School

29 Apr 2019 Ref-No#: 1579

Salaam Alaykum
In USA. If one can not afford Islamic school for their children is it permissible for them to attend public school?
There is a hadith I’m not sure what the exact words are but it says something like “ do not leave your children in the hands of the disbelievers” does this apply?

Also a 3 year old boy with speech delay is placed in special preschool at a public elementary school. His parents were pressured to agree to putting him in this program by the child’s pediatrician. Are they sinful since it’s not an Islamic school? The parents intend to enroll their child in Islamic school in the near future inshallah once he catches up. Pls advise.

JAK

Answer

Wa’alaykum as Salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

We are unable to locate the narration that you have alluded to. We are not aware of any Hadith with a similar meaning.

If the following conditions are fulfilled, it will be fine for a child to attend a school which is administrated by non Muslims:

  1. The students are not forced to compromise on any Islamic beliefs or principles. There is no compulsion for them to bow before the Headmaster, principle, teachers or anyone else. Likewise, they do not have to do any prayer in the schools to Jesus or any other deity besides Allah. There are no bible classes etc.
  2. The student does not have to attend subjects which contravenes our religion. If there is a subject on music, for example, then they are at liberty to miss that lesson.
  3. Once the student becomes Baligh (reaches the age of puberty), it is not permissible for the student to be in a class in which there is intermingling with the opposite gender.

If the above conditions are met, and the child does Islamic studies after school, then there is no compulsion to put ones child in an Islamic / Muslim school. Even if the parents can afford it, then too, as long as all the above conditions are met and the child will get Islamic education, it is not incumbent on the parents to send the child to a Muslim school.

 

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