Question.

We pay the Madrasah monthly fees for our children’s Deeni education. Now the Madrasah sends our children to raise funds with a letter for the following items of expenditure:

To encourage the students to make effort for the fund-raising, there will be a draw, and the prize will be a bicycle.

Is it proper for a Madrasah to make use of the pupils in this manner? Is it permissible? Are the 8 items for which funds are solicited valid? Is the method of collection permissible? Is the prize for to be awarded to the student in a draw permissible?

Answer.

The fund-raising scheme of the madrasah is not permissible. It is not permissible to solicit money for making annual gifts to teachers. A gift is an act of Tabarru’ (kindness) which is spawned by affection and love. It is not something to solicit. This solicitation is disgraceful and demeaning to the teachers. But since the teachers of this madrasah are pleased with self-inflicted disgrace, they will have no qualms to avariciously accept the disgrace which will be doled out to them at the merrymaking party at the end of the year when all the participants will be drunk with their nafsaaniyat. 

The students are at the madrasah for acquisition of Deeni education, not for rendering any service to the management. It is worse when the ‘service’ is disgraceful and haraam such as this stupid fund-raising scheme. If the pupils are nabaaligh, the sin is of an aggravated nature. It is haraam to employ minors without the consent of their parents. And, in this case, even if parents consent, and even if the students are baaligh, it is not permissible to manipulate and employ them for any purpose other than the maqsad for which they are in the madrasah. 

Using the students is to apply indirect pressure on parents and others to contribute. The bicycle prize enticement will induce children to demand money from their parents. The children will compete with one another. This is a lesson in the satanic art of contaminating theniyyat. Instead of doing an act for Allah’s Pleasure, the children are being taught to extravasate money from people to enable them to win a bicycle. The prize itself has the trappings of gambling even though it may not be technically maisar (gambling). The moral teaching of children is an obligation on the madrasah as well. While the madrasah charges fees, it is failing in the execution of its sacred duty. Theakhlaaq of the children should be of paramount concern. This un-Islamic fund-raising scheme is inculcating greed in the children. Instead of cultivating ikhlaass (sincerity) in the pupils, the madrasah is making the children mercenaries who will always be in expectation of monetary gains for Deeni services. 

The R5, R10 and R20 amounts stipulated in the form is in emulation of the kuffaar Christmas hamper business. This is not an Islamic way of fund-raising. The Islamic way is to only inform the community of the needs of the madrasah and to adopt Tawakkul on Allah Ta’ala. 

The jalasah cost of R7,000 is money wasted in a haraam way. This israaf qualifies the organizers to become Ikhwaanush Shayaateen (Brothers of the Devils) as mentioned in the Qur’aan Shareef. It is ludicrous and haraam to utilize the students to collect money for a haraam scheme painted with the hues of the Deen and presented as a Deeni event when in reality it is a shaitaani merrymaking, wasteful function in which the public’s money will be squandered to pamper and gratify the nafs of the handful of morons who are organizing the merrymaking functions. 

There is absolutely no need to ‘upgrade’ the carpets. The existing carpets are serving the purpose. While these miscreants speak about getting ‘new and thicker’ carpets, millions of the Ummah are languishing in stark ignorance and abject poverty and squalor in refugee camps and in the open desert.

Parents and even others should not contribute funds for the wasteful expenditure of the madrasah.

25 Safar 1441 – 24 October 2023