Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada , states: “The right to education is a basic one in Islam; it applies equally to males and females. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Seeking knowledge is a duty of every Muslim (including males and females).” The Qur’an also enjoins upon us to read and seek knowledge; it considers knowledge as the hallmark of true humanity; it is the thing that made Adam superior to such an extent that angels were ordered to bow down before him.
There is nothing in the Qur’an or hadith to imply that duty of seeking knowledge is limited to males; in Islam, we are not allowed to do so without clear evidence.
Moreover, we know from the Prophet’s own practice that he never discriminated between males and females in imparting knowledge; in fact, he clearly ordered women that they should never be held back by shyness from seeking knowledge.
It is equally important to point out that Islam considers all beneficial knowledge as praiseworthy. Imam Ghazali reminds us that it is fard kifayah (collective obligation) for Muslims to pursue every branch of knowledge that is beneficial.