Invite to Allaah The Almighty through your work
11-3-2012 | IslamWeb
Question:
I teach English and learn Sharee'ah; I took part in authorized courses two years ago and took courses in recitation and Tajweed as well. I also study Quran during the summer vacation. I like teaching English. Sometimes, my students ask me whether I am an English teacher or a religion teacher. I reply that they should not distinguish between life and religion, since all of us are callers to Allaah The Almighty. This is my question: Is it necessary for me to change my specialization to a Sharee'ah subject in order for me to be a caller to Allaah The Almighty? If I do not change my specialization, how can I get rid of the doubts through which Satan makes me feel proud and how can I get rid of the feeling of pleasure I have when I am called a religious teacher of English?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
We congratulate you for studying the sciences of the Sharee'ah (Islamic law). All Muslims are required to study their religion regardless of their specialization. There is no justification for a specialized person to be so busy with his study that it hinders him from acquiring knowledge of the Sharee'ah that he needs in his religion. Whoever learns religious knowledge should teach it to others as this is his Zakat (obligatory charity) for that knowledge.
Zayd ibn Thaabit 
narrated that the Prophet , sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, supplicated Allaah The Almighty to grant anyone who hears his words, understands them and conveys them to others beauty of the face and a great reward in the Hereafter. (Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi). The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also ordered his Companions to convey whatever they heard from him to those who did not hear it. (Abu Daawood and Ahmad). As the general message of education is to educate, discipline and spread knowledge, all specializations should be utilized in that field. Therefore, an English teacher should use religious examples or wise sayings that help discipline the morals of students and urge them to be righteous.
An English teacher is not required to change his specialization to a Sharee'ah subject as long as he talks to the students about matters that benefit them in their religion. He has to seek the reward of his deeds from Allaah The Almighty as he dedicates this specialization to what is beneficial. Moreover, a teacher can even be replaced if he uses this specialization to spread the culture, morals and values of the disbelievers.
The doubts that Satan whispers into your ear are part of the malicious cunning that he uses in an attempt to discourage people from acting upon the religion of Allaah The Almighty under the pretext that they are hypocrites and that the method they use is incorrect. You can treat and prevent this by remembering the reward Allaah The Almighty prepared for anyone who contributes to teaching, spreading and calling to His religion.
Allaah The Almighty promised to grant the callers who forbid evil and enjoin good success when He said (what means): {And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.} [Quran 3:104]
When people tell you that you are a religious teacher of English, it gives you a feeling of pleasure for having done a commendable thing. We hope this is a glad tiding in the worldly life. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allaah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve*those who believed and were fearing Allaah* For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change is there in the words of Allaah. That is what the great attainment is.} [Quran 10:62-64]
Allaah Knows best.