The importance of female education has been neglected by the culture and society for more than centuries. Patriarchy makes female only seen to be domesticated, yet the truth is beyond than that. Education for women often replaced by domestication, child marriage, prostitution, and unequal work-time, with unequal salary.
Sadly, our Muslim society still uphold some practices that neglect female education although our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) have told that education is the right of all humankind. Therefore, it is important for us to find out why in Islam, female education is very needed.
We need to know that education is the right of all humankind regardless of their gender, identity, and social status. Our beloved prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once said:
“Acquisition of knowledge is binding on all Muslims (both men and women without any discrimination).” (Ibn Maja)
2. Teaching Girls Means Respecting Qur’an as The Source of Knowledge for All
Qur’an was sent down to the humankind as the source of knowledge. Our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) was blessed with Qur’an to enlighten his people regardless of their gender, identity, and social status. Emphasizing our critical-thinking is the obligation as Allah said in the Qur’an:
“(This is) a Book (the Quran) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember.” (Qur’an, 38:29)
3. Respecting Daughter by Providing Education
When we become parents, we need to understand how important it is treating our daughter as well as our son without any form of discrimination towards their rights. It includes the rights of education. Read more about Prayers for Getting Pregnant in Islam
Providing our daughter better education in a form of good manner of parents. Our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) once told us:
“If a daughter is born to a man and he brings her up affectionately, shows her no disrespect and treats her in the same manner as he treats his sons, lord will reward him with paradise.” (Ibn Abbas)
4. Get The Blessings of Allah!
Allah has promised us the blessing from all the creature of the universe for those who seek and implement beneficial knowledge. According to the statement, every humankind regardless of their identity has right to be blessed by learning. You may want to read about Importance of Respect in Islam
Women as well as men are all humankind who have the same exact right for knowledge. Therefore, we need to stop forbidding the access for women in education because women also has the same right to knowledge and getting the blessing from Allah. Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) said:
“God, His angels and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even ants in their hills and fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct others in beneficial knowledge.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
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5. Seek The Knowledge, and Find Paradise
Another importance of female education in Islam is that it helps women to have some rights as well as men to be rewarded Allah’s paradise. Allah promised paradise for those who likes to seek knowledge. As the hadith told us below:
“If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.” (Sunan Abi Dawud)
6. Attention to Women is a Part of Devotion
Giving attention to girls by providing better access of education is a part of devotion as education is the responsibility of all muslim, either male or female. The hadith told us the importance of female education in Islam:
“Whoever brings up three daughter, teach them good manners and skills, marries them (to good men) and treats them well, for him is promised paradise.” (Abu Dawud).
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7. Our Beloved Prophet Taught His Daughter All About Islam
Abdul Hameed once reported that his mother served some of the daughters of the Prophet and she told him that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would teach his daughter all about Islam and the attributes of Allah. The hadith below told us:
قُولِي حِينَ تُصْبِحِينَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ كَانَ وَمَا لَمْ يَشَأْ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا
“Say in the morning: Glory be to Allah. I begin with praise of Him, there is no power but in Allah. What Allah wills comes to pass and what He does not will does not come to pass. I know that Allah has power over all things and He comprehends everything with knowledge.” (Sunan Abu Dawud)
8. Women Should Follow Aisha As The Greatest Role Model
Aisha, the mother of the believers was one of the greatest scholars and intellectual among the early muslims. The companion of our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) would ask her for advice and answer. The hadith once told about that:
مَا أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْنَا أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثٌ قَطُّ فَسَأَلْنَا عَائِشَةَ إِلَّا وَجَدْنَا عِنْدَهَا مِنْهُ عِلْمًا
“We never had a new problem occur to us as the companions of the Messenger of Allah except that we would ask Aisha and find with her some knowledge concerning it.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Another hadith below also told about the greatness of Aisha, that she became the one whom any companion of our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) seek for answers:
إِيْ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مَشْيَخَةَ أَصْحَابِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
“By the one in whose hand is my soul, I saw the learned elders among the companions of Muhammad ask her about the religious obligations.” (Musnaf Ibn Abi Shayba)
9. Giving Education to The Next Generation is Obligated
Giving education to the next generation is obligated. Both men and women will be parents and raise children someday. Educating women and giving them the knowledge of all will make them easier to transfer what they get to their children one day. Read more about Aims of Muslim Education
It should be highlighted that children are the most potential generation, and they have to be provided with beneficial knowledge transferred by their parents as their guidance. Our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah may be upon him) told in the hadith below:
“Convey (my teachings) to the people even if it were a single sentence, and tell others the stories of Bani Israel (which have been taught to you), for it is not sinful to do so. And whoever tells a lie on me intentionally, will surely take his place in the (Hell) Fire.” (Bukhari)
10. Knowledge for The Day of Judgement
Spending time to learn new knowledge is one of some good deeds we can aspire. As our prophet (peace and blessing of Allah) has told that we need to implement beneficial knowledge we learn. Read more about The Importance of Education in Islam
Furthermore, it’s important for us to know one of the benefits, one of them is to be our fundamental matter to uphold on the day of judgement. The hadith below told us:
“A servant of God will remain standing on the Day of Judgment until he is questioned about his (time on earth) and how he used it; about his knowledge and how he utilized it; about his wealth and from where he acquired it and in what (activities) he spent it; and about his body and how he used it.” – Al-Tirmidhi
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Besides those 10 importance of female education in Islam, there are also some that we need to know why we should provide all the girls and women the rights of education. Here they are:
Finally, there are 25 importance of female education in Islam that we need to notice. Wish all of us will never cease to learn and aspire our dreams for the sake of Allah the Almighty!
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