Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

 

The rise of women and being able to pursue her education, teach and positively participate in the community is praiseworthy in Islam. It was the status of women at the time of the Prophet and the succeeding generations where women used to engage in battle and teach men.

 

At the time of `Umar, al-Shifa’a bint `Abdullah al-`Adawiyyah used to supervise markets and send reports to `Umar b. al-Khattab. She used to work as a physician and participated in many battles with the Prophet (peace be upon him).

 

One third of the legal hadiths have been received from the Prophet (peace be upon him) through `A’ishah. `Amrah bint `Abdurrahman was the pioneering figure of collecting hadith at the time of `Umar ibn `Abdul-Aziz.

 

Most of our great imams and renown scholars have received their knowledge through female scholars whose fame filled the horizon. The daughter of Imam Maik used to correct for those who read the Muwatta’ to imam Malik.

 

Islam does not prevent women from introducing their positive contribution to their fellow Muslim men and women.

But her being an active and participant member of her community does not justify her to go out of the teachings of Islam by compromising her modesty or neglecting other duties such as brining up generations and paying attention to her family.

 

I think this negative vibe comes from special individual cases of some women who do not strike a balance between their career needs and the instructions of Islam.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.