Muslim parents shoulder the responsibility of bringing up their children according to the teachings of Islam. They should instill in them the true Islamic teachings. The responsibility becomes greater when those parents live with their children in a non-Islamic environment. `Abdullah Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he heard Allah’s Messenger saying: “Everyone of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charge; the ruler is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects; the man is a guardian in his family and responsible for his charges; a woman is a guardian of her husband’s house and responsible for her charges; and the servant is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for his charge.”
Dr. Sano Koutoub Moustapha, Professor of Jurisprudence and Its Principles at the International Islamic University, Malaysia, states the following: “As a parent, there is no problem in your children studying in a Christian school as long as you will make sure that he/she doesn’t go astray, and you pay special care to his/her morals. This needs your constant follow-up and guidance.
Added to the above, I earnestly advise you to be sure that your children are separated when the time for the Bible class comes. To ensure this, you can ask the school board to do that.
If there is no other way of taking the children outside the classroom during that time, then you have to guide them and correct any wrong belief that they may acquire.”
Based on the above fatwa, we conclude that:
1- There is nothing wrong in enrolling your children in a Christian school as long as there is no Islamic school near your home.
2- Parents are responsible for the religious upbringing of their children, and this responsibility becomes greater when those children attend non-Muslim schools where they mix with non-Muslim classmates or Christian schools where they are liable to attend Bible classes with them.
3- As a precautionary measure to keep the belief of your children intact, you must inform the school board that your children is a Muslimah and thus they shouldn’t attend the Bible classes.
4- If there is no way to prevent your children from attending the Bible classes, you have to correct any wrong belief that they may acquire during her attendance. In this case, you should play a great role in bringing up your children according to the Islamic teachings and instilling the morals of Islam in them. With continuous attention and supervision to your children’s moral behavior, they will be safe in sha’ Allah.
Editor’s note:
Most Christian schools maintain better behavior among their students and give the students moral education that is sorely lacking in public schools. However, before enrolling your child, we advise you to visit the school and talk at length with the principal and teachers to see what attitude they have towards non-Christian students. Some schools are very accommodating to non-Christians and your child would be welcome. Others, however, can be rather hostile. The religious message in such a school will not be delivered only during Bible class, but throughout the day, perhaps openly, perhaps more subtly. If your children will be constantly exposed to the idea that she/he is doomed to Hell for not accepting Jesus and will be ostracized by his/her teachers or classmates, then you should look for another (Christian, Catholic or private) school if there is one.