The Ruling on Taking Leave in Religious Positions

The Shaykh : ... However, here it is necessary to point out matters that are subtle, and due to their subtlety, they may be hidden from some of these employees in certain religious positions. For example, I see some of these employees who do not consistently perform their duties on some days. So I ask, and he answers that he is on leave. I say, this is leave for state jobs, not what? Not religious jobs? What kind of leave is this? This is a leave where one of two things has dominated him, and the sweeter of the two is bitter. One of two things has dominated him, and the sweeter of the two is bitter. The bitter one is that he was influenced by the custom of all the employees in the bank, in the taxes and customs, and so on. These people have leaves, so this custom of the others has dominated him, and he says it off the top of his head. This is bitter because it concerns the words to which we referred earlier, that the Wise Lawgiver has refined us, taught us good manners, and perfected our upbringing, and prohibited us from uttering something we should not utter. This is bitter. And the more bitter is that it is actually the case that he finds this leave acceptable. And the meaning of that is that he finds it acceptable not to perform the obedience. This is the interpretation of this leave in religious acts of worship. The one who leads people in prayer as an imam has the reward of those who pray behind him. What does it mean when he says, "I am on leave, so I do not lead as an imam"? And the one who calls the adhan, and you have known of its virtues, and there is a hadith that says: I forgot what virtue is mentioned in the hadith, but it has a very great virtue.

The questioner : Praise be to Allah, O Shaykh, there is no one in Jordan who has this cassette tape.

Another questioner : In a hadith, it says twelve years.

The Shaykh : Yes, it is possible. This is the witness. It is not permissible for an employee in a religious position to cheat regarding the leave that the Waqf grants him and he enjoys it while he has no need for it. I want to qualify my previous statement so that it is not understood in an absolute sense. A man may be the head of a family and be unable to carry out some of the necessities of his home or his family except during the time of leave. There is no harm in that, even if it is not officially permitted. There is no harm if someone prays in his place, or calls the adhan, or preaches, or so on, because he has a legitimate religious excuse. In this case, he does not need to take an official or routine leave, as they call it. He is not in need of it, feeling that he does not need it, yet he enjoys this leave that all employees enjoy. This employee must feel that he is not like other employees. This is an employee, if the expression is correct, in the sight of Allah in one of the religious positions. So how does he forget this virtue and this merit, and ignore it, and say, "I am on leave"? This is a reminder, and the reminder benefits the believers.

The questioner : O our Shaykh, in the Ministry of Waqf, if one performs the work and does not take the compensation, if he has another source from which he can live?

The Shaykh : I understand. If he takes it under the previous condition, it is for him. And if he does not need it, it is better for him, except in one case. And this one case is what we derived from the hadith of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). 'Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to give me from the money when it came to him. So I would say, "O Messenger of Allah, give it to whoever is more deserving of it than me." So the Messenger (peace be upon him) said to him: