Leaving school to study Deen

Category: 

Miscellaneous

According to Madhhab: 

Hanafi

Reference: 

1440-152

Question: 

I am a teenager girl
who is currently in gr 10 schooling in a mixed islamic school however I wish to
do a aalimah course in my locality as there is a institute which is just down
the street from my house alhumdullillah. My parents refuse me in doing so and
insist on me finishing school which I do not want to. My mother also threatened
me saying if I leave school I should leave the house or she will leave the
house I do want to make my parents happy and at the same time I want to do an
aalimah course. Also in school there is a boy who is troubling and interfering
with me alot. Please can one advise what should I do and is there something to
read to soften my parents heart.


Answer: 

The noble motives expressed by you are commendable as they stem from your concern for your spiritual welfare. In this era such intentions are highly admirable, as ones Īmān is constantly in danger with very few individuals having any concern.

Regarding the issue at hand, firstly, excessive Duā' should be made to Allāh Ta'ālā to open your parents hearts granting them the understanding of Dīn and allowing them to accept your decision. Thereafter, try to explain to your parents why you wish to leave school as well as the harms of going to a mixed school. You can inform them about that boy who is bothering you, as you have stated, and use that to highlight the harms of mixed schooling. Along with this, mention the virtues of acquiring Dīnī knowledge and explain to them that this is actual beneficial knowledge while the knowledge taught in schools is not knowledge, rather it is a means to acquire worldly benefits. And as it is, Islām has not forced the woman to take care of herself, rather this responsibility has been placed on the shoulders of her father if she is not married and her husband when she is. So, there is no need for a woman to study more than the basics. This has also been mentioned in the Qur'ān, where Allāh Ta'ālā addresses Ādam 'Alayh as-Salām:
﴿فَ قُلْنَا يََآدَمُ إِنَّ هَذَا عَدُوٌّ لَكَ وَلِزَوْجِكَ فَلَا يُُْرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ الجَْنَّةِ فَ تَشْقَى﴾ )سورة طه: 117 )
So we said “Oh Ādam! Indeed he (Iblīs) is an enemy to you and your wife, so he should never remove the two of you from Jannah causing you to be unfortunate.
The following has been written under the commentary of this verse:
The verse has only mentioned the man to be unfortunate (whereas both husband and wife should be mentioned as both are being removed from Jannah) due to the fact that the man is the one who has to go through the trouble to provide for his wife. (Jalaalain Pg. 267) 

If they still disagree and refuse to accept, ask them why and find out their reasons, and with the help of someone senior in the family or the local 'Ālim, try to dissolve those issues. And lastly, if none of the above has worked and they insist that you finish studying, then do so from home, explaining how you feel uncomfortable with studying in a mixed school. And if possible, you can do part time 'Ālimah course on the side while studying.

Hereunder, we will mention a few virtues of acquiring Dīnī knowledge:
ومن سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما، سهل الله له به طريقا إلى الجنة، وما اجتمع قوم في بيت من بيوت الله، يتلون كتاب الله، ويتدارسونه بينهم، إلا نزلت عليهم السكينة، وغشيتهم الرحْة وحفتهم الملائكة، وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده. (Muslim Vol. 2 Pg. 345) 
The one who treads the path of acquiring knowledge, Allāh Ta'ālā will, by virtue of this act, ease the road to Jannah for him. A group of people has not gathered in one of the houses of Allāh Ta'ālā, reciting the book of Allāh, studying it together, except that tranquility descends upon them and mercy envelops them and the angels surround them and Allāh mentions them to those present by him.
وإن الملائكة لتضع أجنحتها رضا لطالب العلم، وإن العالم ليستغفر له من في السماوات ومن في الأرض والحيتان في جوف الماء، وإن فضل العالم على العابد كفضل القمر ليلة البدر على سائر الكواكب، وإن العلماء ورثة الأنبياء، وإن الأنبياء لم يورثوا دينارا ولا درهما، ورثوا العلم، فمن أخذه أخذ بحظ وافر (Sunan Abu Dawood Vol. 5 Pg. 485) 
The angels spread out their wings out of happiness for the student of knowledge. And the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and the fish in the sea seek forgiveness on behalf of an Ālim. And the superiority of an Ālim over a worshiper is like the superiority of the full moon over all the other stars. And the 'Ulamā' are the heirs of the Ambiyā', and the Ambiyā' didn’t leave any gold or silver coins behind, they left knowledge behind, the one who has taken it has secured a good fortune.
من يرد الله به خيرا يفقهه في الدين (Bukhari Vol. 1 Pg. 24) 
The one whom Allāh Ta'ālā intends good for, grants him the understanding of Dīn.

Now we will quote a few of our senior scholars regarding the harms of western education and the importance of Dīnī education:
Muftī Abdur Rahim Lajpuri Raḥat Allāh 'Alayh writes:
Undoubtedly it is permissible and an action worthy of reward for a person to establish schools which impart the necessary amount of education in Guajarati, English, and other sciences, as well as teaching occupational skills which will aid a person in obtaining a Ḥalāl livelihood. However, a person should give priority to religious knowledge and in supporting religious schools . . . It is not good to turn away from religious knowledge, leave the religious schools in a vulnerable condition, and solely focus on secular education. This is in effect drawing the anger of Allāh Ta'ālā.

Children should first receive a proper education in the Qur'ān. Thereafter, they should be taught the basics of Islām in an appropriate manner. A solid imprint of Islām should be placed in their hearts which contains feeling for Islām and the strength of Īmān so that no power can remove it and so that no force can change their outward Islamic actions. If a child is deprived of an Islamic education or if this education was not imparted properly, then he will be strongly influenced by the poisonous atmosphere of the schools and colleges, resulting in him/her having a dislike for Islamic beliefs and practises. (Fataawa Rahimiyyah Vol. 1 Pg. 130) 

Mawlānā Ashraf Ali Thanwi Raḥat Allāh 'Alayh writes:
Nowadays, people object that the 'Ulamā' are preventing people from seeking secular education and they say it is impermissible, whereas I take the oath of Allāh Ta'ālā that if secular education did not have such a (negative) affect as is generally found in this time, then the 'Ulamā' would have never prevented people from it. However, we should now look at the current situation; with only a few exceptions, the people who have obtained a secular education have no interest in Ṣalāh, fasting, and any practise of Islām. Instead, they go against Islām in all aspects of life and then they say that Islām is progressing through this. (Fataawa Rahimiyyah Vol. 1 Pg. 164) 

Sheikh al-Hind Mawlānā Mahmood Hasan Raḥat Allāh 'Alayh writes:
If the end result of secular education is what is generally seen today, that people adopt the ways of the Christians or humiliate and mock members of the same group or begin to worship and revere the government in power, then it is better for a Muslim to remain ignorant than to acquire such knowledge. (Fataawa Rahimiyyah Vol. 1 Pg. 164) 

AND ALLAH TA'AALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST
ANSWERED BY: Sohel Randera
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:  Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B. 
Islamic Date: 10 Rabi'ul Awwal 1440 - English Date: 18 November 2018

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