Some mosque imams receive a salary from the state for leading the prayer, but they do not attend the congregational prayer. What is the ruling on the conduct of these imams?
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The questioner : Some mosque imams receive a salary from the state for leading the prayer, but they do not attend the prayer in congregation. What is the ruling on the conduct of these imams?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for a person to take a wage for a job unless he performs the work for which he took the wage. What they receive from the state is not truly a wage in the technical jurisprudential sense, but rather sustenance, according to the stronger opinion. That is, it is sustenance from the public treasury for the one who performs this work. Accordingly, a person is not entitled to this sustenance unless he performs the work for which this sustenance was assigned to him. If he neglects it without a valid religious excuse, it is not permissible for him to take it. However, if he has a valid religious excuse and appoints someone to take his place in this, there is no blame on him in that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So, this is not something given, for example, by the state to imams and mu'adhdhins, and also to those in charge of serving the mosques, as a wage in the understood sense.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is rather sustenance from the public treasury...
The questioner : The public treasury of the Muslims.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Because in reality, many of the brothers are hesitant to take this, and there are also those who object to them, saying, "If he were not given it, he would not pray, would not call the adhan, and would not spread the carpets in the mosque."
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So, what should be said to such people who say this?
The Shaykh : It is said to them that this is not from the category of pure hire, but rather it is as we have indicated.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is sustenance from the public treasury. As for the fact that if he were not given it, he would not perform this work, that is a matter that may be natural, and this does not diminish their wages in any way, provided that they took it only to help themselves in performing the rights that are obligatory upon them. However, as for the one who prays in order to take, or calls the adhan in order to take, he has no reward in the Hereafter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is because he sought the worldly life with his work, so he will have nothing but what he sought.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So here, we must know the difference between the one who took it in order to help himself in fulfilling what is obligatory upon him of the rights of Allah the Exalted and the rights of His servants, but his performance of this religious work is for Allah Mighty and Majestic.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the one who performed this work in order to take, making the work the means and the worldly life the goal. This one has no reward in the Hereafter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the one who is blamed for his action. As for the first one, he is not blamed, because he made the righteous work the goal, but he made the money the means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for a person to take a wage for a job unless he performs the work for which he took the wage. What they receive from the state is not truly a wage in the technical jurisprudential sense, but rather sustenance, according to the stronger opinion. That is, it is sustenance from the public treasury for the one who performs this work. Accordingly, a person is not entitled to this sustenance unless he performs the work for which this sustenance was assigned to him. If he neglects it without a valid religious excuse, it is not permissible for him to take it. However, if he has a valid religious excuse and appoints someone to take his place in this, there is no blame on him in that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So, this is not something given, for example, by the state to imams and mu'adhdhins, and also to those in charge of serving the mosques, as a wage in the understood sense.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is rather sustenance from the public treasury...
The questioner : The public treasury of the Muslims.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Because in reality, many of the brothers are hesitant to take this, and there are also those who object to them, saying, "If he were not given it, he would not pray, would not call the adhan, and would not spread the carpets in the mosque."
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So, what should be said to such people who say this?
The Shaykh : It is said to them that this is not from the category of pure hire, but rather it is as we have indicated.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is sustenance from the public treasury. As for the fact that if he were not given it, he would not perform this work, that is a matter that may be natural, and this does not diminish their wages in any way, provided that they took it only to help themselves in performing the rights that are obligatory upon them. However, as for the one who prays in order to take, or calls the adhan in order to take, he has no reward in the Hereafter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That is because he sought the worldly life with his work, so he will have nothing but what he sought.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So here, we must know the difference between the one who took it in order to help himself in fulfilling what is obligatory upon him of the rights of Allah the Exalted and the rights of His servants, but his performance of this religious work is for Allah Mighty and Majestic.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the one who performed this work in order to take, making the work the means and the worldly life the goal. This one has no reward in the Hereafter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the one who is blamed for his action. As for the first one, he is not blamed, because he made the righteous work the goal, but he made the money the means.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.