What is the ruling on a teacher assigning specific grades for behavior and morals, and taking behavior into account when correcting exams, such that if a student’s behavior is good, he adds to his grades?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : You know that exams are now approaching. I ask: Is it permissible for a teacher, while correcting answer sheets or during an oral exam, to take the student’s behavior in the classroom into account? If it is good, he takes it into account in the grades, and if his behavior is bad or similar, he deducts from his grades?
Also, is it permissible in the work of the Sunnah for the teacher to add one or two grades to the students, for example, instead of injustice or similar, because you know that injustice is darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and that the supplication of the oppressed is answered, so the teacher fears that. Please inform us. May Allah grant you success?
The Shaykh : Yes, this question is undoubtedly important for teachers. I say: I am informed that they assign grades for behavior and morals?
The questioner : For participation.
The Shaykh : Huh? Is it still now?
The student: Three grades for participation and four grades for the assignment, and eight grades.
The Shaykh : No, behavior and morals, meaning the student’s behavior and his morals?
The student: Fifteen grades.
The Shaykh : Huh? Is it present now? Huh?
The student: There is no grade for behavior.
The Shaykh : The important thing now is to detail this. It is obligatory for the teacher who determines these grades to judge with justice. If the matter is based on personal opinion, then this person should fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If one of the students has better behavior and morals, then he gives him the grade he deserves, and deducts from that student.
As for the grade for knowledge and academic level, it is not increased or decreased. The person is given what he deserves.
Have you seen if two men went to a judge, one a disbeliever and the other a Muslim, would he deprive the disbeliever of his right because he is a disbeliever?
No, so the issue of the answer is according to the information you presented, whether he is of bad morals or good morals, understood?
The second issue: If the teacher has wronged the student, this does not escape two cases:
The first case: That when dealing with the student, he thinks he is right, and that he is exerting effort, and this is what his effort led him to, such as stopping him in the classroom or hitting him or similar, but at that time he sees that he is right, meaning the teacher, then after thinking he sees that he made a mistake, then there is no injustice in this, and the person is not punished for it, because at that time he was exerting effort, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 5381Sahih (Darussalam).
And if we said to every person who acts on behalf of another: If the mistake becomes apparent to you, you bear this mistake, then no one would act, but from the mercy of Allah is that the one who acts on behalf of another, such as the guardian of an orphan, the agent, the overseer of the endowment, and others, if they act and at the time of action they see that this is the right thing without negligence on their part, then after this the mistake becomes apparent, then there is nothing upon them, no liability in this world and no sin in the Hereafter.
As for if he has wronged the student with true injustice, and at that time he knows that he only punished him for revenge for himself, then at that time he should appease the student without increasing his grades, because if he increases his grades, what is the issue? It is not that there is only this student; there are other students whose answers may be stronger academically than this one, so if you increase his grades above theirs, you are unjust to them. You justified this one but wronged the others, so this issue must be attended to, because some professors, and we have received a question of this type, some professors say: This one is of bad conduct, bad morals, negligent of his duties, so it is said: You are now judging a case before you, judge according to what this case requires only.
The questioner : But with the assignment and participation, it has no value to me. The most important thing is the value of the student’s behavior in the classroom and his morals.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And if you informed him?
The Shaykh : No, even if you informed him, because the system followed is that the student is given his grades according to the information he presented, but perhaps they benefit from it, if you make it from the perspective of threat, but do not say: I will do it. If you say I will do it, your words have no value. Say perhaps, perhaps I will deduct from your grades, for example, yes.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : You know that exams are now approaching. I ask: Is it permissible for a teacher, while correcting answer sheets or during an oral exam, to take the student’s behavior in the classroom into account? If it is good, he takes it into account in the grades, and if his behavior is bad or similar, he deducts from his grades?
Also, is it permissible in the work of the Sunnah for the teacher to add one or two grades to the students, for example, instead of injustice or similar, because you know that injustice is darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and that the supplication of the oppressed is answered, so the teacher fears that. Please inform us. May Allah grant you success?
The Shaykh : Yes, this question is undoubtedly important for teachers. I say: I am informed that they assign grades for behavior and morals?
The questioner : For participation.
The Shaykh : Huh? Is it still now?
The student: Three grades for participation and four grades for the assignment, and eight grades.
The Shaykh : No, behavior and morals, meaning the student’s behavior and his morals?
The student: Fifteen grades.
The Shaykh : Huh? Is it present now? Huh?
The student: There is no grade for behavior.
The Shaykh : The important thing now is to detail this. It is obligatory for the teacher who determines these grades to judge with justice. If the matter is based on personal opinion, then this person should fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If one of the students has better behavior and morals, then he gives him the grade he deserves, and deducts from that student.
As for the grade for knowledge and academic level, it is not increased or decreased. The person is given what he deserves.
Have you seen if two men went to a judge, one a disbeliever and the other a Muslim, would he deprive the disbeliever of his right because he is a disbeliever?
No, so the issue of the answer is according to the information you presented, whether he is of bad morals or good morals, understood?
The second issue: If the teacher has wronged the student, this does not escape two cases:
The first case: That when dealing with the student, he thinks he is right, and that he is exerting effort, and this is what his effort led him to, such as stopping him in the classroom or hitting him or similar, but at that time he sees that he is right, meaning the teacher, then after thinking he sees that he made a mistake, then there is no injustice in this, and the person is not punished for it, because at that time he was exerting effort, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
If a judge passes judgment and strives to reach the right conclusion and gets it right, he will have two rewards; if he strives to reach the right conclusion but gets it wrong, he will still have one reward.
إذا حكم الحاكم فاجتهد فأصاب فله أجران، وإن أخطأ فله أجرAnd if we said to every person who acts on behalf of another: If the mistake becomes apparent to you, you bear this mistake, then no one would act, but from the mercy of Allah is that the one who acts on behalf of another, such as the guardian of an orphan, the agent, the overseer of the endowment, and others, if they act and at the time of action they see that this is the right thing without negligence on their part, then after this the mistake becomes apparent, then there is nothing upon them, no liability in this world and no sin in the Hereafter.
As for if he has wronged the student with true injustice, and at that time he knows that he only punished him for revenge for himself, then at that time he should appease the student without increasing his grades, because if he increases his grades, what is the issue? It is not that there is only this student; there are other students whose answers may be stronger academically than this one, so if you increase his grades above theirs, you are unjust to them. You justified this one but wronged the others, so this issue must be attended to, because some professors, and we have received a question of this type, some professors say: This one is of bad conduct, bad morals, negligent of his duties, so it is said: You are now judging a case before you, judge according to what this case requires only.
The questioner : But with the assignment and participation, it has no value to me. The most important thing is the value of the student’s behavior in the classroom and his morals.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And if you informed him?
The Shaykh : No, even if you informed him, because the system followed is that the student is given his grades according to the information he presented, but perhaps they benefit from it, if you make it from the perspective of threat, but do not say: I will do it. If you say I will do it, your words have no value. Say perhaps, perhaps I will deduct from your grades, for example, yes.