Is it permissible for an imam to appoint another imam in his place if he is occupied with other matters, and give him half of the salary and the other half for da'wah?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and after that:
A young man was appointed as the imam of a mosque. Due to the multitude of his engagements, he appointed a man who was more capable than him and had a better memory of the Book of Allah to lead the prayer in his place. When he received the salary, he gave this man half of it and allocated the other half for the service of da'wah.
The Shaykh : This man’s action was an error. He is a mujtahid in that he allocated the half for da'wah, but he erred in that he committed himself to the one in authority to lead the prayer in this mosque and then appointed someone else. It is obligatory for him now to relinquish the mosque or to fulfill the obligation by leading all five prayers.
Praise be to Allah, and after that:
A young man was appointed as the imam of a mosque. Due to the multitude of his engagements, he appointed a man who was more capable than him and had a better memory of the Book of Allah to lead the prayer in his place. When he received the salary, he gave this man half of it and allocated the other half for the service of da'wah.
The Shaykh : This man’s action was an error. He is a mujtahid in that he allocated the half for da'wah, but he erred in that he committed himself to the one in authority to lead the prayer in this mosque and then appointed someone else. It is obligatory for him now to relinquish the mosque or to fulfill the obligation by leading all five prayers.