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Fatwa CenterWorried about her young deaf daughter who studies in a mixed school
Question
al salam alaikum- I have a daughter who is almost 6 years old, and is severely hearing impaired. She goes to public school and is in a special class for hearing impaired children. She rides the bus to and from school everyday. Last week, she came home with writing all over her forearm and on her palm. It said, 'I love boyfriend please' and had pictures of happy faces and hearts. I talked to the school the next day to see if this happened there or on the bus. They told me that it probably happened on the bus. They spoke to the bus driver who identified who it probably was. The principal of the school talked to him, and he admitted to it. She told me that she took care of it. Due to the fact that my daughter cannot speak (due to the hearing impairment), I asked the bus company that from now on, she be placed always near the front of the bus, so that she would be closer to the bus driver (all the kids on the bus are hard-of-hearing). But we still feel uneasy, and haven't sent her back to school since it happened. We've been thinking through our options, and we figure we could start taking her and picking her up (which would be very difficult, being that I also have a 2 yr old and a 3 yr old who would have to tag along), I could homeschool her (which might be difficult, esp. since she has special needs), or we could send her back to school on the bus and just ask that she sit with younger students, near the front. What should we do? Is there another option we should look into? Is making hijrah the only way to keep our kids on the straight path? Should my daughter start wearing hijab now, or when? Thank you in advance
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The parents should take the means by which they would preserve the belief and good moral conduct of their children. Allaah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.}[Quran 66:6]. So, you did well in being keen to protect your daughter.
We advise you to look for another school which is not mixed for your daughter, because though she is still young and not pubescent, she might become accustomed to this ill matter, and when she grows up and becomes pubescent, these things could be beautified for her, and it would be difficult to convince her to abandon them by then.
If there is no other school, and there is a need for her to study in this school, then the father or mother should be keen on taking her to and from school, and if this is not possible, then it is more appropriate to reserve a spot for her near the driver in order to protect her.
As regards wearing Hijab, it is not an obligation on her at her age. However, it is better if she is encouraged to wear it to make her get used to wearing it so that it will be easier for her to wear it when she becomes an adult.
Finally, there is no doubt that residing in a non-Muslim country results in facing many problems and being tempted and tried, that is why it is not permissible to reside there except for a necessity or a dire need. In this regard, please refer to Fataawa 86405 and 81464.
To conclude, if it is possible for a Muslim to reside in a Muslim country where he could be safe and secure about his religion and his family's religion, then he should take the initiative to do so.
Allaah Knows best.
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