What is the ruling on those who recite the Qur'an and take large sums of money for it?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on those who recite and take large sums of money?
The Shaykh : If the one who recites does so only for the sake of what he takes, then it is forbidden for him and not permissible, because no one benefits from his recitation; the benefit is only for him. And if he takes a wage from this world for it, his reward in the Hereafter is forbidden.
As for when he teaches people for a wage, for example, he memorizes a person Surat al-Baqarah and says that for Surat al-Baqarah it is such and such an amount, the correct view is that this is permissible, meaning it is permissible to take a wage for teaching the Qur'an, not for reciting the Qur'an, because the benefit of reciting the Qur'an does not extend beyond the reciter, whereas the benefit of teaching extends to the one being taught. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 5737 meaning his teaching. So if a person teaches people the Qur'an for a wage, whether it is based on the amount or on the time—based on the amount by saying every part is such and such, or every surah is such and such, or based on the time, every hour is such and such—then there is nothing wrong with it, due to the hadith I mentioned. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If the one who recites does so only for the sake of what he takes, then it is forbidden for him and not permissible, because no one benefits from his recitation; the benefit is only for him. And if he takes a wage from this world for it, his reward in the Hereafter is forbidden.
As for when he teaches people for a wage, for example, he memorizes a person Surat al-Baqarah and says that for Surat al-Baqarah it is such and such an amount, the correct view is that this is permissible, meaning it is permissible to take a wage for teaching the Qur'an, not for reciting the Qur'an, because the benefit of reciting the Qur'an does not extend beyond the reciter, whereas the benefit of teaching extends to the one being taught. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
You are most entitled to take wages for doing a Ruqya with Allah's Book.
إن أحق ما أخذتم عليه أجرا كتاب اللهThe questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh.