WOMEN AND EDUCATION
A study of the life of the Prophet Muhammad tells us that education, whose actual goal from the Islamic point of view is the arousal of human awareness, is as essential for women as it is for men. There is a famous saying of the Prophet that acquiring knowledge is the duty of all Muslims. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 229)
Indeed, only men and women who acquire knowledge and are aware can conduct the practical matters of life smoothly.
In the biographies of the narrators of Hadith literature, mention is made of the academic services of women, which shows that during the first era of Islam, there was a strong tendency among women to acquire knowledge. Imam Bukhari, who compiled the Hadith book Al-Jami as-Sahih, considered the most authentic source of Hadith, was initially educated at home by his mother and sister.
According to the Quran, there is no difference between a man and a woman. They share a common fate and are subject to the same existential conditions with the same potential and the same purpose of being.
Women are just as entitled to seek education as men. However, this does not necessarily mean that an educated woman should be rebellious and headstrong, challenging the authority of whomever she likes. Education, in the real sense, makes a person see reason and gives an insight into all aspects of life.
As women performed their role without going outdoors, there is a general impression that Islam has restricted women’s workplaces to performing only domestic chores. But this is not the truth. First, Islam encouraged them to receive education and then enthused them with a new zeal. Subsequently, they went out to impart this learning to the next generation.
Since the earliest ideal phase of Islam, Muslim women have successfully exploited their talents in the field of education. Homes had become centres of learning as primary schools (Makateeb). This tradition was practised in almost all Muslim communities well into the 20th century when the modern education system took over this function.
As modern-day research tells us, women are better with words than men. It is perhaps this reason that they can run educational institutions successfully. Besides this, there may be many workplaces where women can exploit their full potential. Since the earliest days of Islam, we have found Muslim women working outdoors. Umm Dahdah, wife of a Companion of the Prophet, worked in her orchard. Khadijah, the Prophet’s wife, conducted business, to cite only a few examples. However, Islam sets great value on the proper management of the home. This is because the home is the most essential unit of any society. Home is the centre of preparing succeeding generations. Thus, neglecting the home front will amount to ignoring the next generation, resulting in a significant national loss.
