What is the ruling on taking a fee for teaching children the Qur'an?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Here is a letter in which a group of our Egyptian brothers residing in Iraq participated in formulating the questions, namely:
Our brother: Hasan, of Egyptian nationality, and also one of the brothers from there, whose name is indicated by the initials (M. A. 'A), and the third, who also says: ('A. B. S), they ask the Shaykh's eminence! As I mentioned, a group of questions, among which is a question about taking a fee for teaching the Noble Qur'an, as they have an imam in their village in Egypt who takes a fee for teaching children the Noble Qur'an. So how do you guide them, if you permit, O Shaykh?
Answer: There is no harm in that. The correct view is that there is no harm in taking a fee for teaching the Qur'an and teaching knowledge; because people are in need of education; and because the teacher may find it difficult, and teaching may prevent him from earning a livelihood. So if he takes a fee for teaching the Qur'an, or memorizing the Qur'an, or teaching knowledge, the correct view is that there is no harm in that. It is established that a group of the Companions came to some Arabs who informed them that their master, meaning their chief, had been bitten by a venomous creature, and that they had done everything without it benefiting him. They asked them to perform ruqyah (healing by recitation). One of the Companions stepped forward and performed ruqyah on him with the opening of the Book (Surat al-Fatihah), so Allah healed him and restored him to health. They had stipulated a flock of sheep for themselves, so they fulfilled their condition. They held back from dividing it among themselves until they asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "You have done well. Take a share for me with you" . He did not disapprove of that, and he said: "The most rightful thing for which you may take a fee is the Book of Allah" . Al-Bukhari narrated it in his Sahih.
This indicates that there is no harm in taking a fee for teaching, if it is for treating a bite or reciting the Fatihah and the like for the bitten person or the sick person; there is no harm in taking a fee from them. So teaching is more beneficial for people and more in need of, so there is no harm in taking a fee for teaching knowledge, teaching the Qur'an, and memorizing it, and there is no harm in this, and praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Our brother: Hasan, of Egyptian nationality, and also one of the brothers from there, whose name is indicated by the initials (M. A. 'A), and the third, who also says: ('A. B. S), they ask the Shaykh's eminence! As I mentioned, a group of questions, among which is a question about taking a fee for teaching the Noble Qur'an, as they have an imam in their village in Egypt who takes a fee for teaching children the Noble Qur'an. So how do you guide them, if you permit, O Shaykh?
Answer: There is no harm in that. The correct view is that there is no harm in taking a fee for teaching the Qur'an and teaching knowledge; because people are in need of education; and because the teacher may find it difficult, and teaching may prevent him from earning a livelihood. So if he takes a fee for teaching the Qur'an, or memorizing the Qur'an, or teaching knowledge, the correct view is that there is no harm in that. It is established that a group of the Companions came to some Arabs who informed them that their master, meaning their chief, had been bitten by a venomous creature, and that they had done everything without it benefiting him. They asked them to perform ruqyah (healing by recitation). One of the Companions stepped forward and performed ruqyah on him with the opening of the Book (Surat al-Fatihah), so Allah healed him and restored him to health. They had stipulated a flock of sheep for themselves, so they fulfilled their condition. They held back from dividing it among themselves until they asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "You have done well. Take a share for me with you" . He did not disapprove of that, and he said: "The most rightful thing for which you may take a fee is the Book of Allah" . Al-Bukhari narrated it in his Sahih.
This indicates that there is no harm in taking a fee for teaching, if it is for treating a bite or reciting the Fatihah and the like for the bitten person or the sick person; there is no harm in taking a fee from them. So teaching is more beneficial for people and more in need of, so there is no harm in taking a fee for teaching knowledge, teaching the Qur'an, and memorizing it, and there is no harm in this, and praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.