Please advise me if it would be permissible to discipline a student for not following madrasah rules or for not working by slapping on the face and giving cuts on the knuckles?
Will this method be correct or will it create disdain in the student’s heart?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The relationship between a teacher and his student should be one of respect which is founded on love and not fear. The teacher is the means to spiritually nurture the child. He equips his student with the core principles of Islam which will help him throughout his life. The student must value and appreciate his teacher who is teaching him the path to eternal success. Likewise, the teacher should appreciate the student for being a means of his salvation on the Day of Judgment.
Why was the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) so successful as a teacher? What pulled the hearts of his Sahābah (students) towards him? Contemplate over the following statements:
The Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Allah did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy.”[i]
Sayyiduna Mu’āwiyah ibn Hakam (radhiallaahu anhu) narrates, ‘I have never seen and will never see a teacher better than Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wasallam). I take an oath in the name of Allah, he did not rebuke, hit nor reprimand me.’ [ii]
Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wasallam)’s attitude towards his Sahābah (students) was of care and love. He said, ‘I am to you like a father to his son.’ [iii]
He (salallaahu alayhi wasallam) also emphasised that a teacher should treat his students with care and respect.
Sayyiduna Abu Sa῾īd Al-Khudrī (radhiallaahu anhu) narrates that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) said, ‘People from far and wide will come to you in order to study and understand Deen. You should treat them kindly.’ [iv]
If a student has improper conduct and it is effecting his education as well as the education of his fellow colleagues, the teacher should solve the situation with wisdom and diplomacy. The teacher should follow the way of the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam) in all his affairs. He must feed love into the hearts of the students.
Hitting children in this day and age has no positive outcome; it has the reverse effect. Children become rebellious and can confront the teacher. With all probability, one who resorts to hitting children can find himself in a legal battle.
Some practical steps to discipline children:
1) Make dua to Allah Ta῾ālā for the success of the student
2) Speak to the child with love in seclusion.
3) Use the silent treatment. Do not give attention to the child.
4) Deprive misbehaving students of privileges.
5) Hand out detentions.
6) Speak to the parents of the misbehaving child.
7) Give sweets to those children who behave. This will be an incentive for all children to work.
Once again, the best medium to discipline children is by winning their hearts. Win their heart over and they will submit to you. However, do keep in mind the nature of children. They all still young and like to play around. Even when we were children we were the same. We could not sit still for five minutes. Hence, give them time wherein they can play, talk and simply refresh themselves.
It is vital we make madrasah fun for children. Devise various ways to teach them. Be creative in your presentation.
We make dua to Almighty Allah He opens His doors of mercy for you. Āmīn.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Faraz Ibn Adam,
Student Darul Iftaa
UK
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net
[i] صحيح مسلم رقم الحديث 707
[ii] عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ السُّلَمِيِّ، قَالَ: بَيْنَا أَنَا أُصَلِّي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، إِذْ عَطَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ، فَقُلْتُ: يَرْحَمُكَ اللهُ فَرَمَانِي الْقَوْمُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ، فَقُلْتُ: وَاثُكْلَ أُمِّيَاهْ، مَا شَأْنُكُمْ؟ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيَّ، فَجَعَلُوا يَضْرِبُونَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ عَلَى أَفْخَاذِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُمْ يُصَمِّتُونَنِي لَكِنِّي سَكَتُّ، فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَبِأَبِي هُوَ وَأُمِّي، مَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَبْلَهُ وَلَا بَعْدَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمًا مِنْهُ، فَوَاللهِ، مَا كَهَرَنِي وَلَا ضَرَبَنِي وَلَا شَتَمَنِي، قَالَ: «إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلَاةَ لَا يَصْلُحُ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ مِنْ كَلَامِ النَّاسِ، إِنَّمَا هُوَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ» صحيح مسلم رقم الحديث 33
[iii] وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ – قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «إِنَّمَا أَنَا لَكُمْ مِثْلُ الْوَالِدِ لِوَلَدِهِ، سنن إبن ماجه رقم الحديث 313
[iv] حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَكِيعٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الحَفَرِيُّ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي هَارُونَ العَبْدِيِّ، قَالَ: كُنَّا نَأْتِي أَبَا سَعِيدٍ، فَيَقُولُ: مَرْحَبًا بِوَصِيَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَكُمْ تَبَعٌ، وَإِنَّ رِجَالًا يَأْتُونَكُمْ مِنْ أَقْطَارِ الأَرَضِينَ يَتَفَقَّهُونَ فِي الدِّينِ، فَإِذَا أَتَوْكُمْ فَاسْتَوْصُوا بِهِمْ خَيْرًا» سنن الترمذي رقم الحديث 2650