The imam of the mosque who does not lead the people in the Fajr prayer

Question:
A questioner says: What is your advice for an imam who has been appointed to lead the mosque, but does not lead the people in the Fajr prayer, and he resides in the mosque’s housing?

Answer:
I seek refuge in Allah. This is not permissible for him. As for taking on the leadership of the mosque for all the obligatory prayers, or else relinquishing it to someone else, this is not permissible. This is a bad phenomenon among some imams, or many of them: they take on the leadership, take the house and the salary, and then hand it over to a stranger to pray on their behalf. This is not permissible. This is deception, this is abandoning an obligatory duty, and this does not clear one’s conscience. He is an imam, and the imam is a role model; he must be diligent in his work and not become a bad example. This is a trust, so either he fulfills it or he relinquishes it. Yes.