Religion and Theology

The inquiry into the question of the role of women in Islam religion tries to give light into several aspects in the life and rights of an Islam woman in the contemporary setting.  The rights in question include the educational and economical rights which are fundamental to the development of any society.  Women being most imperative in the entire economic architecture, their rights have to be observed.  However, the Islamic law (Sharia) provides for the distinction between the rights, roles and obligations of men and women in the Islam religion.                                                                                                                                           A case study is Saudi Arabia which serves an important role to understand how the Islam religion perceives issues regarding womens education. In the article Islams Point of view on View on Womens Education in Saudi Arabia by Rafeda Al-Hariri, the journal of Comparative Education Vol. 23 No.1 1987, we learn about Saudi Arabia which is the heart of Makkah and Medina, the Holy places considered among all the Islamic states.  Saudi Arabia is truly an Islamic country since all the Saudis are Arab Muslims.                                                                                                                                                                  A very strong structure exists in the families in Saudi Arabia which values the family as an important constituent of a society with complete customs and ways of life. The Saudi Arabia society at large, strives to attain the peak in education and applications of modern technology by providing education to their children. Furthermore, the education system in Saudi Arabia recognizes the traditions and the values of the Islam religion which embrace the concept of family links and a family as a core social unit. Therefore, the education system in the Islamic community consolidates the structure of a family instead of dwindling it.                                                                                                                                     According to Muhammad, education should be offered to all the Muslims regardless to gender and both the male and female are equally requested to seek for knowledge through education.  Moreover, Muhammad the Prophet makes several statements regarding the rights of women.  For instance, while talking to his men, Muhammad said that God commands men to treat the women in a noble manner. The Prophet in addition declared that a Muslim is more perfect of faith when he is more kind and civil to his wife. The statement by Muhammad and those from the Holy Quran clearly indicate the complementary of men and women to each other.  This implies that two are depended of each other and when they work together in harmony, the full meaning of life is attained. Subject to the spirit of equality as taught in the Holy Quran, men and women have equal rights in a manner of justice.  Prophet Muhammad always reminded his Islamic religion followers about the equal treatment which should be granted to both female and male children in all matters of life including education.                                                                                                                                                        For women to command respect in the Islamic religion, the teachings in Islam restrict women to display their charm and beauty which often leads them to be objects of attraction.  This reduces the women to a maladroit and without manner lot which is not the nature of Islamic religion but a custom.  The Holy Quran makes this statement clear by pointing out that believing women should be advised not to display their ornaments and beauty unless they are with their husbands, husbands father, their fathers, husbands sons, their sons, their brothers or sisters sons, their women, the male servants or slaves devoid of vigor or to the children knowing nothing of the nakedness of women. The teachings of the Holy Quran in addition restrict women stamping their feet to disclose the hidden aspects of their beautification. The teachings in the Holy Quran are to protect the high esteem for the women by the public when they appear in public.  Women should at all times appear to have dignity and great decency.                                                                                                                                                                              The statutes about public appearance and general morality apply to men just like in women.  Therefore, the similar manner in which women should protect chastity and modesty, men alike are obliged to keep off from gazing and smirking at women. This makes the women to appear true equals in all scenarios of life including the most important aspect of education.  A similar case is studied in Malaysia by Mansur et al.  In their work, Perception towards the Importance of Education among Muslim Women in Papar, Sabah (Malaysia) Mansur et al of the University of Malaysia, Sabah in 2009 examines the aspect of education among the Islamic women and how it affects the socioeconomic quality of women.  The Malaysian women have been identified to play a major role in the economical development of the country and in the labor market. One of the most evident factors observed in Malaysia is the equal education access among both male and female children.
In Malaysia, education provision to women has enhanced better job opportunities and as a result increasing the individuals level of earnings.  In fact, education in Malaysia is considered a special factor in the modeling of human capital.   Since the Islam teachings provide that education and knowledge should be sought and acquired by each and every Muslim individual, it is the responsibility of the state of Malaysia to provide equal education.  The Islam religion does not condone laziness and idleness.  It is believed that poverty is brought by inactivity or idleness and all these are condemned in the Islamic religion. Muslims should entirely be involved actively in bettering their skills and knowledge in order to make their life with meaning and not mere existence.
    Mansur et al give a close examination on the perception towards the necessity of education among the women in Islamic society giving an example of Sabah, Papar district in Malaysia. Malaysian women have been observed to have improved participation to the countrys economic development and improved access to health and education. Much of the improvements were made possible by the fast economic growth which created novel and extra opportunities for Islam women.   The fast economic growth was also a product from the accomplishment of gender equality programs by the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the government.  The changes in the institutional and legal structure also facilitated the involvement of women in the economic development. The most notable area of significant improvement is the fast rise in numbers of women contributing to the labor market.
    Equitable access of education by women has been identified as the important factor in the socioeconomic advancement among Malaysian women.   
The economical right of women in the Islamic religion is highly observed.  Women, just like men, have the right to earn and own property, contract, carry out various business enterprises without the intervention of any party.  She has her life, property and honor as sacred as that of man.  This is similar when it comes to paying for the penalties. In case of any offense that has been committed by a woman, she is given the same penalty like that imposed on man.  The compensations against any harm or wrong inflicted to a woman must be equal to that made to man.      Sometimes, it is argued that women are given less financial rights than men in the Islam religion.  It is absolutely true that the women are given proportionally less financial rights because of their less financial obligations.  They do not have much to do in the family relative to providing for the whole family. It is completely the role of a man to effectuate this function of family provision. This is similar to the sharing of inheritance as stipulated in the teachings of the Holy Quran.  Women should inherit less than the inheritance for men. It is reasonable to observe that women do not pay dowry neither pay for children and the aging parents.  This is reason enough to qualify them for less inheritance compared to that of men.  Some exceptions however exist where women may inherit more depending on their position in the family or the existence of the other heirs.The issue of women working in Islam is allowed but under specific conditions. They are recommended to seek employment only when there is dire financial need according to the Quran teachings on the two female shepherdesses. If the woman has to work, the nature of the work should not subject the woman to violate any law and statutes of the Islam religion. 
Economical rights for women are granted in most in all Muslim countries including the Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.  These rights have been offered to women equal to men, which has boosted the educational status of the women although they seem to concentrate in the line of arts specialties. Empowering women in education makes them to be on a safer side when it comes to solving issues of economic rights. Women become so dependent especially when they lack necessary education. This is a different case if a woman would be educated and stood along to cater for her needs sufficiently.  It is allowed in the teachings of the Holy Quran that a woman has a right to own property.  This makes the woman throw the scuffs of dependency and become autonomous. 
In general, education is the backbone of human capital development.  Therefore, education rights to women is imperative to the developing the economy of the individuals and a country at large. Skills and knowledge are gained through education which makes an individual to be independent.  Women are valued in the Muslim societies and as a result they are granted equal educational rights and to some extent, economic rights.   However, the financial privileges when it comes to inheritance may not be the same case compared to educational rights.  The women are given lower property inheritances with an outstanding reason they have no much financial obligations in the family. Majority of Muslim women have come to embrace the factor that education is important for future development which was not the case in the past.