The Ruling on Gifts on Teachers' Day
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Our sister says in her letter: Every year, I receive gifts on the occasion of Teachers' Day from some of the students. The truth is that I do not know the ruling on this, so I ask you to inform me. May Allah reward you.
Answer:
It has no basis. Teachers' Day has no basis. People have only known festivals: the Festival of Breaking the Fast (‘Id al-Fitr), the Festival of Sacrifice (‘Id al-Adha), the days of Mina which are days of festival, and the Day of ‘Arafah which is a day of festival for the gathering of Muslims.
As for Teachers' Day or Children's Day, if it comes, a person makes a festival for his child—the Mawlid—on the anniversary of his birth, or on the anniversary of every year. All of this has no basis. There are no festivals, whether Mawlid or otherwise.
The legislated festivals are known: the Festival of Breaking the Fast, the Festival of Sacrifice, and the days of Tashriq that follow it. The Day of ‘Arafah is a great day of Hajj, and it is the gathering place of people. A festival is that which returns and repeats by month, by hour, by week, or by year. So the Muslims have known festivals: the Festival of Breaking the Fast, the Festival of Sacrifice, the days of Tashriq, and the actions that occur in them, and the Day of ‘Arafah, because it is the day of the gathering of people in Hajj. These are the festivals of the Muslims. So making a festival other than these, for the Mawlid of his son, or Teachers' Day for a male or female teacher, has no basis, and it is considered a religious innovation (bid'ah).
The presenter: So what about the gifts that are presented on this occasion, such as Teachers' Day?
The Shaykh: Do not accept this. Do not accept them. But tell them: This is not appropriate, and it is not befitting to make a festival for the teacher.
The presenter: So are the gifts in such a case considered a bribe?
The Shaykh: It is not appropriate, because it is reviving a blameworthy festival and establishing it.
Our sister says in her letter: Every year, I receive gifts on the occasion of Teachers' Day from some of the students. The truth is that I do not know the ruling on this, so I ask you to inform me. May Allah reward you.
Answer:
It has no basis. Teachers' Day has no basis. People have only known festivals: the Festival of Breaking the Fast (‘Id al-Fitr), the Festival of Sacrifice (‘Id al-Adha), the days of Mina which are days of festival, and the Day of ‘Arafah which is a day of festival for the gathering of Muslims.
As for Teachers' Day or Children's Day, if it comes, a person makes a festival for his child—the Mawlid—on the anniversary of his birth, or on the anniversary of every year. All of this has no basis. There are no festivals, whether Mawlid or otherwise.
The legislated festivals are known: the Festival of Breaking the Fast, the Festival of Sacrifice, and the days of Tashriq that follow it. The Day of ‘Arafah is a great day of Hajj, and it is the gathering place of people. A festival is that which returns and repeats by month, by hour, by week, or by year. So the Muslims have known festivals: the Festival of Breaking the Fast, the Festival of Sacrifice, the days of Tashriq, and the actions that occur in them, and the Day of ‘Arafah, because it is the day of the gathering of people in Hajj. These are the festivals of the Muslims. So making a festival other than these, for the Mawlid of his son, or Teachers' Day for a male or female teacher, has no basis, and it is considered a religious innovation (bid'ah).
The presenter: So what about the gifts that are presented on this occasion, such as Teachers' Day?
The Shaykh: Do not accept this. Do not accept them. But tell them: This is not appropriate, and it is not befitting to make a festival for the teacher.
The presenter: So are the gifts in such a case considered a bribe?
The Shaykh: It is not appropriate, because it is reviving a blameworthy festival and establishing it.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.