What is the ruling on a teacher hitting a student, and is it permissible to hit the face?
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The questioner : Sometimes a teacher resorts to using hitting to discipline a student. Is it permissible for a teacher to hit a student in the first place, and is it permissible to hit him on the face in the second place?
The Shaykh : As for hitting the face, it is not permissible, unanimously, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 2142Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) As for whether it is permissible to hit a student in general for discipline, the answer is that we must consider the well-known saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic collections: Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) In this hadith, there is evidence that a student—excuse me, a child, even if not a student—his guardian is not allowed to hit him for his negligence in following his orders until he reaches the age of ten. Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) There is no doubt that any knowledge a teacher wants to present to students will not have the same ruling and importance as prayer. If the Messenger (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him) forbade the father of a boy from hitting him for his negligence in the prayer his father ordered him to perform until he reaches the age of ten, then it is even more so that it is not permissible for anyone other than the father among the guardians to hit children for anything other than leaving prayer, for a matter that is far less important than prayer, unless they reach the age of ten. Therefore, for children up to the age of ten, it is not permissible for a teacher or educator to hit them, even if they do not obey him in prayer. What about other matters after prayer that have importance like prayer? And I mention now, on the occasion of this hadith, a point I referred to earlier in answering the previous question. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says in this hadith: Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) “At the age of ten.” Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) Why? Because the instinct begins to move, and they have not yet reached the age of accountability. This confirms that we must study the condition of those who are ten years old: what predominates in them is this sensitivity to gender, as they say, or not? If the first state predominates, then it is what we mentioned earlier. Otherwise, it is permissible for female teachers to enter upon these boys who have reached the age of ten. And on this occasion, I also mention that reaching the age of maturity in young men and women differs greatly in some countries from others. From my general reading in scientific magazines and others, I know that in hot countries, sexual maturity occurs and the age of accountability is reached years earlier than in cold countries. Therefore, these issues must not be taken as a general principle, but rather the condition of students in their age, for example this age of ten, must be studied in each town or, more precisely, in each region: has the awareness of gender matured in them, or are they still on their childish fitrah? Based on what appears to be the predominant state from this study, the ruling is given negatively or positively.
The questioner : ... regarding the ... teaching by female teachers, the issue of effeminacy, meaning the boy assumes the character of a woman, and this is happening now.
The Shaykh : How does he assume the character of a woman?
The questioner : I mean, I mean ... he imitates the movements of women, the behavior of women, unlike if he is raised with a man, he assumes the character of a man ... .
The Shaykh : By Allah, this is a Shaykh in reality. We ... now for the first time, but I want to understand: is every age like this, or is there a specific limit? So based on this observation, the prohibition also applies if this is not the predominant reality among students. Is it like this in every age, or is it the age of ten and nine?
The questioner : It is approximately this age.
The Shaykh : Yes, good. This confirms then what we said earlier.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That if there is sensitivity that has reached this extent, as I mentioned, this confirms that they should not enter upon such boys at this age.
The questioner : Regarding hitting, then ... this boy behaved badly or was hit ..
The Shaykh : There is no hitting, absolutely no hitting. There is guidance, there is reprimand, there is a style of speech. Sometimes speech affects a child much more than hitting, and hitting may not benefit some people at all, but rather it makes them continue in their disobedience more and more. The most important thing is that the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). So the child is not to be hit as long as he has not reached the age of accountability.
The questioner : Shaykh.
The Shaykh : On this occasion, I take from the previous educational progression mentioned in the hadithSunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) to the end of the hadith, I take from it that it is a mistake what I see in many fathers: they order their son to pray before he reaches the age of seven. This is contrary to the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, it is not befitting for a Muslim to advance in this command beyond the limit set by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) initially. Rather, if there is no obstacle, he may allow him to go down to the house with him and pray with him and imitate him, etc. But to say to him “Come” or “Get up, perform wudu, and get up and pray,” etc., when he has not reached the age of seven, this is contrary to this hadith. So I wanted to remind you of it.
The questioner : Regarding the number of hits in the hadith ... hitting, that it is only ten hits?
The Shaykh : Yes, that discretionary punishment has an authentic hadith that in the chapter of discretionary punishment, it is not permissible to flog a flogging. And I do not think it is correct to say that the teacher flogs what? The boy or the child with flogging, but rather he hits him with a non-severe hit. That flogging falls under the chapter of discretionary punishment, and it is not permissible to exceed ten by the text of the authentic hadith, but this flogging does not apply to the issue of raising a child.
The questioner : The last one with ... .
Another questioner: Regarding hanging the stick.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : As commanded in the hadith: “Hang up the stick ... in the house, for it is discipline for them.”
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : Can we hang the stick in the classroom or something like that?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is possible, why not? As long as the Messenger said this, it is permissible, but hanging it is not for use.
The questioner : But Shaykh, regarding hitting, meaning some students you find come from home untrained, meaning even guidance and kind words do not benefit them. Does this enter under the category of dire necessity that you hit him?
The Shaykh : There is no dire necessity. What is the dire necessity?
Another questioner: Okay.
The Shaykh : Do you know that hitting educates him? The One who created him said: “Do not hit them until they reach the age of ten.”
The Shaykh : As for hitting the face, it is not permissible, unanimously, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
do not strike her on the face, do not revile her
لا تضرب الوجه ولا تقبّحCommand your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.
مروا أولادكم للصلاة وهم أبناء سبع واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر وفرّقوا بينهم في المضاجعCommand your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.
مروا أولادكم للصلاة وهم أبناء سبع واضربوهم عليها وهم أبناء عشر وفرّقوا بينهم في المضاجعand arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.
وفرّقوا بينهم في المضاجعand arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.
فرقوا بينهم في المضاجعThe questioner : ... regarding the ... teaching by female teachers, the issue of effeminacy, meaning the boy assumes the character of a woman, and this is happening now.
The Shaykh : How does he assume the character of a woman?
The questioner : I mean, I mean ... he imitates the movements of women, the behavior of women, unlike if he is raised with a man, he assumes the character of a man ... .
The Shaykh : By Allah, this is a Shaykh in reality. We ... now for the first time, but I want to understand: is every age like this, or is there a specific limit? So based on this observation, the prohibition also applies if this is not the predominant reality among students. Is it like this in every age, or is it the age of ten and nine?
The questioner : It is approximately this age.
The Shaykh : Yes, good. This confirms then what we said earlier.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That if there is sensitivity that has reached this extent, as I mentioned, this confirms that they should not enter upon such boys at this age.
The questioner : Regarding hitting, then ... this boy behaved badly or was hit ..
The Shaykh : There is no hitting, absolutely no hitting. There is guidance, there is reprimand, there is a style of speech. Sometimes speech affects a child much more than hitting, and hitting may not benefit some people at all, but rather it makes them continue in their disobedience more and more. The most important thing is that the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). So the child is not to be hit as long as he has not reached the age of accountability.
The questioner : Shaykh.
The Shaykh : On this occasion, I take from the previous educational progression mentioned in the hadith
Command your children to pray when they become seven
مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبعCommand your children when they are seven years old
مروا أولادكم وهم أبناء سبعThe questioner : Regarding the number of hits in the hadith ... hitting, that it is only ten hits?
The Shaykh : Yes, that discretionary punishment has an authentic hadith that in the chapter of discretionary punishment, it is not permissible to flog a flogging. And I do not think it is correct to say that the teacher flogs what? The boy or the child with flogging, but rather he hits him with a non-severe hit. That flogging falls under the chapter of discretionary punishment, and it is not permissible to exceed ten by the text of the authentic hadith, but this flogging does not apply to the issue of raising a child.
The questioner : The last one with ... .
Another questioner: Regarding hanging the stick.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : As commanded in the hadith: “Hang up the stick ... in the house, for it is discipline for them.”
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : Can we hang the stick in the classroom or something like that?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is possible, why not? As long as the Messenger said this, it is permissible, but hanging it is not for use.
The questioner : But Shaykh, regarding hitting, meaning some students you find come from home untrained, meaning even guidance and kind words do not benefit them. Does this enter under the category of dire necessity that you hit him?
The Shaykh : There is no dire necessity. What is the dire necessity?
Another questioner: Okay.
The Shaykh : Do you know that hitting educates him? The One who created him said: “Do not hit them until they reach the age of ten.”