Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: No one has the right to beat a child for discipline except the father in a limited manner or the religious judge as part of legal punishment

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: No one has the right to beat a child for discipline except the father in a limited manner or the religious judge as part of legal punishment
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The daily scholarly session of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi was held on Sunday, 17 Jumada al-Awwal 1447.

During the session, as in previous meetings, the Supreme Marja responded to questions from attendees on various jurisprudential issues.

Addressing the Islamic legal ruling on disciplining children through physical punishment, Grand Ayatollah al-Shirazi said: “According to a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), and as referenced by jurists, no one has the right to beat a child for the purpose of discipline, except the father — and only to a limited extent — or the religious judge (ḥākim sharʿ) when implementing legal punishments or disciplinary measures.”

He further explained that even under the principle of enjoining good and forbidding wrong, physical punishment of a child requires the explicit permission of a religious judge.