WOMEN IN THE FIELD
OF 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 awakening of human awareness, is as essential for women as it is for men.
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.
Let us take the instance of the Prophet’s wives, who were held up as role models for women in Islam. Preserving their femininity, they participated in various religious and worldly activities. For instance, the Prophet’s wife, Aisha, having gained full knowledge of Islam from the Prophet, was able, after the death of the Prophet, to perform the task of teacher and guide to the Muslim community. Such traditions tell us that the Prophet’s conversations with his wife, Aisha, aimed to educate her. Aisha says that when the Prophet Muhammad would get up at night after a few hours of sleep, he would converse with her at length in that peaceful atmosphere. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1161; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 743) This course of informal education, continuing uninterruptedly, even while travelling, benefited Aisha so much that she became the most distinguished authority on religious knowledge. She survived the Prophet for a full fifty years, during which period she remained a precious source of religious knowledge. Her house served as a school of religious learning. It is said that Aisha herself handed down to posterity a substantial portion (2210 traditions) of the vast majority of Islamic knowledge. Abdullah ibn Abbas, a Companion of great stature and one of the best commentators of the Quran, was one of Aisha’s pupils. In their turn, the next generation of women handed down the traditions they had heard first-hand from the Prophet or his Companions or religious scholars to whom they were related to others.
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 practiced 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. Perhaps this is the reason why 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.
