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The question

Is it permissible for a girl to study at an Islamic university, or must she confine herself to seeking religious knowledge at home?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Seeking knowledge is of different categories: some is an individual obligation (fard ayn), some is a communal obligation (fard kifayah), some is recommended (mandub), and some is permissible (mubah). There is no disagreement among jurists that women have the right to seek all types of knowledge that are religiously permissible, based on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saying: "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim." The word "Muslim" encompasses both males and females. This is also supported by the hadith of the Ansari woman who requested a day from the Prophet to teach them. However, a woman's going out to seek knowledge must be within the limits and controls of the Sharia, such as avoiding unlawful mingling with men, not displaying adornment (tabarruj) or speaking alluringly, and the knowledge being suitable for her nature, and that she goes out with her husband's permission. If these conditions are met, then there is no harm in a woman seeking knowledge.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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