How can I study Islam and embrace it, especially since I am fifty years old and have been alienated from it due to what appears to me as restrictions on women?

Societal views on women's needs vary, and women are often subject to their society's customs and traditions. Non-Islamic societies often turn women into means of pleasure under the guise of freedom, which contradicts both religion and reason.

It is not wise to expose women to indecency by revealing their 'awrah (private parts) and through free mixing, which leads to the spread of diseases and the mixing of lineages. Nor is it wise to burden women with work outside the home, which leads to neglect of their homes and children.

Islam liberated women from the servitude of desires, preserved their honor and dignity, made financial support for them obligatory, protected their wealth and lineage, and honored them from childhood to old age. Other societies, however, enslaved women, compromised their honor, turned them into commodities, and burdened them with the responsibility of financially supporting themselves.

To understand what women need in Islam, it is recommended to read the Qur'an and its tafsir (interpretation), such as Tafsir Ibn Kathir, and to read Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. It is also advised to listen to Islamic audio lectures by Sunni scholars. Furthermore, it is recommended to visit Sunni Islamic centers, benefit from trustworthy Islamic websites, and connect with Muslim sisters for support and guidance. Caution must be exercised regarding sects that claim to be Muslim but are in fact disavowed by Islam, such as the Qadiyanis, Shias, Baha'is, and Sufis.