Rufaida Al-Aslamia, also known as Rufaydah bint Sa`ad, was an Arab medical and social worker, the first female Muslim nurse, and the first female surgeon in the world. She was a pioneer of nursing and healthcare during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). She played an active role in several battles, including Badr, Khaybar, Uhud, and Khandaq, where she used her medical expertise to treat wounded soldiers. She founded the first Islamic health centre in Medina.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia was born around 620 AD in Yathrib (Medina) into the Bani Aslam tribe of the Khazraj tribal confederation. Her father, Sa`ad Al-Aslami, was a physician who mentored and trained her in the medical field. Her father’s guidance played a crucial role in her education and development as a skilled nurse and medical practitioner.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia was among the first people in Medina to accept Islam and was one of the Ansar women who welcomed Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on arrival in Medina. She was kind and empathetic, a capable leader and organizer, able to mobilize others and inspire good work. She possessed clinical skills, which she shared with the nurses she trained and worked alongside.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia and a group of volunteers requested the Prophet's permission to participate in battles and assist injured soldiers before the Muslim army's military operations. With the Prophet's approval, Rufaida played an active role in several battles, including Badr, Khaybar, Uhud, and Khandaq, where she used her medical expertise to treat wounded soldiers. When Sa’ad Ibn Mu’aath was injured in the Battle of Al-Khandaq (The Trench), Muhammad ordered that he be placed and treated in her tent.
Rufaida al Aslamia was granted permission by Prophet Muhammed to keep her small clinic near Masjid Al-Nabawi after the wars had ended, to provide medical care to patients, wounded individuals, and those suffering from diseases. She also played a significant role in resolving social issues that arose due to illnesses within her community. In addition, she trained and educated other women interested in nursing. She founded the first Islamic health centre in Medina. Under her leadership in the early days of Islam, the concept of establishing the first known Islamic care centre emerged.
Prophet Muhammad recognised Rufaida Al-Aslamia's contributions and rewarded her with an equal share of the spoils of war, at the same rate as the soldiers. Rufaida's inspiring social work continued even after the wars ended, as she extended her efforts to help those in need, especially the poor and orphans.
Nursing historians in the Western world credit Florence Nightingale as the pioneer of modern nursing and the first nurse, but Rufaida Al-Aslamia held the title of Nightingale 1,400 years earlier. Tales of Rufaida’s heroic deeds have been passed down verbally from generation to generation of Saudi nurses and continue to be cherished by many modern Saudi nurses.
Rufaida Al-Aslamia's legacy lives on in Pakistan, where the nursing college at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery Diploma in Nursing and BSc Nursing programs proudly bear her name. Meanwhile, each year, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland at the University of Bahrain awards one student the prestigious Rufaida Al-Aslamia Prize in Nursing. The award winner, determined by a panel of senior clinical medical staff members, receives the Rufaida Al-Aslamia Prize in Nursing for consistently excelling in delivering superb nursing care to patients.
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