The Legal Status of Income from Teaching
Al-Kāfi|Volume 5|Book 2|Chapter 38
1- عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ عَنْ حَسَّانَ الْمُعَلِّمِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ التَّعْلِيمِ فَقَالَ لا تَأْخُذْ عَلَى التَّعْلِيمِ أَجْراً قُلْتُ الشِّعْرُ وَالرَّسَائِلُ وَمَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ أُشَارِطُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الصِّبْيَانُ عِنْدَكَ سَوَاءً فِي التَّعْلِيمِ لا تُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ.
1. Several of our companions narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Bazee', from Al-Fadl ibn Katheer, from Hassan al-Mu'allim. He said: I asked Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq عليه السلام about teaching. He replied: 'Do not take a fee for teaching.' I then asked: 'What about poetry, letters, and the like? Can I charge for them?' He said: 'Yes, as long as the children under your instruction are treated equally in teaching, and you do not show favoritism between them.'
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (19/82)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
2- عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بُنْدَارَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ عَنْ شَرِيفِ بْنِ سَابِقٍ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ أَبِي قُرَّةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هَؤُلاءِ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ كَسْبَ الْمُعَلِّمِ سُحْتٌ فَقَالَ كَذَبُوا أَعْدَاءُ اللهِ إِنَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ لا يُعَلِّمُوا الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ أَنَّ الْمُعَلِّمَ أَعْطَاهُ رَجُلٌ دِيَةَ وَلَدِهِ لَكَانَ لِلْمُعَلِّمِ مُبَاحاً.
2. Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Bandar has narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from Sharif ibn Sabiq from al-Fadl ibn abu Qurrah who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, ‘They say that receiving payment for teaching is Suht (filthy and unlawful). He (the Imam) said, ‘They, the enemies of Allah, have spoken a lie. They want to stop teaching of al-Quran. If one gives blood money for his child to a teacher it (payment) is lawful for the teacher.’”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (19/82)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī