What is the ruling on seeking employment in the position of imam or similar in exchange for a salary?

The Shaykh : As for seeking employment, it is not prescribed, whether it is any job or not; seeking employment is not prescribed, whatever the job, whether it is a religious position or a government administrative one. However, when the position is purely religious, it is not permissible to seek employment in it twice.
First: because he is seeking a salary in exchange for worship, and this is forbidden. Second: as I told you before, seeking employment is not permissible. Whoever calls to prayer for Allah, leads the people in prayer for Allah, and teaches the people for Allah, is the one who will be rewarded by Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He); due to His saying (Mighty and Majestic): , he does not associate anyone with the worship of his Lord. Whoever seeks knowledge for other than Allah, whoever gives charity so that people will say about him: so-and-so is generous, whoever calls to prayer for the sake of money, it will be said to him: you have associated others with Me, so take your wage from them. Therefore, if employment in the position of imam, or delivering the sermon, or calling to prayer, or teaching Islamic jurisprudence comes to him, there is no harm in that, and the employee remains required to maintain the intention of sincerity for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). However, if he directly seeks to teach the science of hadith, tafsir, or jurisprudence for the sake of the salary, this invalidates his work.

The questioner : You had given an answer to this before, O Shaykh?

Another questioner : As a reward (ja'alah) and not as a salary... and Allah knows best...

The Shaykh : There is no harm, but how did this come to him? If it came to him spontaneously without him asking for it, it can be said: it is a reward (ja'alah), it is not a reward (ja'alah).