Fatwa ID: 08836

 

 

Answered by: Maulana Sakib Shadman

 

Question:

 

I am a single mother of three girls and I would like to educate my girls Islamically, so I decided to put them in a local Alimah class.

 

 

I was told if we start half way through the term we still have to pay full term fees! I was shocked that an Islamic institution would do this to me. When i tried to argue my point that this is unfair and injustice, I was rudely told: “These are our rules!”

 

 

In other words, take it or leave it?! Is this permissible in Islam? Ripping people off and taking fees for time we didn’t spend in the Madrasah. I am losing respect for Alimahs as we see more and more becoming pure money makers and Madrasahs are becoming a business.

 

 

Even the government don’t charge you council tax for a full years, you pay from when you move into a house.

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

If the Islamic institute’s policy states that you will be charged for the full term even if you enrol halfway through the term, then the Madrasa has a right to implement this policy. They should not have been rude to you, but perhaps you were behaving angrily with them too. Hence it is possible that there were mistakes from both sides.

 

 

Alimahs have a right to earn a proper living. We can afford to pay our driving instructors, plumbers, Mathematics Tutors, etc. a proper reimbursement for their work. We are happy to bear this expense and we do not consider them to be greedy for expecting a decent wage for their work. However when it comes to Islamic education, our Muslim community treats Madrasah fees as a severe financial burden. We need to change this mentality and we should consider this to be a noble expense which we will be immensely rewarded for. Our beloved Messenger of Allah Ta’ala says in a Hadith;

 

 

Narrated Anas bin Malik: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever goes out seeking knowledge, then he is in Allah’s cause until he returns.

 

Thus your daughters are in the path of Allah Ta’ala every time they leave the house to seek beneficial Islamic knowledge. You should be eager to spend in the path of Allah Ta’ala.

 

Most Madrasas do not charge an exorbitant fee. It is disrespectful to insinuate that Alimahs are treating their job like a business. If Ulema are not paid adequately, they will choose other professions which do pay them adequately, as they have their own needs, responsibilities and expenses to fulfill. They often have family to take care of as well. There will be nobody to teach Islam to our children if the Ulema are forced to take up other professions due to not receiving an adequate wage from our Islamic institutions.

 

 

I understand that you are a single mother. The Madrasa should consider your difficult situation. However if they would prefer to follow their standard policy, one cannot blame them for that.

 

 

 

References:

 

(قَوْلُهُ وَيُفْتَى الْيَوْمَ بِصِحَّتِهَا لِتَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ إلَخْ) قَالَ فِي الْهِدَايَةِ: وَبَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا – رَحِمَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – اسْتَحْسَنُوا الِاسْتِئْجَارَ عَلَى تَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ الْيَوْمَ لِظُهُورِ التَّوَانِي فِي الْأُمُورِ الدِّينِيَّةِ، فَفِي الِامْتِنَاعِ تَضْيِيعُ حِفْظِ الْقُرْآنِ وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى اهـ

 

ص55 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – مطلب في الاستئجار على الطاعات – المكتبة الشاملة

 

(قَوْلُهُ: وَهِيَ قَوْلُهُ: ﵊ «أَعْطُوا الْأَجِيرَ أَجْرَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجِفَّ عَرَقُهُ») قَالَ الشُّرَّاحُ: فَإِنَّ الْأَمْرَ بِإِعْطَاءِ الْأَجْرِ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى صِحَّتِهِ.

 

ص60 – كتاب تكملة فتح القدير نتائج الأفكار في كشف الرموز والأسرار – كتاب الإجارات – المكتبة الشاملة

 

فإن سكن ساعةً من الشهر الثاني صح العقد فيه [ولزمه ذلك الشهر]

 

ص99 – اللباب في شرح الكتاب – كتاب الإجارة – المكتبة الشاملة

 

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْعَتَكِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الرَّازِيِّ، عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَنْ خَرَجَ فِي طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ وَرَوَاهُ بَعْضُهُمْ فَلَمْ يَرْفَعْهُ ‏.‏

 

Narrated Anas bin Malik: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever goes out seeking knowledge, then he is in Allah’s cause until he returns.”

 

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2647

Chapter 2: The Virtue Of Seeking Knowledge, Book 41: Chapters on Knowledge

Grade: Da’if (Darussalam)

 

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham