A non-Muslim as a member of the Board of Directors of an Islamic school

15-1-2009 | IslamWeb

Question:

IS right that a non-muslim should not and would not be on the board of director of an Islamic School?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

It is not permissible for a non-Muslim to be a member of the Board of Directors of an Islamic school because this is a kind of giving them positions of power and authority (over Muslims). Ibn Taymiyyah may Allaah have mercy upon him after mentioning the verses which prohibit from taking the non-Muslims as allies/friends, he said: "It is for this reason that the scholars of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) used these verses as evidence for not seeking their help and assistance in the matter of Wilaayat (i.e. in positions of power and authority)."

Moreover, Imaam Ahmad may Allaah have mercy upon him reported with a sound chain of narration from Abu Moosa Al-Ash’ari may Allaah have mercy upon him who said: "I said to ‘Umar may Allaah be pleased with him: I have a Christian clerk." Then ‘Umar may Allaah be pleased with him told him: ‘‘What’s wrong with you, may Allaah destroy you! Did you not hear that Allaah Says (what means): {O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends or allies.}[Quran 5:51] Why did you not take a Muslim to do so? Abu Moosa may Allaah be pleased with him replied: "O Ameer-ul-M'umineen (commander of the believers), I benefit from his writings and I do not have anything to do with his religion." Thereupon ‘Umar may Allaah have mercy upon him said: "I would not honour them while Allaah humiliated them, I would not value them greatly whereas Allaah debased them, and I would not bring them closer to me while Allaah distended them (from Him and from His Mercy)."

Furthermore, when Imaam Ahmad may Allaah have mercy upon him was asked about hiring a Jew or a Christian to work for Muslims, such as in collecting land tax, he said: "We do not seek their help in anything".

Allaah Knows best.

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