Ruling on hitting students

 

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.