The Provision of Education and Training for Women during the Era of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Abstract

There can be no two opinions in Islam regarding women’s education. There is one firm and unequivocal command: women must be adorned with the jewel of knowledge, for an ignorant woman becomes a source of her society’s backwardness and disorder. By contrast a woman equipped with the ornament of knowledge discerns right from wrong, truth from falsehood, and permissible from impermissible. She navigates the challenges of life with grace. This knowledge makes her refined and cultured. By properly nurturing her children, she becomes a builder of a righteous community. Women’s education is not only essential for individual advancement but is indispensable for the progress of the entire society. The study of Islamic history and the noble life of the Prophet ﷺ reveal that several steps and arrangements were undertaken for the education and training of women during the Prophetic era. Although the Islamic state was still in its formative stages and formal educational institutions had not yet been established, the educational activities and strategic approach of the Prophet ﷺ clearly demonstrate how women's education was promoted in an organized and effective manner. This paper aims to highlight the education and training of women in the light of the Qur’an and Hadith.