Can You Get Paid for Performing Islamic Duties Such as Being a Scholar or Imam?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Question: 1. What are the Islamic rulings on making money from teaching Islamic classes, selling them on cd, and being an Imam?
2. Can a Qur’an reciter accept money for reciting the Qur’an? Can they record their recitation and sell CDs and make a business out of their CDs and personally profit from it?
3. Can a person charge someone a fee to come to their house and recite a dua?
4.  Can Nasheed artists sing about Islamic topics and money money from selling their songs?
5. What would the response be to a person who doubts the sincerity of scholars and religious teachers who don’t only receive a salary for their work, but also make a business out of selling CDs, books and videos for personal profit?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and faith.

The short answer to your main question is that, yes, scholars can take money for their services such as teaching or being imam of a masjid or its muezzin.

[Marghinani, Hidaya; Mawsili, Ikhtiyar; Ibn Abidin, Tanqih al-Fatawa al-Hamidiyya; Haydar, Durar al-Hukkam Sharh al-Majalla]

In the early years of Islam, it was generally deemed impermissible since scholars would receive sufficient stipends from the public treasury, and because people would normally compensate for being taught on their own accord, without contractual stipulation of payment.

However, due to the subsequent diminishing of stipends and compensation, the later fatwa was that it is allowed for scholars to contractually take money for such services, out of the recognized necessity to preserve the religion. The same would apply to translating or research.

In terms of your specific questions, all of those scenarios are permissible today with the exception of taking payment for acts of worship, so one cannot take payment for making dua or performing salat, for example.

Lastly, one should not doubt the intention of his fellow Muslim brother, especially a scholar, but rather maintain a good opinion of others.

And Allah knows best.

wassalam

Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani