What is the ruling on modifying educational curricula by committees of teachers?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : ... students of knowledge ... .
The Shaykh : What I see is that modifying curricula should not be the work of a single category of people, but it is obligatory that...
...some of it relates to natural matters, and some relates to moral and linguistic matters, and so on. Therefore, it should not be entrusted to a specific group of people.
The two descriptions that Allah the Exalted mentioned in His Book in His saying: And when the jinn committed to bringing the throne of Bilqis, he said: [An-Naml 27:39] Therefore, the committee must consist of multiple categories, and it must have strength in what it examines, and it must have trustworthiness, prioritizing religious interest above all else.
In that case, we see that the modified curricula must be presented to the Committee of Senior Scholars for approval and to remove anything that contradicts the Shari'ah, for in that lies the clearing of the conscience of the one in authority, and in that also lies safety from the objection of any objector in the future regarding these curricula. Then, this matter is among the most difficult things regarding the affairs of the Muslim community, because it will raise generations that will raise generations who will have the reins of the Muslim community, leading the Muslim community either to the abyss or to the heights. It is obligatory to look deeply and precisely at these curricula, and I think that the state, may Allah guide it, will strive with utmost care for such a matter, and we ask Allah to grant it success in what is good and righteous.
The Shaykh : What I see is that modifying curricula should not be the work of a single category of people, but it is obligatory that...
...some of it relates to natural matters, and some relates to moral and linguistic matters, and so on. Therefore, it should not be entrusted to a specific group of people.
The two descriptions that Allah the Exalted mentioned in His Book in His saying:
Indeed, the best of those you hire is the strong and the trustworthy.
إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الْأَمِينُand indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy."
وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌIn that case, we see that the modified curricula must be presented to the Committee of Senior Scholars for approval and to remove anything that contradicts the Shari'ah, for in that lies the clearing of the conscience of the one in authority, and in that also lies safety from the objection of any objector in the future regarding these curricula. Then, this matter is among the most difficult things regarding the affairs of the Muslim community, because it will raise generations that will raise generations who will have the reins of the Muslim community, leading the Muslim community either to the abyss or to the heights. It is obligatory to look deeply and precisely at these curricula, and I think that the state, may Allah guide it, will strive with utmost care for such a matter, and we ask Allah to grant it success in what is good and righteous.