Women and Education in Islam

source :Posted July 17th, 2008 by roemasa

www.dhuha.net

Since it is obligatory on every Muslim male and female to acquire knowledge, the woman has got as much right as the man has got for acquiring knowledge and education. Hence the injunctions of the Qur’an and Sunnah are equally applicable to men and women.

1. The importance which the Qur’an gives to education and learning can be judged from this fact that the first few verses of the Qur’an which were revealed on Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) instructed him to read. Al-Qur’an says: “Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth, createth man from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the most Bounteous, Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not” - (Al-Alaq : verses 1-5). So the Holy Qur’an, which is the revealed book of Islam, starts with the word `read', if put in the chronological order. In the verses mentioned above, the Qur’an uses three words `read', `teaches' and `pen', which shows how much is the importance of reading, learning, writing and teaching.
The Prophet of Islam made it obligatory on every Muslim male and female to acquire knowledge. According to another Tradition he exhorted his followers to search knowledge though they have to go as far as China. In another Hadith it is reported that the search for knowledge is an expiation for one's sins.

2. The prayers of the Prophets and the righteous people have been mentioned in the Qur’an. The prayer of the Prophet of Islam given in the Qur’an is about increase in knowledge. Allah commanded His messenger to pray to Him in these words: “...My Lord! Increase me in knowledge” (Ta-ha : verse 114). This has been the. most popular prayer of the followers of Muhammad (may Allah's peace be upon him) through centuries and even the kids in the Muslim homes who can hardly speak start chanting this prayer from the very childhood.

3. Human being is the best of Allah's creation and it is because Allah has given him knowledge. It is on account of the learning and knowledge that man's superiority was established over the Angels. Allah taught Adam all the names, and then showed them to the Angels asking them to inform Him about them which they could not, but Adam did (Al-Baqarah : verses 31-¬33). Wisdom or knowledge is a great treasure and everlasting wealth. He is Allah Who gives wisdom to whom He likes. Unto whom wisdom is given, he had indeed been blessed with a great treasure (Al-Baqarah : verse 269). The Prophet of Islam calls the learning as a. treasure-house and he declared that superiority in education is better than superiority in divine service.

4. Islam attaches so much importance to education that the Qur’an instructs the believers that all of them should not go out for fighting, rather they should leave some of them behind who should acquire sound knowledge of religion and should teach the others when they return from fighting (At-Tauba : verse 122) Jihad is obligatory on every adult male Muslim in case the security of Islamic state is in danger. But even in such a state of emergency and critical position, the importance of learning is not being ignored. The believers are being commanded that all of them should not go forth together for participation in Jihad. It would be better if they leave some contingent behind who should devote themselves to studies in religion and should acquire the capability to teach others.

The Prophet of Islam released some of the prisoners who had been captured in the Battle of Badr, without ransom on the condition that each of them should teach at least ten Muslim children how to read and write. This shows how the Prophet viewed the need of education and literacy for the Muslim children.

5. Most of the commentators of the Qur’an are unanimously of the view that Sura Al-Ahzab verse 34 is addressed to the wives of Muhammad (may Allah's peace be upon him). The wives of the Prophet are being instructed to learn which is recited in their homes of the Qur’an and wisdom. In the sublime company of the Prophet, whatever they learn by closely observing his conduct and attentively listening to his discourses of wisdom, they should impart it to the members of Muslim Ummah very faithfully and without any omission or commission. The history of Islam tells us that the wives of the Prophet did acquire sound learning of the Qur’an and the Traditions in the company of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) and they played indeed an admirable role in popularising the teachings of the Qur’an and the Ahadith of the Prophet of Islam. Indirectly this injunction of the Holy Qur’an may also be taken to be applicable to the Muslim women in general. The role of the mothers in training and educating the future generations is well known and thus the Qur’an impresses upon them to get education and thus educate in turn the future of the Ummah.

6. According to Sura Al-Mujadila verse 11 of the Qur’an, Allah will give high ranks and rewards to those believers who have acquired knowledge and learning. The Qur’an (Sura Al-'Imran verse 18) includes the learned persons among the list of the witnesses who give evidence about the Unity of God. Do you know who are the witnesses? They are Allah (Himself), the angels and the men of learning! Can there be any higher rank than this? Obviously, no. According to a Hadith, the rank of a learned man is higher than that of a pious worshipper. According to another Hadith, the man who goes out in search of knowledge is in the path of Allah (Jihad) till he returns.

7. The importance of the writing and the pen (symbol of writing) is that at one place in the Qur’an (Al-Qalam : 1-2), Almighty Allah swears by the pen and at another place He commands the believers to reduce their contracts and agreements in writing. (Al-Baqara : 282)

Men and Women have the right to seek education in Islam:

The sections of this article are:
- Men and Women have the right to seek education in Islam.
- So how come some Muslim extremists ban women from education?

Education and knowledge are mandatory upon men and women in Islam. Let us look at what Allah Almighty in His Noble Quran and His Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him said:

"....Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition. (The Noble Quran, 39:9)"

"...Those truly fear God, among His Servants, who have knowledge: for God is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving. (The Noble Quran, 35:28)"

Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ashari: "The Prophet said, 'He who has a slave-girl and teaches her good manners and improves her education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward; and any slave who observes Allah's right and his master's right will get a double reward.' (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Manumission of Slaves, Volume 3, Book 46, Number 723)"
This Saying of our beloved Prophet peace be upon him came when he was gradually eliminating slavery among Muslims. I wonder if women are prohibited to be educated in Islam, then how is the above Saying of our beloved Prophet supposed to NOT contradict that?! It is clear that the right for education in Islam sees no gender discrimination between men and women.

Slavery was practiced before and during the times of Judaism, Christianity and Paganism. Islam came and eliminated slavery. Please see the many articles about the liberation of slaves in Islam.

Narrated AbudDarda': "Kathir ibn Qays said: I was sitting with AbudDarda' in the mosque of Damascus. A man came to him and said: AbudDarda, I have come to you from the town of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). I have come for no other purpose.

He said: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion. (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, Knowledge (Kitab Al-Ilm), Book 25, Number 3634)"

Narrated AbuHurayrah: "The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: If anyone acquires knowledge of things by which Allah's good pleasure is sought, but acquires it only to get some worldly advantage, he will not experience the arf, i.e. the odour, of Paradise. (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, Knowledge (Kitab Al-Ilm), Book 25, Number 3656)"

In the above Noble Verse and Sayings, we clearly see that knowledge and education are a must on both Muslim men and women. Those who know are better than those who do not know. Those who are rich in knowledge are the most who fear Allah Almighty, through glorifying Him, appreciating Him and Respecting His Mighty Power, for they would have more knowledge about Him than those who don't know.

So education to both men and women in Islam is essential. Without it, Allah Almighty's Servants would have no idea about His "Scientific" Miracles and Signs that He Shows some of it to us through our normal science and logic.
Also, those who seek good knowledge and education will be granted Paradise and the Angels will lower their wings for them with great pleasure, and forgiveness will be asked for them. The learned are considered the heirs of the Prophets.

We also clearly see that the improper worldly knowledge will not cause the person to enter Paradise. So everything we seek knowledge for, better be for good cause to humanity.

So how come some Muslim extremists ban women from education?
Please know that the only country or group of Muslim extremists that ban women from education are the "Taliban" group in Afghanistan. The rest of the 1.4 Billion Muslim populations don't have any laws that prohibit women to be educated or seek the highest academic degrees they desire.
Saudi Arabia is a country, however, that bans women from driving cars. Again, I don't really know where they are getting this rubbish from. Certainly cars didn't exist 1400 years ago. So all of these verdicts that you see today in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia from banning women to be educated and from driving cars are TODAY'S AUTHORITIES VERDICTS.
I never really understood the Saudi's point, and I guess I never probably will, because Khadijah, Prophet Muhammad's first wife, was a business woman. She actually used to travel on her camel and bargain with men and make deals with them!

Also, Aisha, one of Prophet Muhammad's wives, not only narrated so many of his Sayings, and taught so many Muslims many laws about Islam during his life and after his death, but believe it or not, she actually led an army of 60,000 Muslim men after our Prophet peace be upon him died. That battle was called the "Battle of Camel". It is a very popular battle. Every Muslim knows it.

The problem with the Taliban of Afghanistan, however, is that most of their top leaders are illiterate. They literally don't know how to read and write. The "Mullah Omar" their highest leader is one live example. As we saw in the first section of this article, those who lack education have a problem appreciating GOD Almighty. They are not preferred in Islam, and they could cause a lot of trouble.

I wouldn't expect any good leadership from a leadership such as the Taliban in Afghanistan. So, when they give verdicts against women's education, they are really coming up with their own false interpretations, that to them, seem to be the perfect rules.

Also, the Taliban gave verdicts that all Shia Muslims are infidels, and therefore it is ok to kill any of them. Their followers, who are mostly uneducated, blindly and ridiculously follow their leaders' twisting of Allah Almighty's Commands:

"O ye who believe! Obey God, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to God and His Apostle, if ye do believe in God and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination. (The Noble Quran, 4:59)"
So to them, since the Taliban is the "authority", then they should blindly follow them. They and their leaders, however, obviously lack a great deal of knowledge about Islam, because Noble Verse 4:59 is talking about obeying the people with authority ONLY in what is Islamic.

This was clearly defined by our Prophet peace be upon him:
Narrated 'Abdullah: "The Prophet said, 'A Muslim has to listen to and obey (the order of his ruler) whether he likes it or not, as long as his orders involve not one in disobedience (to Allah), but if an act of disobedience (to Allah) is imposed one should not listen to it or obey it. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Judgments (Ahkaam), Volume 9, Book 89, Number 258)"

History had repeated itself in Afghanistan. 1400 years ago we had so many civil wars because of not so knowledgable leaders about the Islamic laws took power. It's easy to give a verdict. But a leader in Islam is going to be held very dearly responsible for such verdict, especially if he caused the death of many innocent lives!


and also u can add current info regarding taliban's stance on swat women .

regards

HP

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"You were born an original. Don't die a copy."
John Mason