This book, Western Education: Obligation or Prohibition? is in 2 parts, and this is the first part of the series. The book responds to 35 commonly raised religious arguments that some have used to discourage or prohibit conventional “western education”. It also argues for the need for Muslim leaders and communities to invest in and improve our educational system as a collective societal obligation (fard kifayah) irrespective of whatever name beneficial knowledge is called. The book has 2 major sections: the major concerns, which focuses on the major arguments used to counter the adoption of formal conventional education, and the minor concerns, which are not often raised, but are nonetheless important to address.

Part 1 focuses on the first section of the major concerns. These are arguments related to the curriculum content. It addresses issues relating to the origins of Western education, the teaching of un-Islamic concepts, restricting the level and field of a woman‟s education, amongst others.