By Hassan Ibrahim
Renowned Islamic scholar and international speaker, Shaikh Mustapha Briggs, has declared that women’s education is deeply rooted in Islamic tradition and should be embraced as a continuation of a rich intellectual legacy established by Muslim women throughout history.
Briggs made the remarks while delivering a special lecture organised by the Tazkiyah Educational Resource Centre at the Multipurpose Hall of Tazkiyah University, located along Chikaji Road in GRA, Zaria.
Addressing students, academics, parents, and members of the public, the scholar presented a thought-provoking discourse on the historical contributions of women to education and scholarship in Islamic civilisation.
According to him, his decision to focus on female intellectualism was inspired by the vision of Tazkiyah University as an institution dedicated to promoting women’s education and empowerment.
He stressed that the concept behind educating women is not a modern innovation but rather a revival of a long-standing Islamic tradition dating back to the earliest days of Islam.
Shaikh Briggs highlighted the pivotal role played by the wives of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in preserving, teaching, and transmitting Islamic knowledge to future generations, describing them as some of the earliest and most influential educators in Islamic history.
He also drew attention to the remarkable legacy of Fatima Al-Fihri, the Muslim woman credited with founding the University of Al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco more than 1,200 years ago — an institution widely recognised as the oldest continuously operating university in the world.
“Women’s education is not foreign to Islam; it is embedded in our faith and history,” he said.
The scholar urged women and girls to actively pursue education, stressing that knowledge remains essential for building strong families, prosperous communities, and a better society.
“We will never be able to progress or achieve our full potential without education,” he noted, pointing to the first revelation of the Qur’an — Iqra (Read) — as a divine command directed at both men and women alike.
Earlier in his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Tazkiyah University, Professor Faruk Sarkin Fada, explained that the lecture formed part of a five-month series of monthly lectures organised for students of the institution.
He noted that programmes of this nature are central to the philosophy of the university, as they are designed to combine academic excellence with character development and provide students with valuable extracurricular learning experiences that broaden their perspectives.
The event was attended by students, academics, parents, and other members of the community.
