Question Summary:
Is it permissible for an Imam to raise funds for the town’s Islamic school in the masjid?

Question Detail:

Is it permissible for an imam to raise funds for the towns Islamic school in the masjid via pledges?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It was the noble habit of Rasulallah  Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam to encourage the Sahaba to financially help and assist individuals and various causes of Deen.¹
Thus fund raising is Sunnah and an act of great virtue and reward.
In the enquired case, the issue of fund raising is for an Islamic school. It is a well known fact that many Islamic schools are not entirely Islamic as projected. In Islamic schools there are basic violations of Sharia’.
It is therefore important for us to know which Islamic school you are referring to. Does the school facilitate for males and females? Is there segregation between the pupils? These are some of the many enquires for us to consider, the school being Islamic or not?
In principle, if the school fully complies with Shari’ah, it will be permissible to raise funds to assist the school.
If not, then raising funds to assist the Islamic school will be complacency to the wrongs in the Islamic school.
 
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَطَاءٌ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ ¹
شَهِدْتُ الصَّلَاةَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي يَوْمِ عِيدٍ فَبَدَأَ بِالصَّلَاةِ قَبْلَ الْخُطْبَةِ بِغَيْرِ أَذَانٍ وَلَا إِقَامَةٍ فَلَمَّا قَضَى الصَّلَاةَ قَامَ مُتَوَكِّئًا عَلَى بِلَالٍ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ وَوَعَظَ النَّاسَ وَذَكَّرَهُمْ وَحَثَّهُمْ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ ثُمَّ مَالَ وَمَضَى إِلَى النِّسَاءِ وَمَعَهُ بِلَالٌ فَأَمَرَهُنَّ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَوَعَظَهُنَّ وَذَكَّرَهُنَّ وَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ حَثَّهُنَّ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ تَصَدَّقْنَ فَإِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُنَّ حَطَبُ جَهَنَّمَ فَقَالَتْ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ سَفِلَةِ النِّسَاءِ سَفْعَاءُ الْخَدَّيْنِ بِمَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ تُكْثِرْنَ الشَّكَاةَ وَتَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ فَجَعَلْنَ يَنْزِعْنَ قَلَائِدَهُنَّ وَأَقْرُطَهُنَّ وَخَوَاتِيمَهُنَّ يَقْذِفْنَهُ فِي ثَوْبِ بِلَالٍ يَتَصَدَّقْنَ بِهِ. (رواه النسائي)
وأما ًصدقة التطوع فيجز دفعها الى هؤلاء. (بدائع الصنائع ص 482 ج2 العلمية) ²
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
 
Arshad Ali
Student, Darul Iftaa
Trinidad

 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai