Ruling on taking a wage for the call to prayer for one who does not call to prayer
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Your Eminence! Some mosques are registered with the endowments but no prayer is performed in them. However, the mosque's mu'adhdhin lives in another location, and he only cleans the mosque and does not call to prayer in it, yet his job title is mu'adhdhin. What is the ruling on the salary he receives, given that the endowments are aware of this?
It is obligatory for the mu'adhdhin, if his job is the call to prayer, to call to prayer himself. It is not permissible for him to delegate this to someone else and take the salary, except in some cases, such as if he is absent for a day of the month for a leisure trip or something similar that is customary, in which case there is no harm.And as for his house being far away and him saying: I will appoint someone to call to prayer and I will take the salary; this is not permissible. Even if the direct manager of the endowments agrees to it, it is not permissible. Because if you went back to the civil service department or the employees' department, you would see them saying: It is not permissible and we do not allow this.
The questioner: But there is no congregation in the mosque itself?The Shaykh: How is there no congregation?The questioner: I mean there is no congregation in the mosque because it is old and the houses around it are old.
The Shaykh: But if it is old, why is it not renovated in a way that there is a congregation, or why is it not abolished, along with the call to prayer and other things?The questioner: But is his salary permissible?The Shaykh: No, it is absolutely not permissible. It is not permissible for him to take the salary. Rather, it is obligatory for him to go to the responsible authority, announce his resignation, and leave the mosque.
The questioner: But does he have a sin upon him for the past, before he knew?Answer: Out of scrupulousness, he should return it to them. If that is not possible, he should spend it on the interests of the mosques.
It is obligatory for the mu'adhdhin, if his job is the call to prayer, to call to prayer himself. It is not permissible for him to delegate this to someone else and take the salary, except in some cases, such as if he is absent for a day of the month for a leisure trip or something similar that is customary, in which case there is no harm.And as for his house being far away and him saying: I will appoint someone to call to prayer and I will take the salary; this is not permissible. Even if the direct manager of the endowments agrees to it, it is not permissible. Because if you went back to the civil service department or the employees' department, you would see them saying: It is not permissible and we do not allow this.
The questioner: But there is no congregation in the mosque itself?The Shaykh: How is there no congregation?The questioner: I mean there is no congregation in the mosque because it is old and the houses around it are old.
The Shaykh: But if it is old, why is it not renovated in a way that there is a congregation, or why is it not abolished, along with the call to prayer and other things?The questioner: But is his salary permissible?The Shaykh: No, it is absolutely not permissible. It is not permissible for him to take the salary. Rather, it is obligatory for him to go to the responsible authority, announce his resignation, and leave the mosque.
The questioner: But does he have a sin upon him for the past, before he knew?Answer: Out of scrupulousness, he should return it to them. If that is not possible, he should spend it on the interests of the mosques.