I work as a teacher and in the interests of the students I hit them but I do not leave any mark on their bodies, so that they will do better in class. Does this have any effect on my fast? Is there any sin on me because of this hitting? Please note that if I do not hit them they do much worse in class.
Praise be to Allaah. Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
What is the ruling on hitting female students in order to teach them and urge them to do their homework that is required of them, and to make them get used to not being negligent?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with that. Teachers and parents all have to pay attention to the children and discipline them if they deserve to be disciplined for falling short in their duties, so that they will get used to having the proper attitude and will behave properly as they should. Hence it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Tell your children to pray when they are seven years old and smack them if they do not do it when they are ten, and separate them in their beds.” Males may be smacked and females too, if either of them reaches the age of ten and falls short with regard to prayer, and they should be disciplined until they pray regularly. The same applies to other duties such as study and household chores, etc. Those who are in charge of youngsters, male and female, should pay attention to teaching them and disciplining them, but any hitting should be light and not harmful, but it should achieve the intended purpose.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh ibn Baaz, 6/403
We should also point out that it is not permissible for a teacher to be harsh in hitting, or to give more than ten blows, unless the student has transgressed a law of Allaah. But with regard to his studies and making him pay attention, he should not do more than that.
It was narrated from Abu Burdah al-Ansaari that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “No one should be given more than ten lashes of the whip except in the case of one of the hadd punishments prescribed by Allaah.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6456; Muslim, 3222.
According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6457):
“There is no punishment greater than ten blows except in the case of one of the hadd punishments prescribed by Allaah.”
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “There is no punishment greater than ten blows except in the case of one of the hadd punishments prescribed by Allaah” refer to crimes that have to do with the rights of Allaah.
If it is said: What about the ten or less blows in the light of the hadeeth mentioned above?
The answer is that if a man hits his wife, slave, child or employee in order to discipline him or her, etc., then it is not permissible for him to give more than ten blows. This is the best explanation of the hadeeth. End quote.
I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 2/23
Hitting is not the only way to encourage a student to study. The teacher should combine both encouragement and deterrence according to what he thinks will achieve the desired goal. He should praise a good student and encourage him by offering gifts and prizes, and giving him high grades for participation and keenness. And he should deter bad students by smacking them sometimes and by depriving them of good grades sometimes, or by rebuking them or contacting their parents or guardians, and so on.
The teacher’s aim should always be the student’s best interests, not simply to punish.
And Allaah knows best.
