A woman in Islam has a great role to play. Her role as a mother helps in building the character of the next generation. Islam is not against a woman’s going out to work. However, a woman has to strike a balance between her family responsibilities and her work. Indeed, taking care of and bringing up the new generation helps in the betterment and prosperity of society and the Muslim Ummah.
The prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal Nadvi, director and imam of Al-Falah Islamic Center, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, states the following: How do we know that a woman who chooses to be a full-time mother, raising her own children and investing in their education, does not work for the betterment of the Ummah? That is a very unfair judgment because the betterment of the Ummah lies in the quality of people and how they behave in the general society. And if the woman devotes her entire life to raising her children and bringing them up as good Muslims and loyal citizens, she will be considered a major factor of reform in the society. Having said this, we don’t mind the woman’s going out, serving the general public, and using her intellect and skills for the betterment of the society as well. The bottom line is that the woman is supposed to manage her time properly and strike a balance between her family responsibilities and her role in the society. The family takes precedence and a woman’s children deserve her dedication, love, and care more than anyone else. But if she can do both, that is well and good.