What is the ruling on imams and mu'adhhdhins who leave their mosques and go out to call people to Allah, while there is great demand for them from the neighboring villages?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : O Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), most of the callers to Allah the Exalted in this land are imams or mu'adhhdhins, and there is great demand for them from the neighboring villages or regions. So does it mean, (may Allah preserve you), if they were to take a specific fatwa, because I heard a fatwa from you, O Shaykh, stating: It is not permissible for a person to leave his mosque and go to call people to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, because it is better for the mosque to remain [with an imam]. We truly need a specific fatwa for these callers who have great demand for them, meaning many people call them from various regions and villages asking, "We want you to come and visit us, and so on." So is there truly a hardship for the imams and mu'adhhdhins in this?
The Shaykh : What I see, as I said, is that it is not permissible for a person to leave his mosque in order to call people, because calling people to Allah is a collective obligation (fard kifayah), and it may be that enough people have already fulfilled it. Performing the duty of one's position is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn), so it is not permissible for you to go to call people and leave the mosque. Yes, if you go one day a week or two days after consulting the Waqf authorities and the people of the neighborhood, there is no blame on you. But to stay away all the time, that is not permissible. And if you are insistent on calling people to Allah, then leave the position of imam or mu'adhdhin. Yes?
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : Your Eminence, I am speaking about a matter that happened to me. I found one of my colleagues who had a car, and the car was worth about thirty thousand in its condition at his brother's place. So I accepted it in its current condition and took it over for sixty-five [thousand], with no down payment, meaning no installment, whether I pay monthly installments.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : O Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), most of the callers to Allah the Exalted in this land are imams or mu'adhhdhins, and there is great demand for them from the neighboring villages or regions. So does it mean, (may Allah preserve you), if they were to take a specific fatwa, because I heard a fatwa from you, O Shaykh, stating: It is not permissible for a person to leave his mosque and go to call people to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, because it is better for the mosque to remain [with an imam]. We truly need a specific fatwa for these callers who have great demand for them, meaning many people call them from various regions and villages asking, "We want you to come and visit us, and so on." So is there truly a hardship for the imams and mu'adhhdhins in this?
The Shaykh : What I see, as I said, is that it is not permissible for a person to leave his mosque in order to call people, because calling people to Allah is a collective obligation (fard kifayah), and it may be that enough people have already fulfilled it. Performing the duty of one's position is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn), so it is not permissible for you to go to call people and leave the mosque. Yes, if you go one day a week or two days after consulting the Waqf authorities and the people of the neighborhood, there is no blame on you. But to stay away all the time, that is not permissible. And if you are insistent on calling people to Allah, then leave the position of imam or mu'adhdhin. Yes?
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : Your Eminence, I am speaking about a matter that happened to me. I found one of my colleagues who had a car, and the car was worth about thirty thousand in its condition at his brother's place. So I accepted it in its current condition and took it over for sixty-five [thousand], with no down payment, meaning no installment, whether I pay monthly installments.