Sometimes the imam is absent from the mosque; is it permissible for the imam to receive the full salary without paying the mu'adhdhin who acts as his substitute, who is guaranteed by him?
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The questioner : The imam of the mosque is his guarantor. Sometimes he is absent for five days or ten consecutive or scattered days in a month, and likewise in the daily prayers. Is it permissible for the imam to receive a full salary without giving the mu'adhdhin anything, knowing that the mu'adhdhin is not satisfied with leading the people in prayer on all these days without pay? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I say that if a person takes on the imamate of the mosque, he must fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and perform this duty to the best of his ability, and maintain it, and not be absent from it except for a compelling excuse. This is because he was appointed by the authorities in this noble work, so he must fulfill it. Also, because he receives a reward for this from the public treasury, if he neglects it, he does not deserve the reward, but only what he actually performed. Furthermore, appointing this guarantor to lead the people in prayer when they do not approve of him is also not permissible, because the congregation may approve of one person as imam and not another. The one appointed by the authorities to lead these people is the imam who was absent. My advice to this imam and those like him who are negligent in these matters is to fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and to fulfill the trust in what they committed to the authorities, for Allah the Exalted says:[Al-Isra 17:34].
As for the adhan, likewise, this guarantor should not call the adhan except with the approval of those responsible for the mosques and the consent of the mosque congregation, because one who is accepted as a mu'adhdhin may not be accepted as a substitute for another. Therefore, it is necessary to consult the responsible authorities.
It is astonishing that some people whose outward appearance is righteousness and who take pride in being righteous take the imamate of the mosque and then delegate it to a stranger, an employee of his or an employee of someone else, and give him a small part of the salary while taking the rest, even though he has not prayed. This is a betrayal of the trust and consuming wealth unjustly. It is not permissible for the imam or for anyone appointed as imam to proceed to the mosque [without fulfilling the duty]. If the imam is unable to maintain the imamate consistently, let him leave it to someone else. As for holding onto it and having another person perform it for a quarter of the salary or less, while he takes the rest for himself, by what right did he deserve this money? By playing and going here and there? Does he not fear Allah? Does he not fear that his supplication will be rejected because of consuming this forbidden wealth?
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: إن الله طيب لا يقبل إلا طيبا وإن الله أمر المؤمنين بما أمر به المرسلين فقال تعالى : يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ وقال تعالى : يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ . هكذا قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ثم ذكر الرجل يطيل السفر أشعث أغبر يمد يديه إلى السماء : يا رب يا رب! ومطعمه حرام، وملبسه حرام، وغذي بالحرام، فأنى يستجاب لذلك Indeed, Allah is Good and accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers, saying: "O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I am, of what you do, Knowing." And He said: "O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is Him you worship." Thus said the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he mentioned a man who travels a long distance, disheveled and dusty, stretching his hands to the sky: "O my Lord, O my Lord!" Yet his food is haram, his clothing is haram, and he is nourished with haram. So how will his supplication be answered?.
How can the soul of a sane believer be at ease in consuming wealth in this manner, through a religious means, while he does not perform it? And the supervisors of mosque affairs must inspect the mosques and remove these imams who committed to the imamate before the authorities but do not perform it, to rescue them from injustice, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):.
Also included in this is that some people take the reward for the mosque carpets and then delegate this to an employee, giving him part of the reward and keeping the rest for themselves. Who has made this permissible for them?
But this issue is lighter, because the person who performs the carpeting may be a servant of the one who guaranteed it before the authorities. In that case, it is permissible, because this employee is a servant of this man. Whether he serves him in the house or serves him in the mosque by performing what is required of the one who employed him, it is lighter.
But as for bringing in an outside servant who has no authority over him, but he agrees with him to perform the mosque carpeting in exchange for a part of the reward, while he keeps the rest, this is consuming wealth unjustly, because taking money without compensation is consuming wealth unjustly. This is the rule. If we suppose that the responsible authorities in this last issue of the carpets say: "It does not matter to us, we agree, as long as the mosque is clean, whether it is observed by the man who takes the reward or by someone else," then it may be said that there is no harm in it, although I have a sense of discomfort about it. How can he take from the reward when he has done nothing? So we ask Allah the Exalted to protect us from the stinginess of our souls, and to help us in fulfilling the trust, and to guide us all to what He loves and is pleased with.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may He magnify your reward.
The Shaykh : I say that if a person takes on the imamate of the mosque, he must fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and perform this duty to the best of his ability, and maintain it, and not be absent from it except for a compelling excuse. This is because he was appointed by the authorities in this noble work, so he must fulfill it. Also, because he receives a reward for this from the public treasury, if he neglects it, he does not deserve the reward, but only what he actually performed. Furthermore, appointing this guarantor to lead the people in prayer when they do not approve of him is also not permissible, because the congregation may approve of one person as imam and not another. The one appointed by the authorities to lead these people is the imam who was absent. My advice to this imam and those like him who are negligent in these matters is to fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and to fulfill the trust in what they committed to the authorities, for Allah the Exalted says:
And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.
وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًاAs for the adhan, likewise, this guarantor should not call the adhan except with the approval of those responsible for the mosques and the consent of the mosque congregation, because one who is accepted as a mu'adhdhin may not be accepted as a substitute for another. Therefore, it is necessary to consult the responsible authorities.
It is astonishing that some people whose outward appearance is righteousness and who take pride in being righteous take the imamate of the mosque and then delegate it to a stranger, an employee of his or an employee of someone else, and give him a small part of the salary while taking the rest, even though he has not prayed. This is a betrayal of the trust and consuming wealth unjustly. It is not permissible for the imam or for anyone appointed as imam to proceed to the mosque [without fulfilling the duty]. If the imam is unable to maintain the imamate consistently, let him leave it to someone else. As for holding onto it and having another person perform it for a quarter of the salary or less, while he takes the rest for himself, by what right did he deserve this money? By playing and going here and there? Does he not fear Allah? Does he not fear that his supplication will be rejected because of consuming this forbidden wealth?
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: إن الله طيب لا يقبل إلا طيبا وإن الله أمر المؤمنين بما أمر به المرسلين فقال تعالى : يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ وقال تعالى : يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ . هكذا قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ثم ذكر الرجل يطيل السفر أشعث أغبر يمد يديه إلى السماء : يا رب يا رب! ومطعمه حرام، وملبسه حرام، وغذي بالحرام، فأنى يستجاب لذلك Indeed, Allah is Good and accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers, saying: "O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I am, of what you do, Knowing." And He said: "O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is Him you worship." Thus said the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he mentioned a man who travels a long distance, disheveled and dusty, stretching his hands to the sky: "O my Lord, O my Lord!" Yet his food is haram, his clothing is haram, and he is nourished with haram. So how will his supplication be answered?.
How can the soul of a sane believer be at ease in consuming wealth in this manner, through a religious means, while he does not perform it? And the supervisors of mosque affairs must inspect the mosques and remove these imams who committed to the imamate before the authorities but do not perform it, to rescue them from injustice, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):
Help your brother whether he is oppressive or oppressed. They said: O Messenger of Allah! We help the oppressed, but how do we help the oppressor? He said: You prevent him from oppression, and that is how you help him.
انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوماً قالوا: يا رسول الله! هذا المظلوم ننصره لكن كيف ننصر الظالم؟ قال: تمنعه من الظلم، فذلك نصرك إياهAlso included in this is that some people take the reward for the mosque carpets and then delegate this to an employee, giving him part of the reward and keeping the rest for themselves. Who has made this permissible for them?
But this issue is lighter, because the person who performs the carpeting may be a servant of the one who guaranteed it before the authorities. In that case, it is permissible, because this employee is a servant of this man. Whether he serves him in the house or serves him in the mosque by performing what is required of the one who employed him, it is lighter.
But as for bringing in an outside servant who has no authority over him, but he agrees with him to perform the mosque carpeting in exchange for a part of the reward, while he keeps the rest, this is consuming wealth unjustly, because taking money without compensation is consuming wealth unjustly. This is the rule. If we suppose that the responsible authorities in this last issue of the carpets say: "It does not matter to us, we agree, as long as the mosque is clean, whether it is observed by the man who takes the reward or by someone else," then it may be said that there is no harm in it, although I have a sense of discomfort about it. How can he take from the reward when he has done nothing? So we ask Allah the Exalted to protect us from the stinginess of our souls, and to help us in fulfilling the trust, and to guide us all to what He loves and is pleased with.
The questioner : O Allah, amen. May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh, and may He magnify your reward.