The Imam of a Mosque with Many Commitments: May He Appoint Someone Else in His Place, and Is the Corresponding Money Lawful? It Is a Reward, Not a Wage for Prayer, and the Ministry of Awqaf Knows He Cannot Be Consistent
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Your Eminence, the Shaykh, an imam of a mosque sometimes has a commitment and leaves the mosque, appointing a trustworthy person in his place. Is there any sin on him? And is the money lawful or not?
Then I say: The money we receive is a reward, not a wage for the prayer. Likewise, the Awqaf [Ministry] is aware of this. It is natural that a person will not be fully consistent in it, whatever the circumstances.
The Shaykh : If the imam knows from himself that he is unable to perform the duty of imamah because he is a traveler and has work, then it is not permissible for him at all to register for this mosque.
However, if he knows that he will perform the duty and be consistent in the prayers, but an incident occurs due to work or otherwise, and he goes to it, and he appoints someone who is sufficient, then there is no harm.
Because this is an incidental matter, and the reward he takes is lawful for him. It is called by the scholars sustenance from the public treasury, and it is not a wage for the prayer. If it were a wage for the prayer, his prayer and imamah would be for a wage. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who said: "I will not pray for you in Ramadan except for so much and so much".
Meaning, they spoke to him to lead them in Ramadan, and he said: "I will not lead except for so much and so much." He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "We seek refuge in Allah from whoever prays behind this man?!".
Because he made his imamah for a compensation, and the deeds of the Hereafter are not permissible to be sought for the sake of this world, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Hud 11:15-16].
So the matters of the Hereafter must be for the sake of the Hereafter. But what we, the imams and the mu'adhdhins, take, and likewise what the teachers and judges and others take from the government, is not in the category of a wage, but in the category of sustenance from the public treasury for performing these public interests.
Your Eminence, the Shaykh, an imam of a mosque sometimes has a commitment and leaves the mosque, appointing a trustworthy person in his place. Is there any sin on him? And is the money lawful or not?
Then I say: The money we receive is a reward, not a wage for the prayer. Likewise, the Awqaf [Ministry] is aware of this. It is natural that a person will not be fully consistent in it, whatever the circumstances.
The Shaykh : If the imam knows from himself that he is unable to perform the duty of imamah because he is a traveler and has work, then it is not permissible for him at all to register for this mosque.
However, if he knows that he will perform the duty and be consistent in the prayers, but an incident occurs due to work or otherwise, and he goes to it, and he appoints someone who is sufficient, then there is no harm.
Because this is an incidental matter, and the reward he takes is lawful for him. It is called by the scholars sustenance from the public treasury, and it is not a wage for the prayer. If it were a wage for the prayer, his prayer and imamah would be for a wage. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who said: "I will not pray for you in Ramadan except for so much and so much".
Meaning, they spoke to him to lead them in Ramadan, and he said: "I will not lead except for so much and so much." He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "We seek refuge in Allah from whoever prays behind this man?!".
Because he made his imamah for a compensation, and the deeds of the Hereafter are not permissible to be sought for the sake of this world, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(15) Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. (16) Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.
مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا نُوَفِّ إِلَيْهِمْ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فِيهَا وَهُمْ فِيهَا لا يُبْخَسُونَ * أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا النَّارُ وَحَبِطَ مَا صَنَعُوا فِيهَا وَبَاطِلٌ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَSo the matters of the Hereafter must be for the sake of the Hereafter. But what we, the imams and the mu'adhdhins, take, and likewise what the teachers and judges and others take from the government, is not in the category of a wage, but in the category of sustenance from the public treasury for performing these public interests.