Advancing Women in Modern Islamic Education

Let Us Pick Our Books And Pencils That Are Our Most Powerful Weapon

(Malala Yousuf Zai)

While madrasas only admit men, some men study at mosques and in private homes, and Islamic families educate women in private settings. Women learn religious texts and, in particular, teach each other, playing the largest role in the education of Islam. Women who recount the stories, teachings, actions, and work of Muhammad’s hadiths advance Islamic education. Aisha bint Abu Bakar, the wife of Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), studied Hadith at the young age of 4.

Women’s Contributions to Advance Islamic Education

Historical Role of Women in Advance Islamic Educational Progress

Aisha was renowned for her teacher’s line and ijazahs, permitting her to transmit the sahih in Islam, affirming the sayings’ acceptability to Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.). Rabi Khatun, sister of Hazart Ayyubid Sultan, backed Madarsa construction, advocating for women’s exclusion from teaching positions and supporting their empowerment, fostering regional growth. As a result, women participated in hadiths and advanced Islamic education. Among the areas that have been adopted and codified as verbal Islamic teaching are history topics related to women’s Islamic education. Muslim women now have much more access to education.

Learning Is Prescribed For All Of Us ( Al Zarnuji),

According to Al Zarnuji, ‘All of us are prescribed to learn.’ It is impossible to calculate literacy rates precisely in modern Islamic societies, but they have relatively high rates compared to their European counterparts. Education would begin at a young age with the study of Arabic and the Quran at home and in school. Some students then proceed to training in Tafseer and Fiqh, crucial for diverse backgrounds entering ulema ranks (‘Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World’). Early Islamic education was informal, but in the 11th and 12th centuries, Madarsas emerged, advancing Islamic education.

Expansion of Madarsas and Evolution of Islamic Learning

With the effort and support of Ulema, Madarsas multiplied throughout the Islamic world. They helped us to speak and learn Islamic teachings and advance Islamic education. From the 8th to the 12th centuries, primary education in Islam was provided by private tutors. Wealthy families who could afford a formal education studied subjects including Arabic, religion, mathematics, and philosophy. Madarsas primarily focused on the study of law, but they also offered other subjects such as theology, medicine, and mathematics. The Mosques of Fatima Al-Fihri have a history that is related to women, Islamic culture, and educational mobility.