Is corporal punishment allowed and applicable according to Shariah?
Question:
Is corporal punishment allowed and applicable according to Shariah?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Corporal punishment refers to physical punishment inflicted on a child by an adult in authority.[1] The concept of corporal punishment has been (and still remains) a topic of debate amongst many people worldwide. In order to understand the Islamic stance on corporal punishment, we shall commence by quoting a hadīth of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam):
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مُرُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ، وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا، وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرٍ وَفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said: Command your children to pray when they become seven years old, and beat them for it (prayer) when they become ten years old; and arrange their beds (to sleep) separately.[2]
In relation to this hadīth and the ruling derived therefrom, Allamah al-Haskafī (Rahimahullah) states in Al-Durr Al-Mukhtār:
Tumurtashi (Rahimahullah) says: “It (Prayer) is obligatory on every mukallaf person (i.e. one who is liable in Shariah to adhere to its dictates even though it is necessary to hit a ten year old (child) for it with a hand, not with a stick” because of the hadith “command your children to pray…” I say that fasting is similar to prayer as well as related in the chapter of Fasting of Quhustā, it is (also) related in (the chapter of) Hazr (wal-Ibahah) of al-Ikhtiyar: He (the child) will be commanded to fast and pray and he will (also) be forbidden from drinking alcohol so he becomes accustomed to good and leaves evil.”[3]
Allamah Ibn Abidin (Rahimahullah) comments on the last portion of Allamah Haskafi’s (Rahimahullah) statement as follows: “The reason for narrating these two statements (from Quhustani and Al-Ikhtiyar) is to show that a child may be commanded to do all things we are commanded to do and forbidden from all things we are prohibited to do.”[4]
Commenting on the nature of the hitting itself, Allamah al-Alqami (Rahimahullah) states in his al-Kawkab al-Munir (as quoted by Allamah Mubarakpuri (Rahimahullah) in his Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi): “The beating (in the hadīth) refers to a beating that does not inflict severe pain where the person avoids hitting the face as well.”[5]
From this, we can see that the hadith above may be a direct indication towards the general permission of applying a nominal amount of physical force against a child for disciplinary reasons. Although the addressees of this hadith are the parents[6], the general ruling may include teachers as well if permitted by the parents to do so as mentioned by Allamah Ibn Abidīn (quoting from al-Qunyah)[7] Al-Usrūshnī (Rahimahullah) (in his Jami Ahkam al-Sighar)[8], and Allamah Ibn Nujaym (Rahimahullah) [9] (in his Al-Bahr al-Raiq).
It goes without saying that simply because Sharī`ah has allowed corporal punishment to be inflicted, one may not use it to infer that every sort of beating to any extent is permissible. The fuqaha and senior scholars of our times have laid down certain guidelines and rules that must be adhered to in this regard. We shall reiterate a few of those guidelines below. [10]
1) There should be a genuine need to discipline the child. [11]
2) It should not lead to causing severe physical harm to the child.
3) It should not result in the child holding ill feelings.
4) It should not lead to the child running away.
5) For a teacher, he should have permission from the child’s guardian.
6) The hitting should be limited to the extent needed to discipline the child and nothing more.
7) The hitting should not be such that the child is unable to endure it
8) The use of sticks is prohibited (i.e. one may only use one’s hands). [12]
9) The face and head must be avoided.
10) One may not hit out of anger or to take revenge for something the child did.
Although corporal punishment is permitted in Shariah, it is incumbent on us to remember that this is not the ideal way of dealing with children, especially when the general attitude of the Holy Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) was that of mercy and compassion towards all age groups. It is reported in Jami al-Tirmidhi and Sunan Abi Dawud (with a slight variance in wording) that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا وَيَعْرِفْ شَرَفَ كَبِيرِنَا
He is not one of us who does not have mercy upon our young, nor recognizes the honour of our elders.[13]
Inshallah in the next article we will discuss the practical issues surrounding corporal punishment, and alternate punitive measures.
[1] “Corporal Punishment”, Dictionary.com, accessed on August 31, 2014
[2] Abū Dāwūd, 495, The Book of Prayer; Tirmidhī, 401, The Chapters of Prayer, with variance in wording and chain of transmission.
[3] Radd Al-Muhtār, v. 1 p. 350-351, H.M. Sa`īd Company
[قال الحصكفي] (هِيَ فَرْضُ عَيْنٍ عَلَى كُلِّ مُكَلَّفٍ)… (وَإِنْ وَجَبَ ضَرْبُ ابْنِ عَشْرٍ عَلَيْهَا بِيَدٍ لَا بِخَشَبَةٍ) لِحَدِيثِ «مُرُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ سَبْعٍ، وَاضْرِبُوهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ أَبْنَاءُ عَشْرٍ» قُلْت وَالصَّوْمُ كَالصَّلَاةِ عَلَى الصَّحِيحِ كَمَا فِي صَوْمِ الْقُهُسْتَانِيِّ مَعْزِيًّا لِلزَّاهِدِيِّ وَفِي حَظْرِ الِاخْتِيَارِ أَنَّهُ يُؤْمَرُ بِالصَّوْمِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَيُنْهَى عَنْ شُرْبِ الْخَمْرِ لِيَأْلَفَ الْخَيْرَ وَيَتْرُكَ الشَّرَّ
[4] Radd al-Muhtār, v. 1 p. 352, H.M. Sa`īd Company
[5] Tuhfat al-Ahwadhī, v. 3 p. 727, Maktaba Nazār Mustafā al-Bāz
إِنَّمَا أَمَرَ بِالضَّرْبِ لِعَشْرٍ لِأَنَّهُ حَدٌّ يُتَحَمَّلُ فِيهِ الضَّرْبُ غَالِبًا وَالْمُرَادُ بِالضَّرْبِ ضَرْبًا غَيْرَ مُبَرِّحٍ وَأَنْ يَتَّقِيَ الْوَجْهَ فِي الضَّرْبِ
[6] Radd al-Muhtār, v. 4 p. 78, H.M. Sa`īd Company
(قَوْلُهُ وَالْأَبُ يُعَزِّرُ الِابْنَ عَلَيْهِ) أَيْ عَلَى تَرْكِ الصَّلَاةِ. وَمِثْلُهَا الصَّوْمُ كَمَا صَرَّحُوا بِهِ، وَتَعْلِيلُ الْقُنْيَةِ الْآتِي يُفِيدُ أَنَّ الْأُمَّ كَالْأَبِ
[7] Radd al-Muhtār, v. 4 p. 78, H.M. Sa`īd Company
(قَوْلُهُ وَفِي الْقُنْيَةِ إلَخْ) وَفِيهَا عَنْ الرَّوْضَةِ: وَلَوْ أَمَرَ غَيْرَهُ بِضَرْبِ عَبْدِهِ حَلَّ لِلْمَأْمُورِ ضَرْبُهُ، بِخِلَافِ الْحُرِّ.
قَالَ: فَهَذَا تَنْصِيصٌ عَلَى عَدَمِ جَوَازِ ضَرْبِ وَلَدِ الْآمِرِ بِأَمْرِهِ، بِخِلَافِ الْمُعَلِّمِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَأْمُورَ يَضْرِبُهُ نِيَابَةً عَنْ الْأَبِ لِمَصْلَحَةٍ وَالْمُعَلِّمَ يَضْرِبُهُ بِحُكْمِ الْمِلْكِ بِتَمْلِيكِ أَبِيهِ لِمَصْلَحَةِ الْوَلَدِ اهـ وَهَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ الضَّرْبُ فَاحِشًا كَمَا يَأْتِي فِي الْمَتْنِ قَرِيبًا
[8] Jāmi` Ahkām al-Sighār, v. 2 p. 167, Dār al-Fadīlah
والأب أو الوصي إذا سلم الصغير إلي معلم ليعلمه القرآن، أو عملا آخر، فضربه المعلم للتعليم، إن ضربه بإذن الأب حيث حيث يضرب مثلما يضرب للتعليم فلا ضمان علي الأب والوصي، ولا علي المعلم.
[9] Al-Bahr al-Rāiq, v. 8 p. 344, H.M. Sa`īd Company
قُلْتُ: لِمُحَمَّدٍ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ الْأَبُ قَالَ لَهُ فِي أَمْرِ الضَّرْبِ شَيْئًا قَالَ يَضْمَنُ الْمُعَلِّمُ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فِي بَعْضِ النُّسَخِ إنَّ ضَرْبَ الصَّغِيرِ إنَّمَا يُضْمَنُ عَلَى قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ إذَا كَانَ لِلتَّأْدِيبِ أَمَّا إذَا ضَرَبَهُ لِتَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَضْمَنُ كَالْمُعَلِّمِ، فَإِذًا لَا فَرْقَ بَيْنَ ضَرْبِ الْمُعَلِّمِ بِإِذْنِ الْأَبِ وَبَيْنَ ضَرْبِ الْأَبِ إذَا كَانَ لِلتَّعْلِيمِ…وَفِي كِتَابِ الْعِلَلِ لِلزَّوْجِ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ امْرَأَتَهُ عَلَى تَرْكِ الصَّلَاةِ وَلِلْأَبِ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ ابْنَهُ عَلَى تَرْكِ الصَّلَاةِ وَذَكَرَ مَسْأَلَةَ الْمُعَلِّمِ إذَا ضَرَبَ الصَّغِيرَ بِإِذْنِ الْأَبِ عَلَى الِاتِّفَاقِ قَالَ نَحْوَ مَا ذَكَرْنَا قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ ثَمَّةَ وَهَذَا عِنْدَنَا.
[10] Fatāwā Mahmūdiyyah, v. 14 p. 126-129, Dārul Iftā Jāmi`ah Fārūqiyyah;
Imdādul Ahkām, v. 4 p. 425, Maktabah Dārul `Uloom Karachi;
Fatāwā Haqqāniyyah, v. 2 p. 117, Jāmi`ah Dārul `Uloom Haqqāniyyah;
Fatāwā Mufti Mahmūd, v. 11 p. 40-41
[11] Radd al-Muhtār, v. 4 p. 78, H.M. Sa`īd Company
(قَوْلُهُ وَفِي الْقُنْيَةِ إلَخْ) وَفِيهَا عَنْ الرَّوْضَةِ: وَلَوْ أَمَرَ غَيْرَهُ بِضَرْبِ عَبْدِهِ حَلَّ لِلْمَأْمُورِ ضَرْبُهُ، بِخِلَافِ الْحُرِّ.
قَالَ: فَهَذَا تَنْصِيصٌ عَلَى عَدَمِ جَوَازِ ضَرْبِ وَلَدِ الْآمِرِ بِأَمْرِهِ، بِخِلَافِ الْمُعَلِّمِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَأْمُورَ يَضْرِبُهُ نِيَابَةً عَنْ الْأَبِ لِمَصْلَحَةٍ وَالْمُعَلِّمَ يَضْرِبُهُ بِحُكْمِ الْمِلْكِ بِتَمْلِيكِ أَبِيهِ لِمَصْلَحَةِ الْوَلَدِ اهـ وَهَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ الضَّرْبُ فَاحِشًا كَمَا يَأْتِي فِي الْمَتْنِ قَرِيبًا
[12] Radd al-Muhtār, v. 1 p. 352, H.M Sa`īd Company
(قَوْلُهُ: لَا بِخَشَبَةٍ) أَيْ عَصًا، وَمُقْتَضَى قَوْلِهِ بِيَدٍ أَنْ يُرَادَ بِالْخَشَبَةِ مَا هُوَ الْأَعَمُّ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ السَّوْطِ أَفَادَهُ ط.
(قَوْلُهُ: لِحَدِيثِ إلَخْ) اسْتِدْلَالٌ عَلَى الضَّرْبِ الْمُطْلَقِ، وَأَمَّا كَوْنُهُ لَا بِخَشَبَةٍ فَلِأَنَّ الضَّرْبَ بِهَا وَرَدَ فِي جِنَايَةِ الْمُكَلَّفِ. اهـ.
[13] Tirmidhī, 1920, Chapter regarding mercy with youngsters; Abū Dāwūd, 4943, Chapter regarding mercy