Physical Descipline
Pupils of irregular behavior andnegligence shouldbe disciplined if
theyignoretheadvice.TheancientMuslimteachersusedtobeatandde-
taineventhekings’sons.AbuMerriam,theeducatorofal-Aminandal-
Mamun*,canedthemsoharshlythat one’sarmwasinjured.Beforehis
father,theboyshowedhishand,andtheteacherwassummoned.“What
fordidMohammed–al-Amin-complainyou?”askedar-Rashid.“Heis
fullofnaiveteandslyness,”answeredtheteacher.Thecaliphthensaid,
“You may kill him! His death is better than being dull.”.
Inhisinstructions toal-Ahmer,one ofhissons’educators,ar-Rashid
said,“Youshouldfirstreformhimbymeansofkindnessandlenience.If
he refuses, then you should use tension and coarse.”
Fathersusedto sayto theeducatorsoftheirsons, “Yourshareisthe
flesh while ours is the bones.”
Beatingandtormentingwerethemostimportantmeansofeducation.
ThisisincorrectindeedsinceitisundecidedtoIslamthatregardsmercy,
kindness,andlenienceasthe mostmattersonwhich education should
settle.Allofthecrookedwaysshouldbeavoidedintheeducationalpro-
cesses.Teachersshouldnotexceedindiscipliningtheirregularanddevi-
antpupils sinceitcreatesmentalcomplexes andimpedesthe maturity
andprosperityofeducationandpersonality.IbnKhuldounsays,“Ifthe
educatoruses coercion,this willdistress the pupil andconfine hisde-
lightedspiritandurge onindolenceandleadtolieandmalignancyfor
avoiding more coercion.In addition, thiscoercion will teachthe pupil
trickery and fraud, and the pupil may take them as customs and qualities
forever.Theeducator,whether teacherorfather,shouldnotexaggerate
indiscipliningthesons.”.TheProphet(s)said,“Teachwithoutchiding.
Teachersarepreferabletothescolders.”IbnQuteibasaid,“Teachersare
recommended not to use tension or pride.”.
Teachers are compared to the compassionate father. It is said,
“Teachersarethesubstitutesoffathers.”.Itisalsosaid,“Teachersought
to care for the students’interests and treat them likethe dearest sons
with kindness,courtesy,benevolence, andpatienceonprobablealiena-
tion.Teachersshouldappriseoftheirflawsbymeansofadviceandsym-
pathy,notchidingandcrudeness.”.Al-Qabisi,oneofthemastereducat-
orsofthefourthcentury–ofHegira-,wasaskedwhetheritisrecommen-
ded for teachers to use coarseness or lenience with students, he
answered, “Disciplining should never occupy the good teachers’