Women’s Educational Rights after Marriage in Qatar Family Law: Toward an Educational Partnership through Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/ijicle.v8i3.54933Keywords:
Wives’ Educational Rights, Qatar Family Law, Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, Educational Partnership in Marriage, Family-Law ReformAbstract
The protection of women’s educational rights after marriage raises a critical question in Islamic family law: how can educational continuity be reconciled with family obligations without making the former automatically subordinate to the latter? This study examines Article 68 of Qatar’s Family Law No. 22 of 2006 through a normative legal method employing statutory and conceptual approaches. It analyzes the provision alongside related rules on reciprocal marital rights and family welfare, using contemporary maqāṣid al-sharīʿah scholarship to assess the relationship between educational protection and family responsibilities. The findings indicate that Article 68 expressly recognizes a wife’s right to complete compulsory education and continue university education in Qatar, but leaves the criteria for determining conflicts with family obligations insufficiently specified. The study argues that this qualification should be interpreted proportionately, taking into account both the wife’s educational continuity and the spouses’ reciprocal responsibilities, rather than treating domestic obligations as an automatic ground for restricting education. To develop this interpretation, the article proposes Educational Partnership in Marriage as a normative framework grounded in reciprocal support, negotiation, and shared accommodation of educational and family needs. By connecting the protection of intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql) with family welfare and the protection of offspring (ḥifẓ al-nasl), the study demonstrates how maqāṣid can inform the interpretation of a specific family-law provision. The framework offers a conceptual reference for further legal research and comparative discussions on protecting women’s educational continuity after marriage, including in Indonesia.
References
Acar, Taylan. “The Role of Educational Attainment and Educational Pairings in Women’s Marriage Behavior in Turkey.” Women’s Studies International Forum 93 (July 2022): 102616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2022.102616.
Akhtar, Rajnaara C. “Contemporary Issues in Marriage Law and Practice in Qatar.” Hawwa 20, nos. 1–2 (December 2020): 124–58. https://doi.org/10.1163/15692086-12341389.
Akhtar, Rajnaara C., Alexandre Caeiro, Chaïmaa Benkermi, and Maryam Al-Thani. “Choosing Marriage Partners in the Digital Age: Insights from Qatar.” In Handbook of Families in the Arab Gulf States, edited by Md Mizanur Rahman, Kaltham Al-Ghanim, Ziarat Hossain, and Sharique Umar, 39–52. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3412-5_2.
Alduais, Ahmed, Meng Deng, and Seda Gökmen. “Is Female Education ‘Gendered’ and Procedurally yet Substantively Practiced’ in China? Insights from a Systematic Review and the Practical Theory.” Review of Education 9, no. 3 (2021): e3302. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3302.
Ali, Parveen Azam, Julie McGarry, and Aneela Maqsood. “Spousal Role Expectations and Marital Conflict: Perspectives of Men and Women.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 37, nos. 9–10 (May 2022): NP7082–108. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520966667.
Aslati, Armi Agustar, Silawati, Arisman, and Siti Arafah. “Utilizing Science and Maqāṣid Al-Sharī’ah in Resolving Contemporary Issues of Islamic Family Law.” Al-Manahij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam, March 16, 2024, 17–36. https://doi.org/10.24090/mnh.v18i1.10571.
Auda, Jasser. Maqasid Al-Shari’ah as Philosophy of Islamic Law. International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), 2022.
Balaj, Mirza, Hunter Wade York, Kam Sripada, Elodie Besnier, Hanne Dahl Vonen, Aleksandr Aravkin, Joseph Friedman, et al. “Parental Education and Inequalities in Child Mortality: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” The Lancet 398, no. 10300 (August 2021): 608–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00534-1.
Balasubramanian, Pooja, Marcela Ibanez, Sarah Khan, and Soham Sahoo. “Does Women’s Economic Empowerment Promote Human Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries? A Meta-Analysis.” World Development 178 (June 2024): 106588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106588.
Brown, Dustin C., Robert A. Hummer, and Mark D. Hayward. “The Importance of Spousal Education for the Self-Rated Health of Married Adults in the United States.” Population Research and Policy Review 33, no. 1 (February 2014): 127–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-013-9305-6.
Cervelló-Royo, Roberto, Carlos Devece, José Luis Galdón, and Juan J. Lull. “Towards the Knowledge Society: A Definition, Measurements, and Limits.” Journal of Innovation & Knowledge 12 (March 2026): 100873. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2025.100873.
Chaijaroen, Pasita, and Pallavi Panda. “Women’s Education, Marriage, and Fertility Outcomes: Evidence from Thailand’s Compulsory Schooling Law.” Economics of Education Review 96 (October 2023): 102440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2023.102440.
Ciftci, S. Koza, Engin Karadag, and F. Melis Cin. “Between Gendered Walls: Assessing the Impact of Single-Sex and Co-Education on Student Achievement, Self-Confidence, and Communication Skills.” Women’s Studies International Forum 107 (November 2024): 103003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2024.103003.
Daher-Nashif, Suhad, Salma Mawfek Khaled, Lily O’Hara, Diana Alsayed Hassan, Noor Al-Wattary, Ghadir Fakhri Al-Jayyousi, Tanya Kane, Hanan Abdul Rahim, and Monica Zolezzi. “‘Happily Tired’: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women Academics in Qatar.” Women’s Studies International Forum 106 (September 2024): 102971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2024.102971.
Delgado-Herrera, Maribel, Anabel Claudia Aceves-Gómez, and Azalea Reyes-Aguilar. “Relationship between Gender Roles, Motherhood Beliefs and Mental Health.” PLOS ONE 19, no. 3 (March 2024): e0298750. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298750.
Elsayed, Ahmed, and Alina Shirshikova. “The Women-Empowering Effect of Higher Education.” Journal of Development Economics 163 (June 2023): 103101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103101.
Elsayed, Walaa. “Building a Better Society: The Vital Role of Family’s Social Values in Creating a Culture of Giving in Young Children’s Minds.” Heliyon 10, no. 7 (April 2024): e29208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29208.
Frempong, Raymond Boadi, and David Stadelmann. “Exploring Education-Induced Bargaining Power of Women on Household Welfare in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Economies 12, no. 11 (November 2024): 293. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12110293.
Frola, Alessia, Marcos Delprato, and Amita Chudgar. “Lack of Educational Access, Women’s Empowerment and Spatial Education Inequality for the Eastern and Western Africa Regions.” International Journal of Educational Development 104 (January 2024): 102939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102939.
Gao, Siyao, and Ting Wang. “A Systematic Review of Research on Women’s Education and Fertility in China: Implications for Addressing Demographic Changes.” Asian Population Studies 22, no. 2 (May 2026): 128–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/17441730.2025.2538918.
Gemar, Adam. “Parental Influence and Intergenerational Transmission of Religious Belief, Attitudes, and Practices: Recent Evidence from the United States.” Religions 14, no. 11 (November 2023): 1373. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14111373.
Goers, Matthew, Kara Hunersen, Luqman Saleh Karim, Allison Jeffery, Ali Zedan, Courtland Robinson, and Janna Metzler. “Child Marriage among Displaced Populations – a 2019 Study in Kurdistan Region of Iraq.” BMC Public Health 22, no. 1 (April 2022): 796. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13220-x.
Haghighi, Paniz, Emma A. L. Littler, Dane Mauer-Vakil, Michaella Miller, and Mark Oremus. “Exploring the Relationship between Marital Quality and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review.” Social Science & Medicine 355 (August 2024): 117120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117120.
Haman, Omar Ben. “Women and Intersectional Barriers in Social Exclusion.” Women’s Studies International Forum 112 (September 2025): 103142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2025.103142.
Hosen, Md Emran, Md Nur Alam Siddik, and Md Firoze Miah. “Exploring the Impact of Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion on Financial Stability: An Analysis Using Machine Learning Approaches.” Borsa Istanbul Review, November 18, 2025, 100763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2025.11.004.
Howlader, Sihab, Md. Aminur Rahman, and Md. Mosfequr Rahman. “Continuation of Education after Marriage and Its Associated Factors among Young Adult Women: Findings from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017–2018.” BMJ Open 13, no. 11 (November 2023): e078892. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078892.
Iqbal, Asim, Shafiqul Hassan, Haider Mahmood, and Muhammad Tanveer. “Gender Equality, Education, Economic Growth and Religious Tensions Nexus in Developing Countries: A Spatial Analysis Approach.” Heliyon 8, no. 11 (November 2022): e11394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11394.
Jannat, Mustabshira. “Qatari Women, Family, and Workplace: Navigating the Domestic-Public Divide.” In Handbook of Families in the Arab Gulf States, edited by Md Mizanur Rahman, Kaltham Al-Ghanim, Ziarat Hossain, and Sharique Umar, 445–62. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3412-5_25.
———. “Qatari Women, Family, and Workplace: Navigating the Domestic-Public Divide.” In Handbook of Families in the Arab Gulf States, edited by Md Mizanur Rahman, Kaltham Al-Ghanim, Ziarat Hossain, and Sharique Umar, 445–62. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3412-5_25.
Jerphanion, Emiel. “Matrimonial Rights & Female Education.” Economics Letters 227 (June 2023): 111125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2023.111125.
Khan, Falak, Muhammad Ayub Siddiqui, and Salma Imtiaz. “Role of Financial Literacy in Achieving Financial Inclusion: A Review, Synthesis and Research Agenda.” Cogent Business & Management 9, no. 1 (December 2022): 2034236. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2022.2034236.
Khan, Rabea M. “Speaking ‘Religion’ through a Gender Code: The Discursive Power and Gendered-Racial Implications of the Religious Label.” Critical Research on Religion 10, no. 2 (August 2022): 153–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/20503032211015302.
Kiram, Muhammad Zawil. “Gendered Division of Domestic Labour: Indonesian Muslim Men’s Perceptions, Participation and Experiences in Housework and Childcare.” Journal of Gender Studies 35, no. 1 (January 2026): 174–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2025.2473923.
Kobko -Odarii, Viktoriia, Yuliia Leheza, Konstantin Sokolovskiy, Halyna Tatarenko, and Oleksandra Nestertsova -Sobakar. “Reconstructing Gender Equality in Family Law: A Normative and Comparative Analysis of European Family Law Systems in Religious Context.” Syariah: Jurnal Hukum Dan Pemikiran 25, no. 1 (August 2025): 195–214. https://doi.org/10.18592/sjhp.v25i1.17694.
Lari, Noora. “Toward Marriage Sustainability: Impacts of Delayed Marriages in Qatar.” Cogent Social Sciences 8, no. 1 (December 2022): 2083480. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2083480.
Lee, Bo-Hyeong Jane, and Anna Manzoni. “Women’s Configurations of Family, Work, and Education: Mapping Diverse Pathways Throughout Adulthood.” Social Currents 11, no. 1 (February 2024): 80–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294965231201373.
Mahamed, Fariba, Saadat Parhizkar, and Alireza Raygan Shirazi. “Impact of Family Planning Health Education on the Knowledge and Attitude among Yasoujian Women.” Global Journal of Health Science 4, no. 2 (March 2012): 110–18. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v4n2p110.
Mas’udah, Siti. “Power Relations of Husbands and Wives Experiencing Domestic Violence in Dual-Career Families in Indonesia.” Millennial Asia 14, no. 1 (March 2023): 5–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/09763996211039730.
Mohammed, Tawffeek A. S. “A Scientometric Study of Maqasid Al-Shariah Research: Trending Issues, Hotspot Research, and Co-Citation Analysis.” Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 9 (November 2024): 1439407. https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2024.1439407.
Mustamam, Danialsyah, Nurasiah Harahap, Mega Arum Saputri, and Lutter Ariestino. “Reinterpreting Ḥifẓ Al-Nasl in Contemporary Marriage Contracts: Navigating Islamic Normativity and State Law.” MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review 4, no. 2 (October 2025): 1258–80. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v4i2.11158.
Naguib, Rabia, and Muznah Madeeha. “‘Making Visible the Invisible’: Exploring the Role of Gender Biases on the Glass Ceiling in Qatar’s Public Sector.” Women’s Studies International Forum 98 (May 2023): 102723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2023.102723.
Napilah, Paridah, and M. Yusuf Wibisono. “Child Marriage from a Gender Equality Perspective.” Jurnal Iman Dan Spiritualitas 6, no. 1 (February 2026): 191–202. https://doi.org/10.15575/jis.v6i1.52056.
Nugroho, Dwi, Audy Anzany, and Trio Fajri. “Poverty and Women’s Access in Higher Education: Dynamics, Prospects, Shared Choices of Liman-Benawi Women Education.” SETARA: Jurnal Studi Gender Dan Anak 5, no. 01 (July 2023): 98–116. https://doi.org/10.32332/jsga.v5i01.6848.
Olloqui-Mundet, María Josefa, María del Mar Cavia, Sara R. Alonso-Torre, and Celia Carrillo. “Dietary Habits and Nutritional Knowledge of Pregnant Women: The Importance of Nutrition Education.” Foods 13, no. 19 (October 2024): 3189. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13193189.
Pajarianto, Hadi, Imam Pribadi, Muhammad Yusuf, Sulaeman, Puspa Sari, Ming Chou Liu, and Harmita Sari. “Religious Literacy as a Mediator in the Ecosystem Model of Religious Moderation Towards Youth’s Tolerance Attitudes.” International Journal of Law and Society 4, no. 3 (December 2025): 445–66. https://doi.org/10.59683/ijls.v4i3.236.
Permatahati, Meliesa, Sonny Dewi Judiasih, and Nyulistiowati Suryanti. “Fulfilling Education Rights for Girls in Child Marriage to Achieve SDGs Gender Equality.” Unram Law Review 7, no. 1 (April 2023). https://doi.org/10.29303/ulrev.v7i1.252.
Puspita, Mega, and Nindya Octariza. “The Rule Minimum Age of Marriage in Islamic Family Law in the Muslim World.” International Journal of Social Science and Religion (IJSSR), July 4, 2022, 185–98. https://doi.org/10.53639/ijssr.v3i3.71.
Putri, Bella Satiyo, Raicha Oktafiani, Nadya Ulfha Sabila, and Dominikus Djago Djoa. “Women’s Self-Confidence in Education and Social Welfare: A Systematic Literature Review Based on International Women’s Day Insights.” Women, Education, and Social Welfare 2, no. 1 (June 2025): 26–38. https://doi.org/10.70211/wesw.v2i1.298.
Ramadan, Hajer Mohammed, Lakshmi Venugopal Menon, and Yasser Abdulaziz Jadallah. “Qatar Family Law No. 22: Legal and Social Perspectives.” In Handbook of Families in the Arab Gulf States, edited by Md Mizanur Rahman, Kaltham Al-Ghanim, Ziarat Hossain, and Sharique Umar, 399–414. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-3412-5_22.
Sahni, Shalini, Leena Ajit Kaushal, and Parul Gupta. “Gendered Differences and Strategies for Work-Life Balance: Systematic Review Based on Social Ecological Framework Perspective.” Acta Psychologica 256 (June 2025): 105019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105019.
Shrestha, Bidhya, Yogendra B. Gurung, Tara Lal Shrestha, Kamala Lamichhane, Rita Karki, and Sharadha Hamal. “Do Education and Use of Family Planning Methods Empower Women? Evidence from the Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2016 and 2022.” BMJ Public Health 3, no. 2 (August 2025): e002576. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2025-002576.
Solikin, Nur, and Moh Wasik. “The Construction of Family Law in the Compilation of Islamic Law in Indonesia: A Review of John Rawls’s Concept of Justice and Jasser Auda’s Maqashid al-Shari’a.” Ulumuna 27, no. 1 (June 2023): 315–40. https://doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v27i1.708.
Song, Hao, and Lianghui Cai. “Interactive Learning Environment as a Source of Critical Thinking Skills for College Students.” BMC Medical Education 24, no. 1 (March 2024): 270. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05247-y.
Susanto, Heru, Abdul Ghofur, Abu Rokhmad, and Agustina Kumala Dewi Sholihah. “The Purposes of Marriage and Its Hierarchy According to Al-Ghazālī on the Iḥyā’ Ulūm al-Dīn Based on Mubādalah Perspective.” Fikri : Jurnal Kajian Agama, Sosial Dan Budaya 9, no. 2 (2024): 394–409. https://doi.org/10.25217/jf.v9i2.5132.
Umami, Ulul, and Abdul Ghofur. “Human Rights in Maqāṣid Al-Sharī’ah al-Āmmah: A Perspective of Ibn ‘Āshūr.” Al-Ahkam 32, no. 1 (April 2022): 87–108. https://doi.org/10.21580/ahkam.2022.32.1.9306.
Utsany, Royan, Afrizal Tw, and Khamim Khamim. “Women’s Rights and Gender Equality: An Analysis of Jasser Auda’s Thoughts and His Contribution to Renewal of Islamic Family Law in Indonesia.” Journal of Islamic Law 3, no. 1 (February 2022): 54–73. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v3i1.530.
Weitzman, Abigail. “Does Increasing Women’s Education Reduce Their Risk of Intimate Partner Violence? Evidence from an Education Policy Reform.” Criminology : An Interdisciplinary Journal 56, no. 3 (August 2018): 574–607. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9125.12181.
Wessells, Michael G., and Kathleen Kostelny. “The Psychosocial Impacts of Intimate Partner Violence against Women in LMIC Contexts: Toward a Holistic Approach.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 21 (November 2022): 14488. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114488.
Widiastuti, Tika, Samer Ali Al-shami, Imron Mawardi, Siti Zulaikha, Razali Haron, Rahmatina Awaliyah Kasri, Muhammad Ubaidillah Al Mustofa, and Eka Puspa Dewi. “Capturing the Barriers and Strategic Solutions for Women Empowerment: Delphy Analytical Network Process.” Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity 10, no. 3 (September 2024): 100345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2024.100345.
Yafid, Bunyamin, Mujahidin, and Winda Sari. “The Role of Education in Preventing Early Marriage and Impact on Family Law in Indonesia.” International Journal of Health, Economics, and Social Sciences (IJHESS) 7, no. 1 (January 2025): 314~318-314~318. https://doi.org/10.56338/ijhess.v7i1.6913.
Downloads
Published
Article ID
54933Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Nasrulloh, Miftahurrohman Miftahurrohman, Novita Dwi Lestari, Rafeah Saidon (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.