Aljumuah Magazine

The Case For Single-Sex Education

By Gohar Mushtaq (Ph.D., Biochesmistry, Rutgers University, USA)
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When Islamic civilization was at its zenith, non-Muslim students from all across Europe sought education at Islamic universities in places like Muslim Spain, Turkey, and Egypt. Their impression of the Islamic civilization was such that they would imitate most of its aspects. When Roger Bacon (one of the founding fathers of British educational system) returned to Britain after studying at the Islamic universities, he was so fond of Muslim dress and Arabic books some of his contemporaries called him "Muhammad Bacon". However, with the passage of time the wheel of history turned leading to the decline of the Muslim power and civilization. Not only did Muslims loose their freedom, they also had to go through one of the most damaging experiences forced upon them losing the right to educate themselves the way they believe they should. Neil Postman (an American writer and intellectual) writes in his book Conscientious Objections that: "Every age has its own special forms of imperialism. And so does each conqueror. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the British mastered the art, their method of invasion was to send their navy, then their army, then their administrators, and finally their educational system."1

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written by taher, February 08, 2009
Assalamu alaikum,

Nice article. and i would agree with the previous comment with regards to 'if you had few lines on advice/recommendations it would have been nice.' As a father of a three year old boy i totally emphathise with the article....we live in India, Tamil Nadu-Madras...as i looked around for school for my son i realised how far behind we Muslims are in this area....

Jazakallah.

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Fatwa

Hajj for the Woman who Embarks on It Whose Husband Dies

Q: A woman decided to perform the obligatory pilgrimage, but when she had finished all the necessary procedures, her husband died. Should she perform the Hajj or would that not be permissible for her?

A: If a man dies, leaving his wife a widow, she must remain in her waiting period (`iddah) and in

official mourning (al-hidad) until her waiting period is over. If she is pregnant, her waiting period is until delivery, due to the following verse: "And for those who are pregnant, their waiting

period is until they deliver their pregnancy" [65:4]. This is also due to the established evidence from the Sunnah, specifically in the hadeeth of Subai`ah al-Aslamiyyah, whose husband passed away while she was pregnant and a few nights later she began post-partum bleeding and the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, permitted her to get married. If she is not pregnant, then her waiting

period is four months and 10 days, as Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: "And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, they shall wait for four months and ten days…"[2:234].

As such, it is not permissible for this woman to proceed with the acts of Hajj until this period has come to term. She may then prepare for Hajj in the coming year, by Allah's Permission. We ask Allah to grant us and her success and wisdom. And Allah knows best.

And Allah, the Most High, knows best

 
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