A Tradition Invented 47 socioeconomic status, and then by a divine command that placed her in one of the unlawful categories." She was among the converts who remained in Mecca and did not see the Prophet between the time of his migration and the conquest of Mecca. The majority of her traditions relate to one or two encounters in which Muhammad is said to have visited her in her home on the day of the conquest of Mecca." The narrative of many of her traditions, therefore, situates her in a privileged position as a witness to actions of Muhammad that no one else saw. In this way, her function as a narrator is very similar to that of Muhammad’s wives: she is privy to acts few others could have seen because they were performed in her home. This is reflected in the tradition of ‘Abd Allah b. al-Harith b. Nawfal, who relates, “I asked around and searched eagerly to find someone who could tell me that the Prophet prayed a voluntary prayer after sunrise and before noon (salat al-duha )J I could not find a soul to do so until Umm Hani’ reported to me that the Prophet came [to her home] after daybreak on the day of the Conquest.” The remainder of the tradition details how Muhammad prayed the salat al-duha in her home. Umm Hank's other traditions indicate that her qualifications as a narrator arise almost exclusively from her encounter with Muhammad in Mecca after the conquest. Her reports relating to the Prophet’s advice on voluntary fasting and invocations ( dhikr ) are also set within the framework of this meeting. As the sister of ‘All, her pedigree may have boosted her repute as a source for religious knowledge. However, she does not appear to have served as a locus for large numbers of traditions, particularly of the pro-‘Alid variety. Overall, the low incidence of narration by female members of the Prophet’s clan and the absence of his granddaughters as transmitters indicates that kinship alone did not determine a woman’s reputation or the extent of her participation as a narrator. OTHER WOMEN PROMINENT IN THE LIFE OF THE FIRST MUSLIM COMMUNITY In addition to Muhammad’s wives and kin, there were others who were conspicuously engaged in the life of the early Muslim community. These women were later sought out as authorities for the Prophet’s conduct as 98 Qur’an, 33:50. This verse allowed Muhammad to marry only those of his female cousins who had emigrated with him to Medina, and she was not among them. 99 See, for example, Ibn Hanbal, Musnad , 6:386, #26894, and 6:385, #26886. 100 Ibn Hanbal, Musnad , 6:386, #26894, and IbnMaja, Sunan , 1:439. The salat al-duha is a voluntary prayer said to have been performed after sunrise and before noon.