ABSTRACT
There are many explanations as to why women were finally denied the right to be equally educated but basically the conclusion reached is that men feared for the honor of their womenfolk if they were allowed outside of the house. Although it was incumbent upon every Muslim to learn to read the Qur'an, there is little in the Scriptures relating to education or learning. Furthermore, there is nothing in the Qur'an, or in the Hadith, which reserves to males, exclusively, the right to learn. There is a saying that the Prophet urged his followers to pursue learning even as far away as China. But, again, this was not limited to men.
