Education for Muslim girls important, mandatory: fatwa

Lucknow, May 18 (PTI) After fatwas by Darul Uloom
Deoband that it was un-Islamic for women to work in close
proximity to men in offices and for her family to accept her
earnings, an Islamic seminary here has said that education for
Muslim girls was not only important, but also mandatory.
"Education is mandatory for every Muslim, whether male
or female," Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali of Darul
Uloom Farangi Mahal said in a fatwa while quoting Hadees and
Sharia.
The fatwa was issued on a query posted by Huma Khawaja
seeking clarification on girl's education, Uloom's secretary
Naeemurrehman said.
The fatwa stated that the man has come in this world
for enlightenment and spreading knowledge in society.
"Much emphasis is given on education," it said.
"A man who gets his daughters and sisters educated,
teaches them etiquette, treats them well and marries them
would go to heaven," it added.
The fatwa said that Islam not only promoted education
for one's own children, but even for servants.
"As the mother is close to her children, being
educated is very important for her," it said.
It said that from the quotes of Hadees it was evident
that much importance had been given on women education in
Islam.
"It is mandatory for every Muslim to ensure proper
education to his daughter at any cost," it said.
The Darul Uloom said that illiteracy was a major
reason behind the downfall of Muslims.
"Women education is the first step towards progress
and social reform. Any laxity would be considered as a big
mistake," it added.
Earlier on May 12, Darul Uloom Deoband has held as
un-Islamic women working in offices in proximity to men and
decreed that acceptance of her earnings by a family was
against the Sharia.
The Darul Uloom had also declared the job of writing
and calculating interest based work in banks and insurance
companies as unlawful in a recent fatwa. PTI