Is Joining an Honors Society Permissible if Its Symbol Is a Torch?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Is it permissible to join an academic honors society if its symbol is a torch representing knowledge and values like character and leadership? Would wearing this symbol at graduation be problematic in Islam?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Yes, it is permissible to join such an honors society and to wear its symbol, provided the values it represents are not contrary to Islamic beliefs and practices.
Allah (Most High) says:
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and transgression.” [Quran, 5:2]
The torch, in this context, symbolizes knowledge, character, and leadership, qualities that are not only permissible but praiseworthy in Islam. Since the symbol does not represent anything inherently un-Islamic (such as shirk or immorality), and the society promotes noble values, there is no issue in wearing it at graduation or participating in the society.
Conclusion
There is no harm in joining the honors society or wearing its symbol, as long as it does not involve impermissible beliefs or actions. One should always strive to uphold Islamic values while engaging in academic and social spheres.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
