A man who is an imam and khatib lives far from the mosque and cannot pray except on Friday; what is the ruling on his salary?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good. I am the imam of a mosque and the khatib of a grand mosque, the khatib of a grand mosque, and the imam and khatib of a grand mosque in a remote village, of course. It is about sixty kilometers, or perhaps fifty, from my residence. I am a teacher in the village where I live, and I mean, I cannot pray except at the time of Friday, the Friday khutbah, and the two Eids. As for the other times, I cannot. The Endowments Authority is not aware of this.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The Endowments Authority is not aware of this, and it is far from me, and I cannot reside there even if I wanted to. The village has, on average, only about seven houses, and the rest come from the desert. What is the ruling, I mean, regarding the salary?
The Shaykh : The ruling is that this is haram. It is haram for you to take the salary while you do not pray except on Friday.
The questioner : I mean...
The Shaykh : Because the salary is for the five daily prayers and Friday. So what I advise you to do is to leave this position. If the village needs it, meaning there is no one there to perform this duty,
The questioner : Of course, there might be a person there.
The Shaykh : If there is a person there who performs the duty of the five daily prayers but does not perform the Friday prayer, then you should agree with the authorities responsible for mosques that you be only an imam and khatib.
The questioner : And if they do not agree,
The Shaykh : Leave it. Leave the position.
The questioner : I will leave the position.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is known.
The questioner : Okay, for example, let us say we leave now, for example, the resignation, for example, in the coming month of four, meaning the resignation.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The resignation, for example, from the position, so that this person who is present and is being tested in it takes it over. For example, I leave the salary for him to take it, and he remains, or I inform the Endowments Authority and suspend the position.
The Shaykh : Meaning, if you want to separate from the position,
The questioner : Meaning, I want to separate from the position.
The Shaykh : No, no, you must inform the Endowments Authority.
The questioner : Until the month of four, for example.
The Shaykh : I say it is necessary, even if it is only for one month, that you must inform the Endowments Authority, and they will manage the matter.
The questioner : Okay, what about this salary?
The Shaykh : The salary is haram for you, my man.
The questioner : We leave it, that is all.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Good, if Allah wills
The Shaykh : Yes, it is haram for you. Return it to the ministry. Tell them, "I do not pray except on Friday only."
The questioner : And what about the previous one, meaning what has passed, meaning?
The Shaykh : What has passed, if you were aware of the matter, return it to the ministry.
The questioner : I was previously issued a fatwa before that.
The Shaykh : Who issued the fatwa to you?
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward him with good. By Allah, his name does not come to my mind.
The Shaykh : I mean, a scholar from among the scholars issued a fatwa to you.
The questioner : Yes, indeed
The Shaykh : And what did he say?
The questioner : He said, "The agreement is only with the congregation. If the congregation agrees with you, you pray Friday with them, and there is no harm in that." And I continued with that until now, until I came.
The Shaykh : In any case, as long as it is based on the fatwa of a scholar, you are not an ordinary person from these common people.
The questioner : No, a scholar.
The Shaykh : So there is no sin on you, but know that this fatwa is wrong.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good
The Shaykh : So what you took based on the fatwa is halal, but in the future, from now, cut it off. Submit your resignation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good
The questioner : Noble Shaykh, is it true that the ruler does not execute if someone commits zina?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Is it true that the ruler does not execute if someone commits zina?
The Shaykh : This is an important question, very important. Therefore, I advise you to refer it to the Department of Ifta so that the ruling is general. Yes.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The Endowments Authority is not aware of this, and it is far from me, and I cannot reside there even if I wanted to. The village has, on average, only about seven houses, and the rest come from the desert. What is the ruling, I mean, regarding the salary?
The Shaykh : The ruling is that this is haram. It is haram for you to take the salary while you do not pray except on Friday.
The questioner : I mean...
The Shaykh : Because the salary is for the five daily prayers and Friday. So what I advise you to do is to leave this position. If the village needs it, meaning there is no one there to perform this duty,
The questioner : Of course, there might be a person there.
The Shaykh : If there is a person there who performs the duty of the five daily prayers but does not perform the Friday prayer, then you should agree with the authorities responsible for mosques that you be only an imam and khatib.
The questioner : And if they do not agree,
The Shaykh : Leave it. Leave the position.
The questioner : I will leave the position.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is known.
The questioner : Okay, for example, let us say we leave now, for example, the resignation, for example, in the coming month of four, meaning the resignation.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The resignation, for example, from the position, so that this person who is present and is being tested in it takes it over. For example, I leave the salary for him to take it, and he remains, or I inform the Endowments Authority and suspend the position.
The Shaykh : Meaning, if you want to separate from the position,
The questioner : Meaning, I want to separate from the position.
The Shaykh : No, no, you must inform the Endowments Authority.
The questioner : Until the month of four, for example.
The Shaykh : I say it is necessary, even if it is only for one month, that you must inform the Endowments Authority, and they will manage the matter.
The questioner : Okay, what about this salary?
The Shaykh : The salary is haram for you, my man.
The questioner : We leave it, that is all.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Good, if Allah wills
The Shaykh : Yes, it is haram for you. Return it to the ministry. Tell them, "I do not pray except on Friday only."
The questioner : And what about the previous one, meaning what has passed, meaning?
The Shaykh : What has passed, if you were aware of the matter, return it to the ministry.
The questioner : I was previously issued a fatwa before that.
The Shaykh : Who issued the fatwa to you?
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward him with good. By Allah, his name does not come to my mind.
The Shaykh : I mean, a scholar from among the scholars issued a fatwa to you.
The questioner : Yes, indeed
The Shaykh : And what did he say?
The questioner : He said, "The agreement is only with the congregation. If the congregation agrees with you, you pray Friday with them, and there is no harm in that." And I continued with that until now, until I came.
The Shaykh : In any case, as long as it is based on the fatwa of a scholar, you are not an ordinary person from these common people.
The questioner : No, a scholar.
The Shaykh : So there is no sin on you, but know that this fatwa is wrong.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good
The Shaykh : So what you took based on the fatwa is halal, but in the future, from now, cut it off. Submit your resignation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good
The questioner : Noble Shaykh, is it true that the ruler does not execute if someone commits zina?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Is it true that the ruler does not execute if someone commits zina?
The Shaykh : This is an important question, very important. Therefore, I advise you to refer it to the Department of Ifta so that the ruling is general. Yes.