The Legal Status of Income from Teaching

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ التَّعْلِيمِ فَقَالَ لَا تَأْخُذْ عَلَى التَّعْلِيمِ أَجْراً[1] قُلْتُ الشِّعْرُ وَ الرَّسَائِلُ وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ أُشَارِطُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الصِّبْيَانُ عِنْدَكَ سَوَاءً[2] فِي التَّعْلِيمِ لَا تُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ.

'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.'

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع هَؤُلَاءِ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ كَسْبَ الْمُعَلِّمِ سُحْتٌ فَقَالَ كَذَبُوا أَعْدَاءُ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ لَا يُعَلِّمُوا الْقُرْآنَ وَ لَوْ أَنَّ الْمُعَلِّمَ أَعْطَاهُ رَجُلٌ دِيَةَ وَلَدِهِ لَكَانَ لِلْمُعَلِّمِ مُبَاحاً.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘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.’”