Women must be prepared in a way that adequately suits their life's work and mission as mothers and wives. In addition, they must learn the mandatory branches of Sharee‘ah knowledge. It is to their advantage if they master all such branches of knowledge, and if they have additionally been endowed with rich talent, creative minds, and innovative thoughts, that would help them to learn other branches of knowledge and culture. Islam does not object to that as long as women do not exceed the proper limits of the Sharee‘ah.
The righteous women predecessors were the best examples of modesty when they went out seeking knowledge, since they were guarded by their religious commitment: their modesty clothed them in a garb of awe and their dignified demeanor prevented them from intermixing with men and becoming familiar with them.
As education is available in formal schools, only female teachers must educate girls. Female teachers must not work at boys’ schools or co-education schools. Likewise, male teachers must not work at girls’ schools or co-education schools. It is an evil thing if they do it.
Despite the overall atmosphere of decadence in Western countries, there are some sincere calls for avoiding mixed education and returning to the sound natural disposition that denounces intermixing between the sexes. It is clear from some studies that boys and girls should be treated differently, owing to differences in physical and mental development. Also, intermixing between the sexes leads to grave consequences. In addition, educational materials that are necessary for boys and girls should be different.
Educational courses for girls should be suitable for their age and should be planned with a view to prepare them to assume their main mission as housewives, mothers, and wives and perform their roles competently; thereby paving the way for a successful marital life for them and their families. In the future, girls who have been brought up according to this sound methodology will be able to avoid making mistakes and will be able to practice Da’wah. They will be able to devote their time to preparing righteous Muslim generations, which is a great mission in itself. By receiving the right education, when those girls grow up they will be protected from wasting their time trying to make money or preoccupying themselves with other meaningless interests.
The following are some pieces of advice for sisters who educate and guide girls:
First: The teachers of Muslim generations must be righteous women who have whole-hearted concern for Islam. They have to positively educate and cultivate Muslim generations. They have to teach our daughters what would benefit them in the future. They should not cram the girls’ minds with issues that include no benefit for them in their practical life.
Second: They are the best means to save students from falling into the pit of deviation and atheism. They should teach them virtue through their own conduct. Teachers should develop their students’ personalities, sharpen their minds and convey scientific facts to them along with the fact that generations cannot be successful by memorizing material but by comprehending and applying what they learn. Besides, they should teach them that excellence in educational performance is not an end in itself, since truly excellent people are those who win the reward in the Hereafter and faithfully work to obtain it.
Third: We refuse to see our generations fall victims to carelessness and irresponsibility. Thus we stress that the role of mothers who work as teachers is to fulfill their main duty as good wives and mothers who who should care for their children and bring them up adequately. Bringing up her children is her own individual obligation; hence, it should be given priority over bringing up others’ children, which is a collective obligation (of the entire community).
Fourth: Early Muslim scholars defined the characteristics of Muslim male and female teachers as regards dealing with their students. They defined the best manners for them to follow. They said that teachers must be sincere to Allah The Almighty in a way that they intend by their education to please Him and seek His reward. They should also look forward to the great reward that the Messenger of Allah mentioned in his saying: “Whoever guides to doing something good will receive the same reward of the person who does it.” Thus, they should not work for seeking social position or to be praised by people or for the sake of receiving a salary. Rather, their work should be dedicated to the cause of Allah and they should be role models for their students. If they fail to do this, they will not be able to provide their students with anything they lack, since, by analogy, a blind person cannot lead others to the right way.
Fifth: Teachers should bring up generations to observe Islamic manners. They should provide them with a sound education that is rooted in good morals. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?} [Quran 61:2] It will, however, be destructive if girls appear every day in a new hairstyle or a fashion that is rejected by sound taste or that does not comply with our religion that they copied from their teacher. Muslim women teachers must abide by the instructions of Sharee‘ah. They should not underestimate the violation of these instructions no matter how slight the violation may seem to be, since such violations will be deeply instilled in the souls and minds of the students and will be difficult to erase.
Sixth: Teachers have to be good-natured and adopt the manners that Islam encourages Muslims to observe, especially patience. They are advised to be gentle in dealing with girls without hurting their feelings or embarrassing them. In this way teachers will be true callers to Islam who adopt wisdom and good instruction as an approach complying with the verse that means: {Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.} [Quran 16:125]
Wise teachers address students in a way that suits their conditions and ages. They should deal with their students kindly and compassionately to win their students over and to attract them to the principles that they advocate. It is not righteous behavior to deal roughly with students, because teachers should be like affectionate mothers who sympathize with their students, have mercy upon them, and encourage the students who are doing well in their studies. Teachers should remember that the outcome of encouragement and complimenting is better than that of reproaching. Consequently, they should sharpen the ambition of their students to improve themselves by invigorating them with confidence and making them love virtues without frustrating their volition.
Seventh: If teachers need to punish students or draw their attention to something, they should make them feel that the punishment is for their benefit even indirectly, as this conduct will be more effective. Teachers should make girls feel that they are concerned for their interest, honor, and future. They should link their guidance with religion and the conduct of the righteous predecessors so that the wish to abide by the teachings of the religion -- not concern for their best interest or the opinion of the society -- would be the main motive behind their upright conduct. Teachers are expected to do that moderately and without exaggeration so that their behavior will not lead to opposite results.
Eighth: Teachers should frequently mention examples of the righteous women of the first generation and the two successive generations of Muslims, so that our children and youth would not be dazzled by the women of the dissolute West.
Ninth: Modesty should be a characteristic of Muslim teachers, since modesty is an Islamic moral. Allah The Almighty says to His noble Prophet (what means): {And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.} [Quran 26:215] Teachers should not show vanity or boastfulness; otherwise, they will be ridiculed by their students who will renounce them and whatever they call towards. Teachers who deal arrogantly with their students will reap nothing but hatred from their students. Also, teachers who mock their students, even by insinuations, will leave deep scars in the psyche of these students. Where are the Islamic teachers who warn against such behavior? Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Woe to every scorner and mocker.} [Quran 104:1] Where is the role which is expected from them as good examples for their students?
Tenth: Teachers should be attentive to their mission. They should pay attention to the details of the course which they teach so as to communicate it well to the students. Moreover, they should employ the content of the course in serving the Islamic creed. With that, education would not be separated from creed.
Eleventh: Teachers should follow current events. They should not let them pass without benefiting from them and hit the iron while it is still hot. As such, they should comment on the incidents in a timely and suitable way to correct concepts.
Teachers should observe how their students behave and thus, reprove them for their bad conduct and encourage them to have good morals in the best and the most suitable way. They should not resort to direct remarks if the indirect ones work.
Twelfth: Teachers should benefit from the pedagogical theories provided that they are in harmony the Islamic creed, Sharee‘ah, and the guidance of Prophet Muhammad . Consequently, they should ask their students stimulating questions to develop their personalities and convey scientific facts to their minds.
Teachers should also encourage talented and clever girls by commending their work and behavior. They should remember that innovation begins in the classroom.
Thirteenth: Each teacher should cooperate with her colleagues. This should help the headmistress to do her work in terms of monitoring the educational process and raising the standards of job performance, not waste her time trying to settle fellow teachers’ petty disputes. Mutual cooperation also helps towards making Da‘wah (Islamic propagation) by means of spreading the call of truth, while at the same time doing one’s best not to harm others.
Fourteenth: Teachers should cooperate with girls’ families, since teachers and families have the same mission. The teachers’ relationship with mothers should be based on love, appreciation, and cooperation for the benefit of the students. Teachers should help cultivate the students’ mothers by holding guidance seminars for them. The school should hold symposia and lectures and invite students’ mothers to them. They should collaborate to provide the children with a clear view of life -- that is, doing what pleases Allah The Almighty. If such cooperation between families and teachers is absent, everything that is built by the school will be demolished by the family and vice versa.
Dear teachers, you have a glorious mission. It is a trust that Allah The Almighty will question you about. It is the message of preparing generations who believe in Allah The Almighty, fending off all intellectual invasions that try to infiltrate our forts, as well as implanting sublime virtues in the souls and a bright spirit of inquiry in the minds.
Students will never forget their righteous teachers. They will keep them in their memory always and praise their distinction and virtues and take their good characteristics as role models. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {But the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah, so will you not reason?} [Quran 6:32]