The Ruling on Clapping in Schools
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The questioner: What is the correct view regarding the issue of clapping in schools?The Shaykh: Clapping in schools to encourage students is permissible, because there is no evidence for its prohibition or its being disliked.
The questioner: But what about imitating the disbelievers?The Shaykh: There is no imitation, as all Muslims do this now. Imam Malik and Ibn Hajar also mentioned this in *Fath al-Bari*: When a matter becomes widespread among Muslims and disbelievers, the imitation ceases, because imitation means doing what is specific to the disbelievers. If the specificity is gone, it is not imitation. As for doing it for amusement, like those who clap during songs, this is prohibited amusement. As for what they do as an act of worship, like the Sufis and others, this is more severe and more severe; it is a blameworthy religious innovation. It resembles the prayer of the polytheists at the Sacred House, about which Allah said: [Al-Anfal: 35] But it does not mean that by saying clapping is permissible to encourage students, we are ordering them to do it. No, we do not order them, but we do not forbid them.
The questioner: But what about imitating the disbelievers?The Shaykh: There is no imitation, as all Muslims do this now. Imam Malik and Ibn Hajar also mentioned this in *Fath al-Bari*: When a matter becomes widespread among Muslims and disbelievers, the imitation ceases, because imitation means doing what is specific to the disbelievers. If the specificity is gone, it is not imitation. As for doing it for amusement, like those who clap during songs, this is prohibited amusement. As for what they do as an act of worship, like the Sufis and others, this is more severe and more severe; it is a blameworthy religious innovation. It resembles the prayer of the polytheists at the Sacred House, about which Allah said: