Is it permissible to strike a student for the purpose of disciplining him?
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding the physical punishment practiced by educators, that is, school teachers, in order to correct the behavior of students?
The Shaykh : If only they would do so in accordance with what the Shari'ah has brought and refrain from it in what the Shari'ah has not brought. For they strike the children for leaving off the prayer, and on the contrary, the teacher is punished because he struck the child, even if the child was leaving off the prayer. We do not see that the means of striking should be used as a general principle for upbringing, because upbringing is not based on harshness. The matter of striking, in reality, we can make it a specific matter; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) Therefore, it is not permissible for the father, who has authority over his son that the teacher does not have over his student, and this is clear in some of the texts of the Shari'ah, among which is what we are discussing: Sunan Abi Dawud 495Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) Is it permissible to strike a boy who has reached the age of seven, eight, or nine and he does not pray? The answer is no. Is it permissible to strike him for something other than that which is less than the prayer? The answer is no, not merely "no," but "no" in the strongest sense.
The Shaykh : If only they would do so in accordance with what the Shari'ah has brought and refrain from it in what the Shari'ah has not brought. For they strike the children for leaving off the prayer, and on the contrary, the teacher is punished because he struck the child, even if the child was leaving off the prayer. We do not see that the means of striking should be used as a general principle for upbringing, because upbringing is not based on harshness. The matter of striking, in reality, we can make it a specific matter; due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
Command 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 بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع واضربوهم عليها وأهم أبناء عشر وفرقوا بينهم في المضاجعCommand your children to pray when they become seven
مروا أولادكم بالصلاة وهم أبناء سبع
Source
www.al-albany.com
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