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Islam and Girl Child Education INTRODUCTION:
This paper is divided into four parts for purposes of comprehension and
cohesion. The first part will discuss the concept of education in Islam,
while the second part will look at the status of education in Islam. The
third part will be an exposition on the position of Islam on girls/women
education. The fourth and concluding part will highlight clogs in the wheel
of girls’ education, way forward and conclusion. Concept of Education in
Islam: Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) said: “Read! In the name of your Lord
and cherisher, who created – created man out of a mere clot of congealed
blood: Read! And your Lord is most bountiful, He who taught (the use of)
the pen, - taught man that which he knew not” (96:1-5) “And he taught Adam
the names of all things; then he placed them before the angels, and said:
“tell me the names of these if you are right.” They said:“Glory to you: of
knowledge we have none save what you have taught us: in truth it is you who
are perfect in knowledge and wisdom” (2:31-2) These two verses have been
chosen as a starting point for this discussion to illustrate the fact that
the message of Islam is based on knowledge, since the first revelation from
Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)) to Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of
Allah be on him) was an instruction to read. Thus, the only way to
appreciate the essence of the message is through knowledge. The second
verse illustrates the fact that it is only with knowledge-“the names of all
things” that a person has the prerequisite for attaining the power of
reasoning without which nothing will make sense to anyone. Now that we have
established the fact that the basis of the deen itself is knowledge and its
essence and comprehension can only be derived through knowledge, we can
proceed to ask ourselves what is meant by knowledge in the Islamic context.
Does it mean knowledge to do with ibadaat like prayer, fasting, reading the
Qur’an etc? On the other hand, is it to do with mastering the great books
of fiqh, hadith etc? Contrary to popular belief, education in Islam does
not only
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a.
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Divine revelation – having to do with stable
and unchangeable injunctions inspired by Allah through which people could
be guided to the divine truth. mean knowledge dealing with Ibadaat and
mu’amalat. Rather it encompasses any kind of knowledge in the sciences,
humanities etc, which imbibes and moves within the framework of Islam and
its concepts. This is achieved by utilizing the two main sources of
knowledge prescribed by Islam. These are:
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b.
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The human intellect and its tools which are in
constant observation, contemplation, experimentation and application.
According to Imam Al- Ghazali in his renowned
book “Ihya Ulumud-deen, the only time knowledge becomes blameworthy and
therefore discouraged or prohibited in Islam is thus:
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1.
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When it leads to the harm of
another e.g. magic, sorcery etc.
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2.
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If it causes harm to the
acquirer.
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3.
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If it is of no use to one who
acquires it.
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This
clearly attests to the fact that a Muslim’s search for knowledge should be
as expansive as it is inexhaustible, as long as it is guided by and
conscious of Islamic principles. The reality in our immediate environment
is that many Muslims largely confine themselves to certain branches of
knowledge and leave other aspects which they believe wrongly are outside
the boundaries of Islam. Religious knowledge and scholarship therefore is
one aspect (a very important one) of education in Islam. It can be defined
as a body of knowledge comprising of moral, legal, and religious teachings
based on the Qur’an, hadith and the consensus of jurists (Ijma) as
interpreted and expatiated by historical and contemporary Ulama whose
authority is widely accepted or acknowledged. It is the basis on which all
other forms of knowledge lie, because with it one is armed with the
yardstick to explore other forms of knowledge and classify it within or
outside the framework of Islam. Status of Education in Islam: This
part will attempt to illuminate benefits derived from the pursuit,
dissemination and application of knowledge as espoused in the Qur’an and
traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)) said in the Qur’an; “Allah bears
witness that none has the right to be worshipped but he And the angels and
those having knowledge also give witness…..” (Quran-3:18) In this verse,
Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)) began attestation on first himself, then his
angels and then the learned. From this, it was understood that the rank of
the learned is very high. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)) said in the Qur’an,
“Allah will raise up to ranks and degrees those of you who believe and who
have gained knowledge” (Qur’an: 58:11) Ibn Abbas (RA) commenting on this
said “The rank of the learned is seven hundred times more than that of the
believers, and the difference between the two ranks is the distance of the
path of 500 years.” The prophet Muhammad said on this rank; “the
superiority of a learned man over a worshipper is like the superiority of
moon over stars” The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said,
“Belief is without dress and its dress is the fear of Allah, its ornament
is shame and its fruit is knowledge”. and: “if a man seeks the path of
acquiring knowledge, Allah guides him to a path leading to paradise”.
Allah, the All wise says “Say; are those who know equal to those who know
not?” (Qur’an 39:8) The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: “The scholar is more superior than the devoted worshipper by the same
amount that I am superior to the lowest among you”. He added: “Surely,
Allah, His Angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and earth, and even the
ant in its house, and the whale in the sea pray for him who teaches people
virtue.” Reported by Tirmidhi. Safwan Ibn Assad reports that the Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Surely, Angels
spread their wings for joy and pleasure with the knowledge seeker.” In
another set of verses and ahadeeth, Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)) and
his Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) enunciate the
excellence of disseminating and applying knowledge thus:
The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said:
“how excellent a gift and how excellent a present is a word of wisdom which
you hear and remember and then carry it and teach it to your brother Muslim
Concerning dissemination he said: “the simile of guidance and knowledge
with which Allah sent me is like that of profuse rain falling upon a
certain locality. One spot becomes full of water and consequently abundant
herbs and grasses grow therein. The ditches and canals in another spot
reserve water and Allah gives benefit to mankind therewith. They drink
water there from, irrigate their lands and grow crops. Then there is a
spot, which neither hoards water nor grows any grass and herb. The first
simile is that of a man who gets benefit from his knowledge. The second
simile is that of a man who does benefit to others. The third simile is
that of a man who is deprived of both benefits.” Mu’adh Bn Jabal (May Allah
be pleased with him) said: “Seeking knowledge for the sake of Allah is a
sign of consciousness of Allah; acquiring it is an act of worship; studying
it is a glorification of Allah; and searching for it is a kind of jihad.”
Reported by Imam Muslim. Finally the prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah
be on him) said: when a man dies, all his actions stop except three
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a.
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A
permanent endowment for charity.
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b.
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Useful
knowledge, and Righteous successors.
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What
more can I say? There are a lot more Qur’anic verses and ahadeeth of
the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) which further
illustrate the gains derivable from teaching learning and application of
knowledge. How well the Muslim understands and fulfills his role as a human
being will depend on the type of knowledge he acquires, the sources he
depends on, the ways in which he gains knowledge and the purposes for which
he uses the knowledge gained. Does Islam Give Priority to Males or
Females in the Search for Education? From the foregoing, we can see
clearly that education and knowledge in Islam apart from being obligatory
and therefore a form of worship is full of benefits, firstly to the
learner, then to the teacher and even to the society. Moreover, knowledge
can be classified as good for its own sake and not for its connection with
other qualities. It is then appropriate to pause and ask a pertinent
question- when Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)) and his noble prophet Muhammad
(Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) proclaimed knowledge and its
benefits were they referring to males or females. The first and most
crucial obligation on all Muslims, male or female is to acquire knowledge.
This is so because all actions of a Muslim must be based on correct
knowledge. The Muslim cannot worship Allah in ignorance and his action
should not be based on blind imitation for this is not the mark of a
thinking, sensible human being. It is impossible to be a Muslim, to live
according to the requirements of Islam, and at the same time live in a
state of ignorance. The whole Qur’an refers to both male and female in its
call: O you who believe; those that believe in Allah and do good deeds.
Likewise, both Aljannah and Jahannam are either promised to
men and women who believe or who disbelieve. There is no distinction
between male and female in acts of worship or reward. Allah says; “So their
Lord accepted of them, never will I allow the work of any of you to be
lost, be you male or female, you are one of another.”( Qur’an 3;195)
Women just like men are enjoined to compulsorily
seek for knowledge for the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him.) said; “Seeking of knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim” (both
male and female). A large number of Muslim scholars were women, such as
Aishah wife of the prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
Amrah Bint Abdur Rahman, Mu’aadhah Al - Adawiyyah and the wives of the
prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Other women worthy of
mention are Jawzdaniyyah, who had the best knowledge of chain of
transmitters of traditions of the Prophet and who had the best memory in
her time; Ajeebah Al – Baqdariyyah, who was the only one in the world in
her time to narrate certain ahaadith. Nearer home, Asma’u Bint Fodio daughter
of renowned scholar and reformer Shaykh Uthman Bn Fodio was as great a
scholar as any of the contemporary students of her great father as
evidenced by the many books, poems, pamphlets and treatise on a wide range
of subjects which she left behind. The Mufti of the Ummah, Shaykh
’Abdul-’Azeez Ibn ’Abdullaah Ibn Baaz (d.1420H, rahimahullaah) when asked
‘What do you say about the woman’s role in calling to Allah?’ He answered
that; ‘‘She is like the man, she should call to Allah, and order the good
and forbid the evil, since the texts from the Noble Qur‘an and the Pure
Sunnah prove this, and the words of the scholars are clear about this. So
she should call to Allah, order the good and forbid evil in accordance with
the manners prescribed in the sharee’ah (revelation) that are required from
the man. She should also take care of another matter, which is that she
should be an example of chastity and cover herself with hijab in front of
males who are not mahram for her and she should avoid mixing with men.” This
means that she has to seek for knowledge to effectively carry this burden
of which she will be asked to account on the day of judgement. The Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) became the first
teacher of women and emphasized their education through a Hadith where he
said “whoever brings up three daughters or three sisters or two sisters or
two daughters and gives them a broad education, treats them well and gives
them in marriage, for him is paradise Education is the foundation and key
of existence. Therefore, Islam does not discriminate against anyone in the
search, dissemination and application of knowledge. What then has led to
the current situation where education of girls and young adult females is
neglected and considered unimportant? Challenges to Girl & Women
Education: Over the ages in all civilizations and in Judaism &
Christianity, the girl/woman was accorded an inferior or sub-human status.
To the Greeks and Jews she was both a source of evil and misfortune; the
Chinese and Hindu refer to the woman not as an entity but through her
father, husband or son. Jewish scriptures view her as under an eternal
curse while Christianity portrays Jesus’ mission to man was to redeem him
of the sins a woman was responsible for. So also the Arabs, who viewed the
girl as a burden to the family and buried her alive at birth. All these
perspectives of girls/women overlapped into most societies and continued
over time and to date the girl/woman does not receive priority attention.
Islam set in motion a process that would
guarantee women equality with men before Allah and create general awareness
that they possessed a distinct individuality of her own. It took one-step
at a time to achieve its goal. From prohibition of preferential treatment among
children to emphasizing special care to girls, to laying down rights and
responsibilities of partners in marriage, rights to inheritance, duty on
her as on the male to command good and prohibit evil, the woman emerged as
a fully fledged human with independent legal status and independent rights
and obligations. Despite all these reforms however, the societal conception
of a girl child today is still far below expected standards. The girl child
is required to work to supplement family upkeep, carrying wares on her head
from street to street to the market or other public places. She is married
off early to reduce cost of living. This marriage in some cases leads to
psychological trauma, child motherhood and so on. The following are
additional factors detrimental to girls’ education worldwide.
Most Ulama still believe that it is
haram to educate a woman. Their argument is based on the fact that the
education referred to in the Qur’an and the various hadith is that of the
religion and even that is limited to the study of the Qur’an, Sunnah, Fiqh
and Arabic. They also argue that an educated woman transcends her limits.
Western education, some Ulamah believes melts away the innocence of
a girl and thus it is extremely detrimental to her life.
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a.
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Schools run by people who do not have Islamic
knowledge. This leads to incompetent mode of instruction and deficient
syllabus.
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b.
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Cultural practices that take precedence over
religious beliefs where boys are given priority over girls. Some parents
believe that educating a girl is waste of resources as she will marry and
move in to another family.
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c.
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Poverty pushes many parents to make their
daughters hawk and get temporary relief from financial problems than
allow them to go to school.
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Why
is it important to educate the girl child? Allah says in the (Qur’an 16:97) “Whoever is
righteous, whether male or female, while he or she is a true believer,
verily, to him we will give good life and we shall pay them certainly a
reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do”. The girl child
has to earn righteousness and this can happen only through education. Men
and women are rewarded equally and that distinction is based only on Taqwa
(Qur’an 49:13)“O mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made
you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily the most
honored of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous of
you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well familiar with all things.” In
his lecture ‘Advice to the Muslimah’ Aboo Khadeejah 'Abdul-Waahid pointed
out that; “The role of the Muslim woman is a role of guidance and
nurturing, raising children upon the Sunnah, producing a generation of
young men and women who know their religion and practice it”. For the woman
to take up this vital role, she definitely needs education. Ibn Al Jawzi in
his book ‘Ahkam Al nisa’ said; “A woman is accountable just as the man is.
She is obliged to seek knowledge of her duties so that she may perform them
properly.” Since the girl is the first school for her children, she cannot
teach them without knowledge. It is equally important to educate the girl
child for the following reasons;
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a.
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Allah has said in the Qur’an: “O you who
believe, protect yourself and your family from the hell fire……. “ (Qur’an
66:6) She cannot perform this duty or play this role of protecting her
family without essential knowledge.
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b.
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The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him.) said: “You are all shepherds and you will be asked on the day
of judgement about your flock.” To be a shepherd one needs to have the
technicalities. She needs the knowledge of how to run her house, take
care of her family and guide it the best way.
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c.
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Education is one of the fundamental rights of individuals
as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 26 stipulates. It is
very important to educate the girl child especially so she can play the
role that Allah has ordained for her and be a true and faithful believer
thereby attaining paradise.
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d.
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Education for girls leads to less domestic
conflict in the family. Education leads to common understanding and
better communication.
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e.
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The Prophet (May the peace and blessings of
Allah be on him) has said: whoever is not concerned with the situation of
Muslims is not one of them. Concern is born only out of education,
knowledge of the needs of the Ummah and its environment.
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f.
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Muslims today, live in a complex and difficult
world dominated by systems of knowledge, technologies and economics,
which have marginalized them. The uneducated girl will not be able to
impact on the development of the Ummah with the men unless she attains
the right education.
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g.
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Moreover, the prophet (Peace and blessings of
Allah be on him) said: “Whoever dies while seeking knowledge in order to
revive Islam, will be in paradise and nothing would be between him and
the prophets except one degree.” Reported by Ad Darami.
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h.
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Women owe the Ummah a duty to know the
contemporary world intimately, to be able to analyze it using principles
and concepts from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and to offer alternatives for
the future direction of man.
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i.
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The prophet (May the peace and blessings of
Allah be on him) has said; the best of mankind is he who is beneficial to
others. Good education leads to strategies in bringing about a better,
more just, caring and a safer world.
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j.
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Khilafah and Amanah mentioned in the Qur’an as
expected of mankind can only be realised with education. Concepts are
supposed to shape our attitude to economic development, politics,
environment and ecological balance e.g. The saying of the Prophet (May
the peace and blessings of Allah be on him) “Purity is half of faith” and
“cleanliness is part of faith” – how does this affect health and
sanitation requirements of people living in crowded cities and slums?
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k.
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Education for the girl promotes a reduction in
poverty. She will be less dependent on either her family or husband. This
will also give them a more productive life.
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l
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Education gives her the power to attend to
other women’s problems as a doctor, nurse, teacher etc. The woman has a
better understanding of her fellow women’s problems.
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Way
Forward:
The girl child needs to grow intellectually and
broaden her horizon, thus making education a very vital part of her life.
The Qur’an in so many verses advises all Muslims to read and to think over
the signs of Allah; life, the universe, law of nature, the sun, moon, the
origins of life and so on. Not a single of such verse singles out whom that
education is for.
The Ummah depends on FOMWAN and other Muslim
organizations and well to do members of the Ummah to nurture and highlight
the true potential of girls and women through the following:
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a.
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Set up all girls’ schools across the nation.
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b.
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Set up female teacher training schools to
complement government efforts in that direction
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c.
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Sensitize parents on the importance of
education.
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d.
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Call for the review of curriculum in both
public and private schools to include religious and moral studies. The
inclusion of skills etc in the curriculum will also help.
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e.
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Introduce Islamization of knowledge in their
various schools.
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f.
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Introduce some form of scholarship fund for
girls
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g.
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As parents and du’at we also need to
make conscious and organized effort to direct students to the most needed
areas of specialization. Not every child needs to be a doctor, lawyer or
engineer. We need representation in the media, communication, education,
Police etc. only then will the Ummah be able provide constructive,
honest and enlightened opposition which will be able to translate plans
and claims into action, and show concrete accomplishments.
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In conclusion, we have seen that the scope of
education in Islam is wide and all encompassing. Its only criteria are that
it should move within the framework of Islam and its concepts and utilize
the two main sources of knowledge prescribed by it. Islam does not
discriminate against any person- male or female with regards to seeking,
disseminating and applying knowledge. Without education, girls are denied
the opportunity to develop their full potential and to play a productive
and equal role in their families, their societies, their country and the
world at large. The woman is accountable for her deeds just as the men are
and she has to seek for knowledge in order to fulfill her needs in both
this world and the hereafter. She cannot afford to be ignorant in a world
that is moving too fast with daily innovations and progress. To properly
worship her Creator and appreciate Him she has to read. Seeking for
knowledge from the cradle to grave is a duty upon every Muslim male and
female.
Armed with this the Muslim should be the most
educated and enlightened citizen of the world. Traveling widely and
enriching his knowledge and intellect. Only then can we reap the benefits
of education. The journey is long and hard. Nevertheless, with adequate
knowledge, preparation and planning, the goal will be attained. We need to
start now. Heed the teachings of the Qur’an, follow the path of the Prophet
Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) as regards learning and
application of it and be steadfast. Only then, can we be more useful and
able to abide to the hadith of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be
on him) which says: “people are the dependents of Allah; the closest to him
are the most useful to his dependents” But we should know that not much is
achieved by one person or group. Therefore, we should come together and
work in unison in order to achieve results. Finally, we should remember
that our aim is to contribute and not do it all because we cannot. As Allah
(Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) has said:“It is true that you will not be able to
guide those
whom you love; but Allah guides those whom He
will and he knows best those who receive Guidance” (Qur’an 28:56). My dear
Sisters, we should give priority to the religious education for our
children. A child that has memorized the Qur’an at an early age is always a
degree above his peers in all other aspects of knowledge seeking. This has
been tested and attested over the years. It is like a building that has a
very firm foundation which cannot be compared to one that has a weak one. O
Allah I seek Your protection from knowledge that profits not ...
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