Can We Send Our Children to Secular, Non-Muslim Schools?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Is it allowed in Islam to send our kids to secular schools and learn from non-muslims? I learned that there’s a hadith in Abu Dawud in which the Messenger of Allah, (Allah bless him and give him peace) warned us not to leave our children among disbelievers, and classical scholars such as Imam Ibn al-Hajj gave ruling that it is haram to send our children to learn from disbelievers. Does it mean we should only send our kids to learn from Muslims and they can learn from disbelievers when they become adults?
Answer
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. It is not categorically prohibited to send your child to a non-Muslim school, but one should weigh the factors and choose the best thing for their family.
You will find more details here:
Choice of Schooling For My Child
Beyond school
A child’s school is not where his learning ends, but rather, a child has many rights that his parents must fulfill. When these rights are fulfilled and coupled with a good Islamic education, and a good secular education, they will bring about a balanced, disciplined, and God-fearing child, by the grace of Allah. See those children’s rights here:
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
