What is the ruling in the Shari'ah, in your opinion, regarding hiring a reciter in the nights of Ramadan to recite for a fee he determines, and is there a sin on the one who hired him?
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The questioner : What is the ruling in the Shari'ah, in your opinion, regarding a reciter who is hired in the nights of Ramadan to recite for a fee that he himself determines? And is there a sin on the one who hires him in the month of Ramadan? We ask the honorable Shaykh to clarify this. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
Hiring someone to recite the Qur'an is not permissible; that is, it is not permissible to hire a person to recite the Qur'an for you, to recite the Qur'an for you for the purpose of worship through listening to it. This is because reciting the Qur'an is an act of devotion that brings one closer to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and anything that brings one closer to Allah is worship. It is not permissible to take worldly payment for worship, whether that is in Ramadan or in other months.
This makes it clear that what some people do is wrong: when one of their relatives dies, they hire a reciter to recite the Qur'an, claiming it is for the soul of the deceased. This is forbidden, and the reciter has no reward for this recitation. Consequently, hiring him is a waste of money without benefit. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who said to a group: "I will not pray with you in Ramadan except for so much and so much." He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "We seek refuge in Allah from praying behind this man".
As for taking a fee for teaching the Qur'an, or for reciting it for a sick person, or for one who has been bitten, or something similar, there is nothing wrong with it. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 5737 This distinguishes between one who is hired for mere recitation and one who is hired for a task accomplished through recitation, meaning through reciting the Qur'an. The latter is permissible, and the former is not permissible.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
Hiring someone to recite the Qur'an is not permissible; that is, it is not permissible to hire a person to recite the Qur'an for you, to recite the Qur'an for you for the purpose of worship through listening to it. This is because reciting the Qur'an is an act of devotion that brings one closer to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and anything that brings one closer to Allah is worship. It is not permissible to take worldly payment for worship, whether that is in Ramadan or in other months.
This makes it clear that what some people do is wrong: when one of their relatives dies, they hire a reciter to recite the Qur'an, claiming it is for the soul of the deceased. This is forbidden, and the reciter has no reward for this recitation. Consequently, hiring him is a waste of money without benefit. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who said to a group: "I will not pray with you in Ramadan except for so much and so much." He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "We seek refuge in Allah from praying behind this man".
As for taking a fee for teaching the Qur'an, or for reciting it for a sick person, or for one who has been bitten, or something similar, there is nothing wrong with it. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
You are most entitled to take wages for doing a Ruqya with Allah's Book.
إن أحق ما أخذتم عليه أجراً كتاب اللهThe questioner : May Allah bless you.