Does The Koran Or Islam Forbid Women To Have Education?

Islam is a religion I have deep respect for, not because part of the Savage family is Muslim but the fact that the Koran, the holy book, bears the testimony of the revelations of the Prophet Mohammad, collected in Suras, through which the word of Allah was conveyed to the people.

I have been with the Muslim Savage families in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. I remember in 1985 when I visited the family in The Gambia, Mr. Abu Savage has travelled out of the country, therefore, his wife, requested one of her sons to take me to the Christian Savage family’s house, where I stayed for two days.

She explained, firstly, Abu Savage has travelled out of the country, and secondly, since I can’t pray, meaning I don’t have any idea of how to use the prayer beads - Misbaha and at the same time, it will not be good to be in an Islamic house without taking part in prayers.

In Islam, the role of a Muslim woman is unique in its essence that the religion prescribed for her duties, both to God, her husband, her children, other family members, those around her, and society, as well as to herself. Every aspect of her life has been defined by Allah in the most beautiful order.

However, there are many Muslims that discriminate against women, barring them not participating in many things, including education and driving.

A Muslim woman studying at the library
The latter became a reality when women were allowed to drive taxis in Saudi Arabia, nearly four years after the historic decision to allow women to drive.

I know that the significance of Islam is ‘submission to the will of God,’ and even more delighted to discover names that are in the bible, also in the Koran. For example, Jesus - Issa, David - Dauda, Jacob - Yakubu, Joseph - Yousef, Eve -Hawwa, Abraham – Ibrahim, Isaac – Issaka, etc.

However, what I don’t know is if Islam or the Koran forbids educating women. I'm wondering why I have failed to ask this particular question all these years but today.

The fact that some religious groups, such as ‘Boko Haram’ and the Taliban are against women’s education, is something that disturbs a lot of governments and people around the globe.

It seems that the Koran has been misinterpreted and those Muslims against women’s education even though think they are doing the right thing, are actually doing something which hasn't been stated in the Koran.

If Islamic women work full-time and return to their home duties, why can’t they have a normal education like everyone? And if there are Islamic women doctors or pilots, how did they achieve that without education?

Does this dressing reflects on true Islam or it's just the misinterpretation of the holy book?

I understand that Islam offers a solution that perfectly matches the properties of feminine nature and makes it clear that the activity of a woman is her family, namely, raising children and duties to her husband but I don’t think that holy book can be an oppressor to deny women education.

If some Muslims or Islamic groups are against education for women today, that might be caused by the misinterpretation of the Koran or the words of the great prophet, Muhammad.

The same misinterpretation attributes to the way some Muslim women dress today. It’s beautiful to cover the hair if you are a woman and put on decent clothes to cover the body, as the Koran requests women to follow.

However, today, you see many Muslim women completely covered from head to toe. The only thing you see are two eyes staring at you. Does this reflects on true Islam or it's just the misinterpretation of the holy book?