M’sian Dumbfounded by School’s Questionnaire Asking Students How Often Their Fathers Perform Prayers

Malaysian activist and former teacher Mohd Fadli Mohamed Salleh recently took to Facebook to share his disagreement with an undisclosed local school which sent questionnaires to their pupils asking how often their fathers perform the Salah or prayers in Islam. 

Dumbfounded by the questionnaire, Fadli said that such a questionnaire shouldn’t have been made as it may lead to slander or lowering of an individual’s dignity.

A local school distributed questionnaires asking students how often their fathers pray

As of the time of writing, the Facebook post has gone viral with over 3,300 reactions and more than 480 comments.

Attached to the post is a photo of the questionnaire, which asked students to choose either ‘Never’, ‘Seldomly” or ‘Always’ to 7 statements, namely:

• My father performs the Subuh prayers
• My father performs the Zuhr prayers
• My father performs the Asr prayers
• My father performs the Maghrib prayers
• My father performs the Isha prayers
• My father performs prayers at the mosque/musolla
• My father performs prayers in jama’ah (congregation)

Fadli added that the questionnaire was shared by 1 of his friends on Facebook. The friend clarified that the questionnaire was given to students to fill and pupils will answer according to their knowledge.

Hence, if the pupil didn’t see their father perform prayers because they were not with them at the time, it could lead to slander as the student would answer that their father doesn’t perform prayers.

Fadli says the questionnaire brings more harm than good

The activist further questioned the reason behind such a questionnaire. Fadli asserted,

“Will the fathers who don’t perform prayers be summoned to the school so that the teachers can give them a lecture? Will the results be announced during the school assembly?”

Accordingly, he saw no benefit for it to be distributed, as it brings more harm than good. 

So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? What is your stance on such a questionnaire being distributed at schools? 

Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

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