A non-Muslim has been appointed principal of an Islamic school.

Answer

It is never permissible to appoint a non-Muslim to be a principal/head of an Islamic educational or any other Islamic institution. When Hadhrat Abu Musa Ash'ari (radhiyallahu anhu) had appointed a Christian to be his b o o k k e e p e r, H a d h r a t U ma r (radhiyallahu anhu) became extremely annoyed. He ordered the immediate dismissal of the bookkeeper. In substantiation of his instruction he cited the Qur'aanic verse:

"O People of Imaan, do not take the Yahood and Nasaara as friends besides the Mu'mineen….."

There are many verses in the Qur'aan Majeed in which Allah Ta'ala prohibits Muslims from making non-believers their confidants. Besides this, it is Islamic common sense that it is not permissible to entrust Muslim children to a non-Muslim who wallows in the state of janaabat 24 hours of the day – physical janaabat and spiritual janaabat (i.e. kufr). It is not permissible to appoint even a faasiq Muslim to be the principal of an Islamic educational institution.

The suhbat (companionship) of the non-Muslim and of a faasiq Muslim will most definitely exercise its detrimental influence on the Muslim subordinates. It is not permissible to voluntarily subject and subordinate Muslims to non-Muslims and fussaaq. It is for this very reason that the decree of a kaafir judge over Muslims is not valid according to the Shariah.