In those Islamic schools, the Dutch state offers swimming to both males and females; how should they handle this?
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The questioner : Since we are discussing the issue of Islamic schools, you may hear something else.
The Shaykh : It is confusing, if Allah wills.
The questioner : It is more cunning and more serious.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : Among the programs in Dutch schools specifically, and European schools generally, is swimming.
The Shaykh : Oh my eyes! Oh my eyes!
The questioner : For both genders, for males and females.
The Shaykh : And this means a general policy, meaning there is...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, and did you escape from this calamity?
The questioner : So the question is as follows: We set some conditions, and when they said that swimming is mandatory...
The Shaykh : Allah is greater than them.
The questioner : Regarding...
The Shaykh : And is it mandatory between the two genders?
The questioner : Yes, with them, it is between the two genders.
The Shaykh : Of course, to cool down their heat.
The questioner : To this day, the Netherlands has not recognized Islam as an official religion, but it has what is called freedom of religion. As I said, the schools currently with us are primary schools, and the children's ages range from approximately five years old to a maximum of ten years old, and among them are girls. So when they brought up the issue of swimming, we said to them, of course, if it is unavoidable and after consulting with you, of course, that you provide a separate place for the girls, under the supervision of a Dutch female teacher. If that is the case, and they agreed to grant a separate place for the girls to swim under the supervision of a Dutch female teacher, and no man sees them, then what is the minimum clothing for them, and their ages, as I said, are between five and nine or ten? Please inform us, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : You are rambling, you are rambling, may Allah expand your provision, O Abu al-Harith!
I want to understand, for the sake of knowledge and awareness, did they concede anything to you regarding the clothing of these girls whose ages are between five and ten?
The questioner : Brother Muhammad is in charge of two schools in Amsterdam and can clarify further.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah, and may the prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. The Dutch government allows the establishment of schools, whether they are Christian schools or Islamic schools, and so on, and there are public schools generally, but these are called private schools. Their system is as follows:
The Dutch government provides about eighty percent of the school expenses. The subjects taught in the school generally are sports... all the subjects taught in other schools, plus Islamic education and the Arabic language are added. But the teacher's system as a whole falls under...
The Shaykh : The general system.
The questioner : No. The general system on one hand, and on the other hand, under the supervision of Muslims. And it is the right of the Muslim to adapt the school according to the Islamic system. But the subjects taught must include the general subjects such as mathematics and other subjects. Even for these subjects, it is our right, if there is a text that contradicts the Islamic Shari'ah, for us to change these texts.
We give an example: There was a mathematical problem...
The questioner : The brother is saying in any matter, meaning...
The Shaykh : It may have been what I feared it would be - he laughsThe Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on him.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : My question was postponed, my answer to his question, which is: What are the conditions that the Dutch state imposed on you regarding your daughters whose ages range between five and ten? You must have imposed the Islamic covering on them, but perhaps they do not respond to you in any matter. To what extent did they respond to you?
The questioner : What covering?
The Shaykh : In swimming?
The questioner : The limit of the Islamic covering in swimming, to my knowledge, is...
The Shaykh : That is not the question. The question is: What did the Dutch system agree to with you?
The questioner : The truth is, the Dutch system gives freedom in that, but the issue is between the school and the swimming pool itself, so the swimming pool imposes some conditions until...
The Shaykh : My brother, we are in the swimming pool. His question was about this, about the girls who want to swim in this pool. What is the clothing that the Dutch government requires for your daughters?
The questioner : It is like the clothing in all their pools, normal. Perhaps we imposed a condition...
The Shaykh : Shorts, meaning?
The questioner : Shorts, this is clothing, meaning loose like normal clothes.
The Shaykh : I know this, but you must have requested that they allow something extra that is compatible with the Islamic Shari'ah. Did they agree to anything with you?
The questioner : They agreed, but the issue now is that we want to present it to you...
The Shaykh : I know, my brother, but explain to me what they agreed to?
The questioner : They agreed to the issue of clothing, but the minimum limit for it is what we want to hear from you so that we can convey it to our brothers. They agreed to give a special pool...
The Shaykh : The clothing, my brother, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : They must wear a skirt to the knee, but now we want to consult whether...
The Shaykh : My brother, may Allah bless you, you are repeating your question! I know your question, and I am confident in myself and I promise to answer you, but I want to understand: Did they concede anything to you regarding what you dress the girls in, or did they not concede anything except the shorts?
The questioner : No, they said to us: Bring, for example, the ruling of the Shari'ah in this, and we are fully prepared for it...
The Shaykh : This is the answer. So, was there any discussion about these limits?
The questioner : No, there was not. This is the first experience of its kind.
The Shaykh : It is confusing, if Allah wills.
The questioner : It is more cunning and more serious.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : Among the programs in Dutch schools specifically, and European schools generally, is swimming.
The Shaykh : Oh my eyes! Oh my eyes!
The questioner : For both genders, for males and females.
The Shaykh : And this means a general policy, meaning there is...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, and did you escape from this calamity?
The questioner : So the question is as follows: We set some conditions, and when they said that swimming is mandatory...
The Shaykh : Allah is greater than them.
The questioner : Regarding...
The Shaykh : And is it mandatory between the two genders?
The questioner : Yes, with them, it is between the two genders.
The Shaykh : Of course, to cool down their heat.
The questioner : To this day, the Netherlands has not recognized Islam as an official religion, but it has what is called freedom of religion. As I said, the schools currently with us are primary schools, and the children's ages range from approximately five years old to a maximum of ten years old, and among them are girls. So when they brought up the issue of swimming, we said to them, of course, if it is unavoidable and after consulting with you, of course, that you provide a separate place for the girls, under the supervision of a Dutch female teacher. If that is the case, and they agreed to grant a separate place for the girls to swim under the supervision of a Dutch female teacher, and no man sees them, then what is the minimum clothing for them, and their ages, as I said, are between five and nine or ten? Please inform us, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : You are rambling, you are rambling, may Allah expand your provision, O Abu al-Harith!
I want to understand, for the sake of knowledge and awareness, did they concede anything to you regarding the clothing of these girls whose ages are between five and ten?
The questioner : Brother Muhammad is in charge of two schools in Amsterdam and can clarify further.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah, and may the prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. The Dutch government allows the establishment of schools, whether they are Christian schools or Islamic schools, and so on, and there are public schools generally, but these are called private schools. Their system is as follows:
The Dutch government provides about eighty percent of the school expenses. The subjects taught in the school generally are sports... all the subjects taught in other schools, plus Islamic education and the Arabic language are added. But the teacher's system as a whole falls under...
The Shaykh : The general system.
The questioner : No. The general system on one hand, and on the other hand, under the supervision of Muslims. And it is the right of the Muslim to adapt the school according to the Islamic system. But the subjects taught must include the general subjects such as mathematics and other subjects. Even for these subjects, it is our right, if there is a text that contradicts the Islamic Shari'ah, for us to change these texts.
We give an example: There was a mathematical problem...
The questioner : The brother is saying in any matter, meaning...
The Shaykh : It may have been what I feared it would be - he laughsThe Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on him.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : My question was postponed, my answer to his question, which is: What are the conditions that the Dutch state imposed on you regarding your daughters whose ages range between five and ten? You must have imposed the Islamic covering on them, but perhaps they do not respond to you in any matter. To what extent did they respond to you?
The questioner : What covering?
The Shaykh : In swimming?
The questioner : The limit of the Islamic covering in swimming, to my knowledge, is...
The Shaykh : That is not the question. The question is: What did the Dutch system agree to with you?
The questioner : The truth is, the Dutch system gives freedom in that, but the issue is between the school and the swimming pool itself, so the swimming pool imposes some conditions until...
The Shaykh : My brother, we are in the swimming pool. His question was about this, about the girls who want to swim in this pool. What is the clothing that the Dutch government requires for your daughters?
The questioner : It is like the clothing in all their pools, normal. Perhaps we imposed a condition...
The Shaykh : Shorts, meaning?
The questioner : Shorts, this is clothing, meaning loose like normal clothes.
The Shaykh : I know this, but you must have requested that they allow something extra that is compatible with the Islamic Shari'ah. Did they agree to anything with you?
The questioner : They agreed, but the issue now is that we want to present it to you...
The Shaykh : I know, my brother, but explain to me what they agreed to?
The questioner : They agreed to the issue of clothing, but the minimum limit for it is what we want to hear from you so that we can convey it to our brothers. They agreed to give a special pool...
The Shaykh : The clothing, my brother, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : They must wear a skirt to the knee, but now we want to consult whether...
The Shaykh : My brother, may Allah bless you, you are repeating your question! I know your question, and I am confident in myself and I promise to answer you, but I want to understand: Did they concede anything to you regarding what you dress the girls in, or did they not concede anything except the shorts?
The questioner : No, they said to us: Bring, for example, the ruling of the Shari'ah in this, and we are fully prepared for it...
The Shaykh : This is the answer. So, was there any discussion about these limits?
The questioner : No, there was not. This is the first experience of its kind.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.