A responsibility in the market

Ash-Shifa was one of the few people in early Makkah, man or woman, who could read and write, and she is reported to have taught the skill to others once the community had settled in Madinah.

Umar, from the same clan as her, is reported to have held her judgement in particular regard.

Among the responsibilities he is reported to have given her was some oversight connected to the market of Madinah. The classical reports do not spell out exactly what the role involved or how long she held it — only that Umar trusted her with it.

It is a small, plainly stated detail rather than a dramatic episode, and it is treated here with the same care: stated as reported, not elaborated beyond what the sources give.