QUESTION
Is it permissible for Muslims to put their children in the schools of the non-Muslims, knowing the many contradictions to the the Islaamic Sharee'ah that are found in their schools and the effects they have on our children? Specifically for:
(a) those who have a proper Islaamic school in their city, but it is expensive
(b) those who do not have a proper Islaamic school in their city, rather there are "Islaamic" schools run by people of innovation
(c) those who do not have any kind of Islaamic school whatsoever in their city
ANSWER by Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah
What is apparent to me, and Allaah knows best, is that it is not permissible under any circumstances for the Muslims to put their children in the schools of the non-Muslims. This is not permissible, expecially when these schools teach things that are foreign to the Deen, like the beliefs of the Christians or the Jews, or other impermissible things.
This is the case whether there is an Islaamic school in the city or not. No doubt, when one puts his children in the non-Muslims' school while there is an Islaamic school in the city, this is even more severely prohibited than the one who does so and does not have an Islaamic school in his city.
[ This was the end of the shaykh's answer on the cassette. When asked over the telephone about the issue of Muslims putting their children in the schools of the people of bid'ah, the shaykh requested that the following be added to his answer: ]
And it is not permissible for the Muslims to put their children into schools where innovation is being taught, or things that are in contradiction to the Sunnah. The scholars are preventing students of knowledge from reading the books of the innovators, so how can it be permissible for little children to study in schools where innovations are taught?! Especially when they are not able to distinguish between Sunnah andbid'ah, their hearts may become attached to innovations, and Allaah's Refuge is sought. So it is not permissible to put children in schools where innovation is taught.
SOURCE
This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a cassette recording with the knowledge and permission of the shaykh, file no. AAMB010, dated 1423/6/25.
