What is the ruling on seeking a wage for acts of worship?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Every act of worship in Islam—O Abu Islam—it is not permissible for a Muslim to seek a worldly wage for it. Why? Because seeking a wage contradicts sincerity. [Al-Bayyinah 98:5] What does sincerity mean? It means that one hundred percent is for Allah. If something from these worldly matters mixes with it—mixes with it, meaning contaminates it—then the intention is not pure. A scholar who teaches people and tells them, "This is forbidden and this is permissible," and many misguided people are guided by his words, if he does not intend the Face of Allah with it, he is punished before those misguided ones. He is punished in the Fire.
The student : Even if many people were guided through him.
The Shaykh : Yes, why?
The student : Because it was not for Allah.
The Shaykh : Because he was not sincere in his knowledge.
The student: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : Therefore, there is a hadith where I am going to throw two birds with one stone. This hadith has no basis, it has no basis, but its meaning is very beautiful. What does the hadith say?, All of them are destroyed, .
The student: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : This hadith has no basis, do you see? But its meaning is very beautiful...
The student : ... the hadith.
The Shaykh : And even if it has validity in terms of knowledge, his saying—peace be upon him—:. They say in our place in Syria, so-and-so is like a Chinese plate; from wherever you look at him, he answers. What Allah willed!! You ask him about a hadith, he answers you; about jurisprudence, he answers you; about language, about exegesis, and so on. This contradicts saying about a scholar like this; because it contradicts sincerity, ; meaning, you have reached what you intended to reach. People said, "So-and-so is a scholar, there is no scholar like him," ; even though he is a scholar. And our Lord says in the Noble Qur'an: [Al-Mujadila 58:11], so instead of him being in the highest ranks in the Gardens with Allah—Mighty and Majestic—he is, as it was said:
"And a scholar whose knowledge he did not practice *** Is punished before the worshippers of idols"
The first ones for whom the Fire will be kindled on the Day of Resurrection are three: a scholar, his story is,. That is: you, O scholar, and you, O mujahid, you have achieved what you intended and what you aimed for. He guided until people said about him: "A scholar." He fought until they said about him: "Brave and a hero." You have achieved your goal; take him to the Fire, . So these three are the first ones for whom the Fire will be kindled on the Day of Resurrection. A hadith in "Sahih Muslim."
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, the issue of sincerity is a very, very important issue in acts of worship, in acts of worship. You can exploit any profession, any knowledge that has no connection to worship and seek your wage from it, there is absolutely no obstacle for you. But as for worship, whatever type of worship it is, it is not permissible to intend anything other than the Face of Allah—Mighty and Majestic—with one's worship. And the hadiths in this area are many and very many. I repeat now: this door is very wide and includes—for example—imams of mosques, it includes preachers of mosques, it includes servants of mosques, it includes the group they call today the followers of al-Furqan, what do they call them, associations.
The student : The Association for the Preservation of the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, and so on. And this innovation that has spread now, where they encourage Muslims to focus on memorizing the Qur'an in exchange for what? Rewards, in exchange for a wage. This is corruption in the name of reform. And this has spread today in the Muslim world, and no one denies it anymore. In fact, fatwas may have been issued supporting it. This boy who has been raised since his infancy to not memorize a specific surah, if it is from the long surahs, except in exchange for a wage, tomorrow when he becomes a teacher, he will not accept to teach except in exchange for a wage. Therefore, first, we must distinguish between the one who seeks a wage and the one to whom a wage is given. This is an apparent difference, I think you have it, or does it need clarification?
The student : Excuse me.
The Shaykh : No, a question, a question.
The student : ... .
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَThe student : Even if many people were guided through him.
The Shaykh : Yes, why?
The student : Because it was not for Allah.
The Shaykh : Because he was not sincere in his knowledge.
The student: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : Therefore, there is a hadith where I am going to throw two birds with one stone. This hadith has no basis, it has no basis, but its meaning is very beautiful. What does the hadith say?
The people are destroyed
الناس هلكىThe people are destroyed
الناس هلكىExcept the scholars, and the scholars are destroyed except the workers, and the workers are destroyed except the sincere ones, and the sincere ones are in danger
إلا العالمون ، والعالمون هلكى إلا العاملون ، والعاملون هلكى إلا المخلصون ، والمخلصون على خطرThe student: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh : This hadith has no basis, do you see? But its meaning is very beautiful...
The student : ... the hadith.
The Shaykh : And even if it has validity in terms of knowledge, his saying—peace be upon him—:
The first ones for whom the Fire will be kindled on the Day of Resurrection are three: a scholar, a mujahid, and a rich man. The scholar is brought on the Day of Resurrection and it is said to him: O My servant, what did you do with what you knew? He says: O my Lord, I spread it in Your path. It is said to him: You lied; you only taught so that people would say: So-and-so is a scholar
أوَّل مَن تُسعر بهم النار يوم القيامة ثلاثة : عالم ومجاهد وغني ، يُؤتى بالعالم يوم القيامة فيُقال له : أي عبدي ، ماذا عملت فيما علمت ؟ يقول : يا رب ، نشرته في سبيلك . فيقال له : كذبت ؛ إنما علَّمت ليقول الناس : فلان عالمWhat did you do with what you knew? I spread it in Your path. It is said to him: You lied; you only taught so that people would say: So-and-so is a scholar, and it was said
ماذا عملت فيما علمت ؟ نشرته في سبيلك . يُقال له : كذبت ؛ إنما علَّمت ليقول الناس : فلان عالم ، وقد قيلTake him to the Fire.
خذوا به إلى النارAllah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees
يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ"And a scholar whose knowledge he did not practice *** Is punished before the worshippers of idols"
The first ones for whom the Fire will be kindled on the Day of Resurrection are three: a scholar, his story is,
And a mujahid, it is said to him: O My servant, what did you do with the strength I bestowed upon you? He says: O my Lord, I fought in Your path. It is said to him: You lied; you only fought so that people would say: So-and-so is brave, and it was said
ومجاهد ، يقال له : أي عبدي ، ماذا عملت فيما أنعمت عليك من قوَّة ؟ فيقول : يا رب ، قاتلت في سبيلك . فيقال له : كذبت ؛ إنما قاتلت ليقول الناس : فلان شجاع ، وقد قيلThen the rich man is brought and it is said to him: O My servant, what did you do with the wealth I bestowed upon you? He says: O my Lord, I spent it in Your path. It is said to him: You lied; you only spent so that people would say: So-and-so is generous, and it was said; take him to the Fire
ثم يُؤتى بالغني فيقال له : أي عبدي ، ماذا عملت فيما أنعمت عليك من مال ؟ فيقول : يا رب ، أنفقته في سبيلك . يقال له : كذبت ؛ إنما أنفقت ليقول الناس : فلان كريم ، وقد قيل ؛ خذوا به إلى النارThe student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, the issue of sincerity is a very, very important issue in acts of worship, in acts of worship. You can exploit any profession, any knowledge that has no connection to worship and seek your wage from it, there is absolutely no obstacle for you. But as for worship, whatever type of worship it is, it is not permissible to intend anything other than the Face of Allah—Mighty and Majestic—with one's worship. And the hadiths in this area are many and very many. I repeat now: this door is very wide and includes—for example—imams of mosques, it includes preachers of mosques, it includes servants of mosques, it includes the group they call today the followers of al-Furqan, what do they call them, associations.
The student : The Association for the Preservation of the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, and so on. And this innovation that has spread now, where they encourage Muslims to focus on memorizing the Qur'an in exchange for what? Rewards, in exchange for a wage. This is corruption in the name of reform. And this has spread today in the Muslim world, and no one denies it anymore. In fact, fatwas may have been issued supporting it. This boy who has been raised since his infancy to not memorize a specific surah, if it is from the long surahs, except in exchange for a wage, tomorrow when he becomes a teacher, he will not accept to teach except in exchange for a wage. Therefore, first, we must distinguish between the one who seeks a wage and the one to whom a wage is given. This is an apparent difference, I think you have it, or does it need clarification?
The student : Excuse me.
The Shaykh : No, a question, a question.
The student : ... .
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.