Fatwa No : 90130
Ruling on relieving a teacher from service of Madrasa

Ruling on relieving a teacher from service of Madrasa

I would like to submit that I was serving in a madrasa as a Hifz teacher. In the regular appointment form of the institution, the following conditions were clearly stated:
If the institution dismisses a teacher during the year, the institution is obliged to pay the full salary for the remaining months of the year.
If the teacher resigns on their own, the institution has the discretion to pay or withhold the remaining salary.
These conditions were applicable to all teachers without exception, and nowhere in the form was there any specification that these conditions applied only to “teachers who teach (Dars e Nizami) books” and that “Hifz teachers” were excluded.
A few days ago, the institution dismissed me, so I asked for the reason. They said that I had beaten a student, and on this basis, I was expelled from the madrasa. I replied that I had not beaten any student. Then they went and asked the students in class, and the students said that today the teacher did not hit any student.
The madrasa administration then said that I had beaten a child some time ago. I responded that, if that was the mistake, then I should have been dismissed at that time; why was I being dismissed now for an old issue?
Later, when I demanded the remaining salary for the year according to the agreement, the institution replied that:
"This condition applies only to the teachers of (Dars e Nizami) books, not to Hifz teachers."
However, the truth is that the form and all its conditions were prepared collectively for all teachers in the institution, and there is no specification anywhere that distinguishes between (Dars e Nizami) book teachers and Hifz teachers. Therefore, the institution’s interpretation appears to be just an excuse to avoid paying the remaining salary.
Furthermore, the supervisor of the Hifz department is considered incapable of supervising the students due to lack of trust and inappropriate behavior, and the institution’s authorities are aware of this fact. Some administrative shortcomings and mistakes by this supervisor were used as a pretext to dismiss me, even though the real problem was due to the supervisor, not me.
Now the question arises: in such a case, where the condition in the form is absolute and without exception, and the institution dismissed me, am I Shariah-wise entitled to the full salary for the remaining months of the year or not? Since the form was common for all teachers, is it Shariah-wise correct for the institution to later claim that: “this condition applies only to (Dars e Nizami) book teachers”? And, is it considered oppression, betrayal, and breaking a promise in Shariah to dismiss an innocent teacher on the basis of problems caused by a supervisor?

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

It should be made clear that the agreement between a madrasa administration and a teacher constitutes a contract of service (Ijarah), and in this arrangement, the teacher has the status of a specific employee (Ajeer Khaas). Therefore, if this contract is agreed for a fixed term, for example, one year (as is evident from the structure of the form), it is not permissible to unilaterally terminate this contract before the completion of the term without a valid Shariah excuse.

In the present case, if the petitioner’s statement is true and factual, and there is no falsehood or misrepresentation, meaning that he performed the responsibilities assigned by the madrasa properly and committed no negligence, then if the madrasa administration dismisses him without any valid or Shariah-approved excuse before the completion of the agreed term, the institution is obliged to honor the agreement and pay the teacher the full salary for the remaining period.

Furthermore, if the institution’s form did not make any distinction between (Dars e Nizami) book-teaching teachers and Hifz teachers, it is not permissible for the administration to now claim that these conditions apply only to book teachers. Dismissing a teacher without any valid excuse, purely out of personal spite or enmity, falls under breach of promise, which must be avoided.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی صحیح للبخاری : عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ عن النبیﷺ قال آیۃ المنافق الثلاثۃ اذا حدث کذب واذا وعد اخلف واذا اؤتمن خان الخ (باب علامۃ المنافق، ج1، ص143، ط: بشری)۔
کما فی الدر المختار: (والثانی) وھو الاجیر ( الخاص ) ویسمی اجیر وحد (وھو من یعمل لواحد عملا مؤقتا بالتخصیص ویستحق الاجر بتسلیم نفسہ فی مدۃ وان لم یعمل الخ (کتاب الاجارۃ، ج6، ص69، ط:سعید)۔
وفی الھندیۃ : يصح العقد على مدة معلومة أي مدة كانت قصرت المدة كاليوم ونحوه أو طالت كالسنين، كذا في المضمرات. ويعتبر ابتداء المدة مما سمى، وإن لم يسم شيئا فهو من الوقت الذي استأجرها، كذا في الكافي الخ (الباب الثالث فی الاوقات التی یقع علیھا عقد الاجارۃ، ج4، ص415، ط: ماجدیۃ)۔
وفیھا ایضاً: الإجارة تنقض بالأعذار عندنا الخ
وفیھا ایضاً: وليس للمؤاجر أن يفسخ الإجارة إذا وجد زيادة على الأجرة التي آجر بها، وإن كان أضعافا. كذا في غاية البيان الخ (الباب التاسع عشر في فسخ الإجارة بالعذر، ج4، ص458، ط:سعید)۔
وفی مجمع الانھر : (وتفسخ) الاجارۃ (بالعذر) عندنا الخ (باب فسخ الاجارۃ، ج2، ص399، ط:داراحیاء التراث العربی)۔