Teaching Women How to Read & Write, A Bad Thing?

There exists a tremendously corrupt ideology that women should not be taught how to read or write, except for the recitation of the Holy Qur’aan — but even then, they should not be permitted the ability to comprehend it. These individuals foolishly attempt to define and develop their argument by using a fabricated hadeeth that states: “Do not accommodate them (i.e. the woman), do not teach them how to write, but teach them how to spin the spindle and Suurat an-Nuur.” They also draped their conclusions with an ignorant rationale that “educating women leads to corrupting their manners. The woman who can neither read nor write are free from taking the evil paths of the human devils.”

In response to this, Shaykh Muhammad Taqiyyu ad-Deen Al-Hilaalee beautifully says:

“…Learning how to read and write will neither corrupt the woman nor make her pious. If she is pious already, then learning how to read and write will be an extra weapon for her. But, if her nurturing is already corrupted, then learning how to read and write will only increase her in corruption. This is because having the knowledge of reading and writing is a tool that can be used for good and for evil at the same time.

As for learning Suurat An-Nuur, it is one of the greatest things by which Allaah the Almighty disciplines the believing women. It is a great treasure, and a huge provision. It is upon the woman not to desert the whole Qur’aan and study just Suurat An-Nuur. The way of learning this Qur’aan is by learning how to read, and reading will not be beneficial except with the understanding of the meaning, and the meaning cannot be understood, except by learning the grammar, the conjugation and the language.

…We also agree with your saying that if a woman in this era of ours learns how to read, she will be acquainted with all kinds of evil by reading pornographic literature and immoral magazines. But, this evil reaches the ignorant woman, as well, by her going to the cinema, even if she is to sneak and go in the absence of her guardian. It also reaches her by means of radio, by her visitors and those she chats with. If the society is corrupted, the isolation of the isolator will not benefit him. Were you to annul your methodology of teaching women, reform it and exchange it with a complete methodology which guarantees for a woman an authentic education that would have been better than your total dismissal of their education.”

• Abridged from: Educating the Women & Nurturing them, by Shaykh Muhammad Taqiyyu ad-Deen Al-Hilaalee