How Does One Teach Kids About the Different Legal Schools?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Question: I am currently a volunteer teacher at an Islamic Sunday School. We teach the various subjects, such as ‘Aqeedah, Fiqh, Adab, Qur’anic Recitation, etc. For the fiqh aspect, most especially Salah, how do we go about explaining the to the children (8-13) about the different Mathhabs and which mathhab do we teach for Salah?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

The answer is, one doesn’t teach kids about the different schools (madhahib). Rather, one simply teaches them “Salat”, i.e., how to pray, based on whatever school one knows. Then when they grow up and mature intellectually, they can learn about the different schools and appreciate difference of opinion at a deeper level.

As for what school (madhab) to teach, one teaches whatever school one has learned.

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani