muslim woman to perform Hajj at the age of 65.
She travelled to Medina on her own to visit the Prophet’s tomb and then arrived in Mecca alone to perform Hajj, finally fulfilling the goal she had dreamed of for many years.
In 1934, Lady Zainab published a book titled 'Pilgrimage to Mecca' where she recounted her experience on Hajj.
In her book, she describes seeing the Kaba for the first time as "simple majesty" and likens Tawaf to "making a circuit round the house of [your] beloved."
Lady Zainab's experience on Hajj impacted her deeply and on her return to the UK, she continued her studies of Islam. She also volunteered at Woking Mosque where she made friends with other British converts such as Marmaduke Pickthall.
Lady Zainab passed away in 1963 in Scotland at the age of 96.
She left instructions that her burial & funeral be carried out in accordance with Islamic guidelines and that her gravestone should bear the words from Surah An-Nur: "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth."
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
The month of Dhul Qa'dah is upon us! Here are a couple of things to know and do:
Dhul Qa’dah is the 11th month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar, and Hajj was made obligatory as one of the five pillars of Islam in this month in 8 AH.
Other major events which took place in the month include: the Battle of the Trench (5 AH), the Treaty of Hudaybiyah (6 AH), the first Umrah performed by the Prophet ﷺ and his companions (7 AH)
Here are 15 duas for protection from the Qur'an and Sunnah 👇🏽
1. In the Name of Allah with Whose Name there is protection against every kind of harm in the earth or in heaven, and He is All-Hearing and All-Knowing [Tirmidhi]
2. O Allah protect me from my front, behind me, from my right and my left, and from above me, and I seek refuge in Your Magnificence from being taken unaware from beneath me [Ibn Majah]
Here's a 10-point guide to paying your Zakat this Ramadan w/@NZF_org_uk 👇🏽 AD
1. What is Zakat?
Zakat literally means "that which purifies". It's the third pillar of Islam and a compulsory payment for Muslims to purify and redistribute our wealth.
Zakat is 2.5% of your total wealth but not everyone has to pay it.
2. Should you be paying Zakat?
Zakat should be paid by people who meet four criteria:
‣ You are a Muslim
‣ You have hit puberty*
‣ You are of sound mind
‣ You have hit a certain wealth threshold, referred to as Nisab in Islam
Here are 9 things you can do while on your period this Ramadan 👇🏽
1. Keep doing wudhu, it carries a lot of barakah
When the Messenger ﷺ was in the state of major ritual impurity and intended to eat or sleep, he would perform wudū, the way he would for prayer. (Muslim)
2. Listen to the Qur'an or practice your memorisation