ARTICLES IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN ...

IMPORTANCE OF
WOMEN EDUCATION
AND CHALLENGES Maulana Mohammad Asjad Qasmi

OF MODERN AGE Lecturer of Darul Uloom Waqf Deoband

It is crystal clear that education is
a basic and fundamental right of
human being. Not a single person
can be denied or deprived of
getting education. All the
religions of the world advocate
for education and motivate their
followers to equip themselves
with education. Since the early
ages, education has been
considered as the main tool of
success on the surface of the
earth. Culture, civilization,
morality, ethics and
humanitarianism are the fruits of
education which cannot be
expected without that. In the
history of human being, Greece
has huge amount of share in terms
of culture and civilization. Still it
is considered as one of the oldest
civilizations of the world. Greece
had played a crucial role in
building the culture and
civilization of the world, as it had
immense and significant
education sources; and countless
orators, thinkers, philosophers
had been part of that admired
civilization. Education is the only
thing that can differentiate
between good and bad things and
can give proper understanding to
combat ignorance. Education is
the thing that can bring about a
revolution in the society and can
make the people civilized and
modest. It is the source of
knowledge and it creates
opportunities for the learned to
discover the hidden truth of the
universe. Well-qualified people
have always been regarded as the
most trusted and respected
personalities of the society and
people have high regard for them
in their hearts. Whatever new
technologies are being discovered
day by day is the gift of
education.
Women’s Rights And
Human Society
Though education had been the
basic right of human being, but
unfortunately it was not allowed
for all mankind. People of high
status and high power had
monopoly on the source of
education. Women who have

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been the essential part of human
society, had no right to pursue
education, even they had no right
to their own property or run
business. Moreover, people from
weaker sections were prohibited
to get education. Neither they
could impart education nor could
they possess any valuable
position in the society. The
situation was so worse that in
Indian subcontinent lower caste
people were not allowed to hear
“Vedas” and “Ramayana”
(religious books of Hinduism), if
anyone accidentally listened,
melted lead would be put inside
their ears as a punishment. Indian
subcontinent was not the only
region where women were
deprived; even European
countries had no respect for
women. Greece and Rome which
were the centres of civilizations in
ancient age regarded women as
the root of evils. Women had no
more value in the society than
commodity which were sold and
bought in the market.
Unlike other religions and
civilizations, Islam has given due
rights to its followers regardless
of their gender. It is Islam which
has provided women all types of
rights in the human society from
education to owning property and
running business. Consequently,
many Muslim women got
specialization in different
sections of education. From the
era of the Prophet peace be upon
him till today Muslim women are
enjoying their basic and
fundamental rights in the shadow
of Islam.
In modern era, so-called
philanthropists and thinkers
blame Islam that it does not give
right to its followers and prohibit
Muslim women from acquiring
education. As a matter of fact,
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Islam never opposed education;
rather it has always encouraged
and motivated Muslim men and
women to receive education.
However, modern education
system does not suit Muslim
women due to unscrupulous
structure of educational
institutions. Problems are
increasing day by day for Muslim
women in the field of education.
In other words, it has almost
become impossible for them to
pursue education in ongoing
system. On the name of equality,
co-education system in schools
and colleges has destroyed the
moral status of students.
Immodesty and immorality have
become the part of their school
life, self-dignity and chastity
which was once considered as the
most precious gift for girls, has
lost its value due to constant
meeting with boys in school and
college life. Harmfulness of this
system is horrendous and
unbearable. God-fearing people
and those who have self-respect
how can they send their female
children in an institution where
there is no place for modesty and
morality and which provides
opportunity for boys and girls to
come closer to one another? It is
one of the main reasons why
many Muslim families do not
send their daughters in such
schools and colleges and prefer
to send their children in religious
institutions where moral
atmosphere is remarkable.
Muslims are not against the
education but they are against the
system which is totally against the
spirit of Islam.
Let’s have a cursory glance at
why this new modern system does
not suit the Muslim students and
they avoid from such institutions.
If we talk about learning in Islam,
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IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN ...
it is very clear that it has been
regarded compulsory for each and
every Muslim without any
exception. This is the reason,
Muslim from the early age never
pretermitted in learning. The
education system for women was
very simple; there was no so
much rule and regulation for
female children. In most of the
cases, parents would teach them
basic and essential books on
different subjects and rest they
could learn in their own locality
from female teachers. Education
was so common in Islamic era
that there was not a single locality
where profound knowledge
holder women were not present.
Without modern school and
college Muslim women of that era
were more well-educated and
well-trained in social life.
In modern era, educational
institutions have become a hub of
shameful activities. Even though,
many excellent and good steps
have been taken for the students
but disadvantages of new system
are more dangerous than
advantages. In co-education
system, boys and girls attend the
same school and class together
without taking due distance
which degrades their gender
dignity. Parda (veil) which is the
essential part of Muslim society
and Muslim girls are ordered to
cover their faces. On the name of
dress-code many schools and
colleges ban Hijab and Parda
while skirts and other indecent
dresses are allowed. Sometimes
they are forced to remove their
Hijab and Burqa just on the name
of school or college rule and
regulation and in many cases
Muslim girls wearing Hijab have
been stopped from entering the
class. However, music show,
dance competition, cultural
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 ARTICLES
program, celebration of non-Islamic
festival is constantly conducted in
which all students are compelled
to participate. How can a Muslim
girl or boy take part in a program
which has been declared unlawful
in Islamic Shari’a.
The second point is that due to
frequent meeting with boys and
strangers many girls forget their
self-esteem and end up falling
into shameful activities which put
them and their family into trouble
and sometimes it leads them to
commit severe crime. Naturally
when they meet each other
regularly, they are attracted to
each other resulting in
transgression of the limit of
human dignity. So many cases
have been reported where a girl
eloped along with her boyfriend
and later they parted their ways.
In some cases, girls have brutally
been tortured by their lover
husbands or in-laws even some of
them succumbed to injuries or
mental pressure. Co-education
system has emerged as one of the
greatest threats for Muslim girls
in terms of their faith and
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modesty. Many girls and boys
choose their life partners without
considering their future security
and without thinking about the
safety of their religion. That is
why, cases of apostasy are
increasing day by day and mostly
students from school or college
fall prey to it. Imagine! A girl or
boy leaves the religion of Islam
only to satisfy her/his desires.
Solution For The
Problems
What is the solution for this
problem in modern era, we know
that we cannot prevent Muslim
girls from acquiring education as
it is their basic right in religion of
Islam. Eying the current scenario,
it is not practical to stop female
children from learning, so what
should Muslims do? If they send
their children in co-education
system or where managements
are in the hands of non-Muslims,
then they may indulge in
unIslamic activities or else they
could divert their ways of life
embracing immoral and unethical
ways. Convent schools which are
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IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN ...
considered as the neutral institutions
for students they brainwash child
in such a way that the child
started to hate his/her own
religion or becomes impractical
in his/her religious life.
Islam urges its followers to impart
education, that is why people
from different ages have
contributed a lot in the field of
education and many invention
have been done by Islamic
scholars or Muslim scientists. Not
only Muslim men; many Muslim
women have authored several
books on different topics.
Whatever earlier was done can be
done today in the limitation of
Islam. But new education system
does not fulfill the real dream of
Muslim community because
many Muslims inspired by
non-Muslim philosophers or
atheists choose to live their lives
according to them.
If we go through Indian
educational system we find that
most of communities living in the
country have their own
educational institutions. In India,
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 ARTICLES
people are free to establish their
own private institutions according
to rules and regulations. Though
some schools and colleges have
been founded by prominent
Muslim thinkers, but the fact is
that; founded institutions are not
enough for whole Muslim
community. Most of the urban
areas in our country have no
Muslim schools or colleges.
Helplessly boys and girls have to
attend government schools or
non-Muslim schools. If we look
at the situation of rural areas,
most of them have no schools or
colleges even the areas where
Muslims are in majority or have
considerable population are
empty from educational
institutions. When we do not have
our own institutions then how our
children could get education and
how academic ratio among
Muslim community would rise?
However, as a community, it is
our fault that we could not give so
much importance to educational
institutions which could fulfill the
dream of our children as well as
our nation. If we had had our own
schools, our children would have
occupied worthwhile position in
the country. We know that as a
Muslim we like to send our
children in a school where they
can feel safe in terms of education
as well as in terms of good
upbringing, but due to less option
many of us unwillingly send them
in non-Muslim schools.
Purpose of Education
It is very important and valuable
point to discuss that what is the
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purpose of education? In Islamic
perspective, the purpose of
education is to know the Creator
of the universe, to obey His orders
in all spheres of life, to surrender
oneself to the commands of Allah,
to understand the purpose behind
creation of universe, to follow the
Sunnah of the Prophet peace be
upon him, to make himself
beneficial for the human being
and to keep it in mind that
everything comes from Allah and
definitely will return to Him.
However, when we see the
current scenario of academic
institutions and
education-aspirants, we find that
their main and sole purpose of
education is getting job, acquiring
high and valuable degrees and
earning much more money to
satisfy desires. It is a basic
difference between Islamic
viewpoint of education and the
recent system of education. It
should be kept in mind that Islam
never motivated its followers to
earn money and get job through
educational degree rather it has
always regarded education as the
source for the service of human
being. Due to this immoral trend
among high-qualified people
education has become so
expensive in private schools and
colleges, and professional courses
are so expensive that a middle
class family could not bear the
expenditure of their children.
Now people are using educational
institutions as a business place
and they are establishing schools
and colleges for earning money
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IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN ...
not with the intention of service
of the nation and mankind.
Conclusion
Women cannot be deprived of
education at any cost, to remove
this hindrance and fear; Muslims
need to make arrangements of
education for their children. They
should establish well-fledged
institutions for both girls and boys
separately. Establishing Islamic
schools and colleges are the need
of time. There are many benefits
in establishing our own
educational institutions across the
country, as a Muslim community;
we will be able to impart
education to our children in
Islamic atmosphere where not
only Islamic principles would be
followed, but ethical values
would be imparted to the
students. When educational
quality would be good and
remarkable then students from
other communities will definitely
come here to take admission and
it would be great opportunity to
deal with them in good behavior.
It will create healthy atmosphere
in the society and people from
different religions will come to
know real values of humanity and
will feel proud to render services
of humanity. It has been
witnessed for a long time that
those who are God-fearing, they
discharge their duties loyally and
faithfully. When people like them
will run their own institutions,
they will raise the students
morally as well as educationally.
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