Moderation in Islamic Practices Fatwa No: 481501
- Fatwa Date:22-10-2023
Assalamualaikum. alhamdulillah I am a revert practicing Islam in Malaysia and most teachers i my school knows I have entered Islammy question is today we were in science lab and my science teacher is a woman. she hit a male with a book and i corrected her but she got a bit frustrated and said its with a book not using her hands. id like to know the ruling on this and when someone else does a sin is it wajib to remind them? jazakAllah
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
We ask Allah for your guidance and steadfastness on the right path.
The information provided is not sufficient to make a judgment on the situation. However, in general, it is permissible for a teacher to hit a non-adult boy if there is a valid reason, especially with the permission of the guardian.
Regarding adults, the matter is grave, as a group of scholars has prohibited disciplining adults through hitting entirely, even if it's by the father, let alone others. Furthermore, a book encompassing fundamental Islamic teachings, including the names of Allah, verses, hadiths, and the like, must not be used for physical punishment, as it is deemed disrespectful. If it is a book devoid of such content, then using it for physical punishment is not forbidden, though it is preferable not to employ it for such purposes.
Concerning women, it is not permissible for them to touch an adult or an adolescent approaching maturity.
Denouncing an existing evil act (enjoining good and forbidding evil) - as a precaution against what has occurred and ended - is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah). However, an individual may be required to do so in certain circumstances—such as when no one else is capable of forbidding evil—and the obligation to denounce may be waived in situations where there is a fear of harm resulting from the denouncing, the potential for greater harm, or the prevalence of the wrongdoing accompanied by significant hardship in its repudiation.
If someone has committed a sin and it is already over, there is no obligation to denounce him.
We advise you to be cautious about extremism in inappropriate circumstances and to avoid excessive strictness in matters of religion. Allah the Almighty says (what means): {O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion.} [Quran 4:171]. In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet said: “Religion is easy, and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way.”
Allah knows best.