Fatwa No : 88574
Charging Students Fees for Issuing Certificates

Charging Students Fees for Issuing Certificates

In some girls’ madrasahs, it is a common practice that after graduation, the teacher or female instructor issues a graduation certificate or a Hadith certificate to students in return for a payment of two thousand rupees. This is despite the fact that the actual cost of printing or preparing the certificate is very minimal. If a student is unable to pay the two thousand rupees, the certificate is not issued to her. As a result, poor students are left without certificates, which negatively affects their future. In such a situation, the respected Muftis are asked: Is it Islamically permissible to charge such an amount for issuing a certificate, especially when, due to this practice, some students are deprived of receiving their certificates?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

It should be understood that in religious madrasahs, it is well-known and customary that upon the completion of the well-known books of Hadith, students are granted a Sanad (certificate) of Hadith. Accordingly, providing a Sanad of Hadith to students is, according to established custom (‘urfan), part of the responsibility of the teachers who teach the renowned books of Hadith. Therefore, in girls’ madrasahs, it is not permissible for teachers or female instructors who teach the well-known books of Hadith to charge students a fee merely for the issuance of the certificate. However, it is permissible to collect from the students only the actual and necessary expenses incurred for printing and preparing the certificate, to the extent of the real cost only.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی الھندیۃ: ومنها أن لا يكون العمل المستأجر له فرضا ولا واجبا على الأجير قبل الإجارة فإن كان فرضا أو واجبا قبلها لم يصح الخ(الباب الأول تفسير الإجارة وركنها وألفاظها وشرائطها،ج 4،ص 411،ط:ماجدیۃ)۔
و فی بدائع الصنائع: ومنها أن لا يكون العمل المستأجر له فرضا ولا واجبا على الأجير قبل الإجارة فإن كان فرضا أو واجبا عليه قبل الإجارة لم تصح الإجارة لأن من أتى بعمل يستحق عليه لا يستحق الأجرة كمن قضى دينا عليه الخ(فصل و اما شرائط الرکن فانواع،ج 4،ص 191،ط: دار الكتاب العربي)۔