Education and the education of women, is in any case necessary, not only necessary; rather, Islam has made it obligatory. This is the distinguishing characteristic of the religion of Islam that, compared to all other religions and sects, it has placed more emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge. Allah Almighty, the Exalted, in the first revelation He sent to His beloved and last Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also taught reading through “Iqra” and in view of this importance of knowledge, the illiterate Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim” (Mutafaq عليه السلام) and made the acquisition of knowledge obligatory upon every Muslim, male and female.
Everyone who is familiar with the history of the world and the laws of the world knows very well that the organization called the world’s greatest superpower, the United Nations (UNO), has declared the acquisition of knowledge as a fundamental human right in its charter; while Islam has declared the acquisition of knowledge as an obligation.
And the clear difference between a right and an obligation is that there is no coercion or any kind of punishment for not taking the right; while on the contrary, in the event of non-fulfillment of an obligation, a person deserves punishment. This also shows that the greatest importance, virtue and emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge is in the religion of Islam.
It is an undeniable fact that the emphasis of the religion of Islam in the matter of acquiring knowledge is the same for men and women. It is worth considering that the religion that taught the world of humanity the lesson of brotherhood and sisterhood, taught justice and equality to humanity drowning in the mire of oppression and discrimination, and gave a dignified place in society to the most humble and despised gender… let alone the religion of half of the population of society… How could a woman be deprived of such a great blessing as education? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) emphasized the acquisition of knowledge regardless of gender and whether she is rich or poor, saying: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim” (Mutafaq علیہ اللہ علیہ وسلم) and unanimously declared that acquiring knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim, male or female.
Education is not the property of anyone. It is not that only men have the right to acquire knowledge and women are deprived of this right. Similarly, only the rich and the poor will keep knowledge as a slave of their house and the poor will yearn for it. Rather, Islam has declared that every person will acquire knowledge according to his status and ability, and acquiring knowledge according to his need has been made obligatory for every Muslim man and woman.
And it is clear that in case of non-fulfillment of obligations, a person deserves punishment. One thing is clearly understood from this detail that acquiring knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and woman, and that men do not have to travel to distant places to acquire knowledge, as is proven by traditions and incidents of the predecessors and graves; but what should be the method for women to acquire knowledge and what should be the curriculum for it, and how much knowledge should they acquire and from whom should they acquire knowledge, this is the subject of discussion in the present article.
In the present era, the pioneers of women’s education have established women’s schools on a large scale, and most of these women’s schools are residential institutions, where the accommodation and food of the female students are fully organized, and their managers are usually men, and there are also many non-residential women’s schools; but one thing that is common in both types of women’s schools is that the managers of both institutions are men, which is a moment of reflection in itself.
Before starting the actual discussion, it seems appropriate to briefly shed light on what was the condition of women before Islam and how women were treated in other religions and sects, and what was the theory of other religions and sects regarding education and learning, and what is the place of knowledge in Islam.
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The Status of Women before Islam
If the entire history of human civilization is studied without any bias, it becomes clear as the midday sun that the existence of women in the world was a state of humiliation, shame and sin. The birth of a daughter was a serious defect for the father; indeed, for the entire family, and a cause of shame and disgrace.
Woman in Buddhism
Like a fish in water, a woman’s nature is also like incomprehensible habits. She has many weapons like thieves and the truth does not pass her by. (Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, 271, with reference to the Status and Status of Women in Islam: 34).
Woman in Hinduism
In Brahmanism, marriage is of great importance, everyone should get married; but according to the laws of Manu (the name of the book of religious law Manusmriti), “husband and wife are the crown. She should not do anything that will displease her husband, even if he has relations with other women or dies, she should not mention the name of another man on her tongue.
If she marries again, she will be deprived of heaven, in which her first husband lives, in case of unfaithfulness of the wife, she should be punished very severely, a woman can never be free, she cannot get an inheritance, after the death of her husband she will have to live under the care of her eldest son, the husband can even beat his wife with a stick. (Also) according to the Vedas, women were not even allowed to study the Vedas.” (Excerpt).
Woman in China
He writes about the status: “In the Far East, namely China, the conditions were no better. The custom of biting the feet of young girls was to keep them helpless and vulnerable. Although this custom was prevalent among the upper and wealthier classes, it throws light on the condition of women during the “Heavenly Government.” (Universal History of the World: 1/338, also).
Woman in England
In England, she was deprived of all civil rights, the doors of education were closed to her, she could not do any work except for low-level labor, and at the time of marriage she had to give up all her property… It can be said that the status given to women from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century could not be expected to improve. (The Influences and Beneficences of Islam on Civilization and Civilization, cited above).
Women in Indian Society
In the Brahmanical era and civilization, women did not have the same status as they had in the Vedic era. In the law of Manu (according to Dr. Le Ban), women were always considered weak and unfaithful and were always mentioned with contempt. If a husband dies, a woman dies while she is alive and is buried alive.
She could never remarry. Her fate was nothing but scorn, humiliation and contempt. After becoming a widow, she had to live as a housemaid of her deceased husband and a servant of her in-laws. Most widows committed adultery with their husbands. Dr. Le Ban writes: “There is no mention in the Manu Shastra of burning widows with the bodies of their husbands; but it seems that this custom had become common in India; because Greek historians have mentioned it.” (Tamadan Hind: 238).
Woman in the Shadow of Islam
Maulana Syed Abu Ala Maududi has drawn a very good picture while mentioning the change that took place in the condition of women. Maulana writes: “These were the conditions when the rays of the sun appeared in full glory from the mountains of Mecca, and not only from a legal and practical standpoint; but also from a mental standpoint, Islam brought about a great revolution. Islam itself has changed both women and men.
The idea of the dignity and rights of women has given rise to Islam in the mind of man. Today, the loud slogans of women’s rights, women’s education and women’s awakening that are hitting the ears of the public are an echo of the same revolutionary voice that rose from the blessed tongue of Muhammad the Arab (peace be upon him) and who turned the tide of human thought. It is you (peace be upon you) who told the world that women are also human beings. “Like a man.” (Surah Al-Purda: 189).
Similarly, the status and importance of women in Islam is also highlighted by this hadith in which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has given the glad tidings of a double reward for the person who educates and trains his slave girl well, then frees her and marries her. (Bukhari: 1/20) It is worth considering that a religion that gives the good news of a double reward for educating and training a slave girl, how much reward will there be for educating and training one’s daughter and sister in that religion. After a comparative study of the status of women in other religions and sects and the honor and status that Islam has given to women, let us also see what the importance of knowledge in Islam is and what are the perceptions of education and learning in other religions and sects.
Education in the Eyes of Islam
Islam has completely shed light on the importance of knowledge and its value. It has declared education not only as one of the many needs of a human being, whether male or female; but rather as the first and fundamental need of all human beings. Apart from Islam, there is no other religion or ideology in the world that has declared education as a fundamental need of all human beings. Even Greece and China, which are renowned for their scientific advancements, did not believe in it. It is Islam that has presented the concept of education for ordinary citizens and has also justified the acquisition of modern sciences along with religious education. (Islam and Knowledge: 3).
Education, Degradation and Religions
In religions other than Islam, knowledge was limited to a limited religious class. According to “Hinduism”, it was forbidden for the Shudras to even listen to the verses of the “Vedas” and the punishment for them was that hot lead was put in their ears. In Christianity, intellectual freedom was so restricted that those who presented any new scientific theory were severely punished. Christian scholars were so narrow-minded that they could not tolerate anything new.
Due to their narrow-mindedness, many thinkers were considered irreligious and many sages were considered magicians, which resulted in their mental development being completely stopped. (Islam and Knowledge: 3)
When the Muslim government was established in Spain and madrassas were established in every corner of the country, there was a rush of European students. They would come here and get education and return to their country to propagate and promote it. They would say that it was only the blessing of Islam and the generosity of Muslims that spread the light of knowledge and wisdom in Europe. Even European historians and thinkers acknowledge this. Robert, Breifault and Dr. Musa al-Libani have written this confession clearly. (Islam and Knowledge)
From the above-mentioned story, it became clear as day that just as women had no status in other religions and sects, they were considered the most humiliated creatures in society and society, for men their status was no more than a toy and an object that amused the heart, similarly in other religions and sects, knowledge was reserved for a special class, women’s acquisition of knowledge was a very distant thing, even for the Shudra people, knowledge was a completely forbidden tree.
It is the blessing of Islam that while on the one hand it gave a respectable position to the downtrodden, innocent and oppressed creatures of society, on the other hand, Islam, highlighting the importance and virtue of knowledge, loudly declared that acquiring knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim.
Read the above lines and consider whether there is any religion on this earth other than Islam that has given such clear and equal rights to half of the population of the society, and at the same time has given equal rights to both sexes of the society in terms of acquiring knowledge. If you read the history of the world, make a comparative study of religions, you will know that no religion nor any human law other than Islam has given such equal rights to women.
The so-called flag bearers of women’s freedom and women’s rights have adorned the markets and gatherings in the name of giving women freedom and rights, and they have spread the slogan that Islam is a religion that opposes women’s freedom and usurps women’s rights, and that women’s true rights have been given by the West; But the wise and the intellectuals are well aware of how much women are being exploited under the guise of women’s freedom and women’s rights. Under the guise of women’s freedom and women’s rights, the family system of the West has been destroyed, and the people of the West are also struggling to come out of this beautiful illusion, and the world is also forced to return to nature.
At a time and in an environment where half of the population of the society is unaware of their own status and the position that Islam has given them, it is necessary for them to know their own position, to recognize their own status; so that they cannot be influenced by the glamour of the West and can see Islam and the West with the eyes of reality. And this is possible only when a woman is educated and aware of her rights, and for this awareness, she needs to be adorned with the ornaments of education. And Islam has entrusted this responsibility to men, who are the stronger sex compared to women. Now it is a constant debate that what should be the method of education?
Education of girls and the method
Should the same method be adopted as is prevalent for the education of boys or should a better method be sought by reflecting on the methods of the predecessors? In this regard, when we look into the windows of the past and reflect on the education of women, we definitely get guidance from an incident from the Prophetic era that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had appointed a separate day for the education and training of women.
It is also worth mentioning here that just as there is mention of a row for men in the Prophetic Mosque, there is no mention of any such row or any special place for women in the Prophetic era. In the past, women used to acquire religious knowledge from their mahrams and husbands. This is why, after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), during the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphate and even after that, there is mention of countless women scholars, jurists, writers and poets, but there is not even the slightest mention of any formal women’s seminary, nor is there any mention of women traveling to distant places to acquire knowledge in the books of history and biography. (At least, no such incident has happened from the perspective of the narrator.) While it is not that perfect women were not born in this era; rather, in every era and every era, distinguished women were born in every art who amazed and amazed the world of humanity with their knowledge and art; but at the same time, it is also surprising that from the time of the Prophethood to the Mughal rule of India, there is no formal women’s seminary for the education of girls in history. This should not be taken to mean that the education of girls is not necessary.
In this regard, the thoughts of the Sage of the Ummah, Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding women’s education and women’s schools and the method he adopted will prove to be a guiding light for the administrators of women’s schools. Hazrat Thanvi (may Allah have mercy on him) has written while mentioning the women’s school in Thana Bhawan:
“I have also established a girls’ school in Thana Bhawan. The girls gather in the teacher’s house (that house is like a girls’ school) and I serve them; but I have taken precautions to the extent that I myself do not encourage any girl to send them. I have told the teacher that it is all your business. The more girls you invite, the more salary you will get.
There is also a monthly examination in this school. Sometimes the girls come to my house to take the exam and my family, i.e. wives or any woman from my family, take their exams. They take the exams and never invite girls; rather, the examiners go there and take the exams and only the results of the exams are presented to me and I have no influence or involvement in the rest.
The examiners give the marks, I propose prizes based on these marks. Alhamdulillah, the madrasah is being run smoothly in this manner and not a single thing has ever gone wrong (unintentionally). The education of girls should be arranged either in such a way that the girls do not gather, but get education from the women of their own homes or neighborhoods; but nowadays this is usually very difficult. Or if they gather in one place, then such an arrangement should be made that they do not have any contact with men and have their own guardians supervise them, and do not even talk to them.
Another thing is that the secretary (Nazim) must necessarily become pious, even if he is free-thinking; he should be made to look like a Maulvi; so that his piety can influence the teacher.
In my opinion these are the principles of women’s education. Let others use their own experiences. It is not necessary to follow my ideas. (Islah Huqooq wa Wafaraiz: 401-404).
Place of Thought
After observing the work of the Hakim-ul-Ummat Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, it is estimated that Hazrat Thanvi, like the Hakim-ul-Ummat, the wise man, the reformer and the mujaddid of his time, while on the one hand considering the education of women as essential, used to act with utmost caution in the matter of the education of girls, so that no corner would be weakened from which there would be a fear of any fitnah.
Hazrat Thanvi has given this message to the coming generation through his actions that the work has to be done anyway, girls who are half of the population of our society must be adorned with the jewels of education; But care must be taken that this education is beneficial and not harmful to them in every respect, and that after acquiring religious knowledge, they become women who are a means of reforming the entire society, and not one who spreads corruption through her actions and character. Hazrat Thanvi’s advice is a beacon of light for administrators that no matter how liberal-minded you may be; but in order to have a good influence on the teachers and students, you must necessarily become pious; so that the teachers and students may make them their role models and their characters also be good. This advice is a milestone for all administrators of women’s schools of the present era.
Final Word
The conclusion of the discussion is that just as Islam has given women a dignified position, it has also made it obligatory for women to acquire knowledge. Although no women’s seminary exists in the past and the Islamic era; but in view of the changing circumstances and times, the establishment of women’s seminaries is inevitable; of course, the administrators of women’s seminaries should strictly adhere to the principles of the wise man of the nation, Hazrat Thanvi, and run the institution. God willing, its benefits will be general and many people will benefit from it. Such virtuous women will be born from these institutions, through whom Islam will spread to every corner of the world, and from the wombs of these women, preachers of Islam and fighters of Islam will be born.
