Maldives woman earns Islamic studies degree at 79

MALE, Maldives (MNTV) — A 79-year-old Maldivian woman has earned a bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies after spending decades pursuing Quranic education and Arabic-language learning despite never attending school during childhood because of poverty.

Khadheeja Abdul Rahman graduated last week from Islamic University of Maldives, marking the end of an academic journey rooted not in career ambitions, but in a lifelong attachment to the Quran and Islamic scholarship.

Speaking about her decision to pursue higher education at an age when many people withdraw from academic life, Khadheeja said her desire to study had remained with her since childhood, even after financial hardship prevented her from receiving formal schooling.

She said she learned to read and recite the Quran from an early age with help from her uncle, who became her first teacher.

“What I learned was to read the Quran with the help of my uncle,” she said. “I don’t remember ever not reciting the Quran. Even though I didn’t get the opportunity to study, I always had hope in my heart that I would study someday.”

Her educational journey later expanded from Quranic recitation into formal Islamic studies and Arabic-language education.

In 1999, she completed a Level 1 certification in Qiraat and Hifz — Islamic disciplines focused on proper recitation and memorization of the Quran. Such programs often require students to master pronunciation, rhythm, and preservation of Quranic verses according to classical Islamic traditions.

She later continued studying Arabic, language of Quran and central foundation of Islamic scholarship, progressing through multiple levels before earning a diploma and eventually a bachelor’s degree.

Khadheeja said her husband, former Maldivian parliament member and veteran public servant Abdul Rasheed Ali, played a major role in encouraging her studies throughout their marriage.

According to her, he continued motivating her even during his final illness.

“When he was very ill in hospital, he would tell me it’s just two hours of classes. He told me to go and study and come back,” she said. “He asked me not to stop studying until his last moment.”

She described completing her degree as fulfillment of a promise she made both to herself and to her late husband.

Alongside her university education, Khadheeja had also enrolled in a Quran memorization program, though she paused it after memorizing five sections because balancing both courses became difficult.

She now hopes to resume memorization studies once a new intake opens.

Khadheeja also credited her children, grandchildren, teachers and classmates for supporting her throughout her studies, saying their encouragement helped her continue despite challenges associated with studying later in life.