Qarawiyyin UniversityIf you ask most people where they think the first university was built, , most people will think it was some where in Europe. If you ask them if a boy or a girl came up with the idea of a university, most will say that it was a boy. but did you know the first university was actually founded by a young Muslim woman in Fes, Morocco? Her name was Fatima al-Fihri. Fatima al-Fihri was born in 800 AD in Kairouan, Tunisia. Her father was a very rich businessman. When Fatima al-Fihri was a little girl her father wanted her, her sister, and her brother to be well educated so they decided to move to Fez, Morocco since itwas one of the most influential Muslim cities at that time and had a great education.

Fatima al-Fihri grew up with a good education and got married to a richman. Everything in her life was perfect until one year her father, brother, and husband all died one by one. The three men left Fatimaal-Fihri and her sister with a lot of money. So instead of wasting their time crying,Fatima al-Fihri and her sister decided to make their community better with their money and make Allah (swt) happy In their town, Muslims were growing day by day. So Fatima al-Fihri’s sister built the Al-Andalus mosque while Fatima al-Fihri had something else in mind. She wanted to build a mosque butshe also wanted to build a center that would give higher education.This is how Fatima al-Fihri came up with the idea of the first University. She decided that she would have a mosque and a university combined and she decided to name it after her hometown and called it the Qarawiyyin Mosque and University. In the Ramadan of 859, the construction of the first university began.

Being a Muslim woman didn’t stop Fatima al-Fihri to be active and communicate in a modest way with the men that was working for this great project. Fatima al-Fihri was very pious and wanted to please Allah. She decided that she would fast every single day until the whole building was completed. After two years of hard workin 861 the first University was finally completed. Fatima al-Fihri prayed inside the Qarawiyyin mosque thanking Allah for helping her and asked Allah to bless the Qarawiyyin Mosque and University. The university and mosque was a success and many leaders donated more money over the years to make the university bigger. Qarawiyyin University welcomed people of all kinds and all religions.One of the most famous students at that university was the Jewish philosopher named Maimonides.

The Christian Pope Sylvester II also went there for higher education. Qarawiyyin University was like a bridge between Europe and the Muslim world. Fatima al-Fihri's the first university is proof that Islam treats woman in a good way. The true Islam teaches us that boys and girls are all equal and they should be treated that way as well. In a recent2017 study it said that 130 million girls from all over the world could notgo to school simply because they were girls.Fatima al Fihri showed us that even a religious women can go to school and make a difference while still covering up and being modest. Don't be ashamed that you're Muslim be proud that you're Muslim and in Islam Allah (swt)'s first order to Muslim men and woman is to be educated because with true educated people we can make the world a better place and that is how we once had a great muslim golden age and from that golden ages the Qarawiyyin University still continues to this day.

Fatima al-Fihri came up with the idea of higher education and made the 1st University that changed our world forever. Next time when you see a university remember that it is because of our great Muslim sister, Fatima al Fihri. May Allah give her the highest place in Jannah. Ameen.

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