Is It Permissible to Run a Tutoring Business?
Answered by Shaykh Muhammad Carr
Question
Is it permissible to run a tutoring business where we match tutors with clients, manage scheduling, and handle payments while paying tutors a fixed amount? I want to ensure there is nothing impermissible in this model.
ِAnswer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
It is permissible to run a tutoring business as described above. This model entails two distinct employment (ijara) contracts:
- An employment contract between the tutoring business and its clients
- An employment contract between the tutoring business and tutors
Both contracts are valid employment contracts defined as, ‘A contract for a sought-after, known benefit that is permissible and may legally be provided, for a known recompense’. [Ibn Qasim, Fath al-Qarib]
The discrepancy between the tutor’s pay and what clients are charged is justified by the tutoring services, i.e. matching tutors to clients, scheduling management, and handling payments.
I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.
[Shaykh] Muhammad Carr
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Muhammad Carr has dedicated his life to studying and transmitting our beautiful deen. His studies have taken him around the globe, where he has benefitted from many luminaries. Under the guidance of his teachers – Shaykh Taha Karan, Shaykh Yaseen Abbas, Shaykh Muadh Ali, and many others – Shaykh Muhammad has grown to appreciate the beauty and benefits of diverse scholarship. He completed his memorization of the Qur’an at Dar al-Ulum Zakariyyah in September 1997 and received an Alimiyya Degree in 2006 from DUAI (Darul Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah). He is also affiliated with Masjid Auwal in Bo Kaap, Cape Town (the oldest mosque in South Africa), where he serves as a co-imam, and Dar Al-Safa, where he has taught since 2018. As a teacher, he imparts the wisdom of our heritage and tradition by opening the door for students. As an imam, he has the unique opportunity to serve his community in daily life.
In addition to his roles as a teacher and imam, Shaykh Muhammad Carr has contributed significantly to the administrative and advisory aspects of Islamic institutions. Since 2023, he has served as the Administrative Director at The Imam Kurani Institute, contributing to the institution’s growth and development. He continues to pursue traditional Islamic Sciences, possessing a keen interest in Islamic Contract Law and Finance. Shaykh Muhammad has been a Shari’ah Board Member for Islamic Asset Management & Insurance Companies since 2001, aligning financial practices with Islamic principles.
