Teaching a deaf and mute child

Q: A person has a ten-year-old boy who is deaf and mute. The boy is weak and has been suffering from paralysis since he was very young. However, he can walk with some difficulty. He is mentally well and can understand signs. His father has applied for him in the admission test of the deaf and mute school in Riyadh, and he passed the admission test. Is it obligatory for his father to enroll him in the mentioned school even though his father lives far from Riyadh? His father is a civil servant and his employer might not accept transferring him to the area of the school. It seems the child cannot move without some help from his family.Please, answer us showing the proper way the father should behave. If it is necessary to send the child to this school, may he leave work without his employer's permission?


A: The basic ruling is that it is obligatory for the father to teach his child the basic articles of faith such as the Oneness of Allah (Exalted be He) and the danger of associating others in worship with Him, the obligation of Salah (Prayer), (Part No. 12; Page No. 105) and Sawm (Fast), and other necessary acts of worship. He should also teach his child the conditions, pillars, and obligatory parts of Salah. It is obligatory for him to teach his child these issues using any available means of illustration at home or at school. At the same time, other issues are more flexible; he may teach him if it is not difficult to do so. However, if it is difficult for him, then he is not obliged to enroll the child in the mentioned school.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.


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