Wife's Work & Family Duties

Wife's Work & Family Duties

Question
Respected scholars, as-salamu `alaykum. How should an educated Muslim woman make advantages of her university degree, especially if it is from an international university, without affecting her duties as a wife and a mother ? Jazakum Allahu khayran. ( Heba - United Kingdom )

Answer
Wa`alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear sister in Islam, thank you for your interest in getting better acquainted with the teachings of Islam.

In Islam, the status of women is unique and unprecedented. Islam honors women as mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives. Muslim women should make use of their university degree, but only in a way that does not affect her family in a negative way. They should strike a balance between work and family obligations and should never neglect their essential role as wives and mothers.

Responding to the question, Zainab Al-Alwani, instructor of fiqh and Islamic studies, Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, Leesburg, Virginia, states the following:

This is a very important question because people tend to solve it by going to the extremes. Educated Muslim women should make use of their university degree, but only in a way that does not affect their family in a negative way. Educated women should consider:

1. Choosing a job that suits her situation. They shouldn't take a difficult job that exhausts them and makes them neglect their duties towards their husband and children.

2. Choosing to work less hours. This may allow them to spend more time with their family.

3. Choosing a job with flexibility. This may give them a chance to adjust their work schedule according to their family responsibilities.In brief, Muslim women should strike a balance between work and family obligations and they should never neglect their essential role as a wife and mother.