The Ruling on a Teacher Striking a Student for Negligence
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
I am a teacher, and I have fulfilled my duty in teaching seeking the pleasure of Allah, so I have not been short in it or negligent in any part of it. However, I sometimes face some problems. For example, a student may not be diligent or may not do her homework, so naturally I strike her so that she does not repeat this negligence. What is the ruling on striking students to discipline them? And what is the authenticity of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "The stick is for the one who disobeys"? I attributed this to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! I ask you to inform us, O Shaykh?
Answer: There is no doubt that it is obligatory for the female teacher to seek the causes of the success of the male and female students. If a student is short in performing her duty and is lax in it, you should advise her and guide her. If advice does not benefit and she is not affected by words, there is no harm in disciplining her with a discipline that helps her to perform the duty, without danger. A discipline that has no danger, no wounding, and no breaking, but is a discipline that achieves the purpose of encouraging her to work and activating her to work. You will be rewarded for that, just as a person disciplines his child for prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan ad-Daraqutni 3:5.
So, striking for discipline, and just as a man disciplines his wife to fulfill his right or the right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), there is no harm in this. This is from this category: disciplining the student and the female student when there is negligence or laxity from them is a required matter, and it is in their interest, but with regard to avoiding danger in it. As for your mention of the hadith: "The stick is for the one who disobeys," this is not a hadith and is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, this is from the speech of the common people.
The presenter: May Allah reward you. O Shaykh, regarding the upbringing of students by the teacher, there is talk and talk in the press and in the media. And the result of that talk was that the authority of the teacher was lost, and he became in a place of fear from some of the students who were not disciplined as they should be. Perhaps the Shaykh has an opinion on this in accordance with the Shari'ah?
The Shaykh: And what is the talk?
The presenter: The talk is that those press or media do not see that the teacher should strike the student at all.
The Shaykh: Meaning they delve into this.
The questioner: They delve into this to the extent that the students read this, so the teacher became without personality before his students.
The Shaykh: No, this is an error from the press, this is an error from those who delve into it. Rather, it should be that whoever speaks in this matter should advise the male and female students and say to them that they should fear Allah, and that they should perform the duty, and that they should help the teacher and help the school with what benefits them, with what benefits the students. This is what... should be done. And it is the duty of the teacher and the school to perform the duty of discipline when the student or the female student rebels, and when the student or the female student does not care about what the teacher or the school directs to them. This is the duty of whoever speaks in the press: to be with these and with these.
They should advise the male and female students and command everyone to fear Allah, to care for seeking knowledge, and to be eager to perform the duty, and to do what he is entrusted with, and to prepare what he should prepare, and to strive and exert his ability. And the teacher and the female teacher should look into that. If it appears to them from the student or the female student that they are negligent and that they have not exerted the duty, then they are disciplined. But if the matter is otherwise, meaning the student is dull and there is no way with him, or the required thing is beyond the capability of his like due to his young age and inability to bear that thing, then they should consider that and advise the competent authorities to lighten this curriculum and replace it with another curriculum, or delete what is difficult for the student and the student cannot bear. Because the student has a limited capacity, so it is necessary that the teacher or the female teacher looks into this matter, so that they do not burden the student with what he cannot bear, and do not burden the female student with what she cannot bear. But they should be with the female student in the appropriate matter and with the student in the appropriate matter, and stand with him in the matter in which they see that he is negligent. This is the duty, not this and not that: not exaggeration in the matter so that everyone is disciplined, and not negligence so that no one is disciplined, but whoever deserves discipline is disciplined.
And whoever is not able, and his like is not able, he is dealt with by other means of advice or care by the competent authorities until they lighten and remove the obstacle that this student or this female student cannot bear. The point is that the teacher is a doctor and the female teacher is a doctor; they must look into the matter, so they discipline where discipline is in its place, and they stop from discipline where it is not in its place. Yes.
Answer: There is no doubt that it is obligatory for the female teacher to seek the causes of the success of the male and female students. If a student is short in performing her duty and is lax in it, you should advise her and guide her. If advice does not benefit and she is not affected by words, there is no harm in disciplining her with a discipline that helps her to perform the duty, without danger. A discipline that has no danger, no wounding, and no breaking, but is a discipline that achieves the purpose of encouraging her to work and activating her to work. You will be rewarded for that, just as a person disciplines his child for prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Command your children to pray at seven, and beat them for it at ten.
مروا أبناءكم بالصلاة لسبع واضربوهم عليها لعشرSo, striking for discipline, and just as a man disciplines his wife to fulfill his right or the right of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), there is no harm in this. This is from this category: disciplining the student and the female student when there is negligence or laxity from them is a required matter, and it is in their interest, but with regard to avoiding danger in it. As for your mention of the hadith: "The stick is for the one who disobeys," this is not a hadith and is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Rather, this is from the speech of the common people.
The presenter: May Allah reward you. O Shaykh, regarding the upbringing of students by the teacher, there is talk and talk in the press and in the media. And the result of that talk was that the authority of the teacher was lost, and he became in a place of fear from some of the students who were not disciplined as they should be. Perhaps the Shaykh has an opinion on this in accordance with the Shari'ah?
The Shaykh: And what is the talk?
The presenter: The talk is that those press or media do not see that the teacher should strike the student at all.
The Shaykh: Meaning they delve into this.
The questioner: They delve into this to the extent that the students read this, so the teacher became without personality before his students.
The Shaykh: No, this is an error from the press, this is an error from those who delve into it. Rather, it should be that whoever speaks in this matter should advise the male and female students and say to them that they should fear Allah, and that they should perform the duty, and that they should help the teacher and help the school with what benefits them, with what benefits the students. This is what... should be done. And it is the duty of the teacher and the school to perform the duty of discipline when the student or the female student rebels, and when the student or the female student does not care about what the teacher or the school directs to them. This is the duty of whoever speaks in the press: to be with these and with these.
They should advise the male and female students and command everyone to fear Allah, to care for seeking knowledge, and to be eager to perform the duty, and to do what he is entrusted with, and to prepare what he should prepare, and to strive and exert his ability. And the teacher and the female teacher should look into that. If it appears to them from the student or the female student that they are negligent and that they have not exerted the duty, then they are disciplined. But if the matter is otherwise, meaning the student is dull and there is no way with him, or the required thing is beyond the capability of his like due to his young age and inability to bear that thing, then they should consider that and advise the competent authorities to lighten this curriculum and replace it with another curriculum, or delete what is difficult for the student and the student cannot bear. Because the student has a limited capacity, so it is necessary that the teacher or the female teacher looks into this matter, so that they do not burden the student with what he cannot bear, and do not burden the female student with what she cannot bear. But they should be with the female student in the appropriate matter and with the student in the appropriate matter, and stand with him in the matter in which they see that he is negligent. This is the duty, not this and not that: not exaggeration in the matter so that everyone is disciplined, and not negligence so that no one is disciplined, but whoever deserves discipline is disciplined.
And whoever is not able, and his like is not able, he is dealt with by other means of advice or care by the competent authorities until they lighten and remove the obstacle that this student or this female student cannot bear. The point is that the teacher is a doctor and the female teacher is a doctor; they must look into the matter, so they discipline where discipline is in its place, and they stop from discipline where it is not in its place. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.