Q:

Asslam aIaikum I have a question..I met one person who said that any imam or teacher of deen who get salary or hadiya for his work of deen is not true Muslim.

Wat is the opinion of scholars on it and is there any Hadith where it is prohibited?

And during the time of Prophet pbuh Sahaby RA tabaien and tabatabaien, how it was done.

Jazakallah

A:

Wa alaykum assalamu wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving.

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad.

Muslim jurists have different opinions regarding whether one may get paid for teaching  the Quran and Shariah knowledge or not. Those who prohibit getting paid for teaching Quran and Shariah knowledge argue that teachings these subjects is an act of worship and seeking nearness to Allah and one may not get paid such acts of worship. They quote in support of their view the prophetic warning to Ubadah ibn As-Samit who received a bow as a gift given by a man whom he had taught, among others, the Quran and came to ask the Messenger of Allah about it, whereupon he said to him, “If you like to have a necklace of fire on you, accept it.” (Abu Dawud)

But there are other reports that indicate the permissibility of receiving a reward or a recompense for the Quran. In one narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married a man to a woman in return for teaching her the Quran as her dowry [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In another narration, some of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some people staying at a place where there was water, and one of those people was stung by a scorpion. A man from those people came and said to the Companions of the Prophet, “Is there anyone among you who can do ruqya (treatment by invocation) as near that water there is a person who was stung by a scorpion.” So, one of the Prophet’s Companions went to him and recited Surat-al-Fatiha for a sheep as his fees. The patient got cured and the man brought the sheep to his companions who disliked that and said, “You have taken wages for reciting Allah’s Book!” When they arrived at Medina, they said, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)! [This person] took a payment for [reciting] Allah’s Book” On that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The most worthy thing for which you may receive a payment is the Book of Allah.” [Al-Bukhari]

Scholars took different positions in their endeavor to interpret and reconcile between these hadiths resulting in about five scholarly opinions that exchanged arguments and counterarguments in their debate on the issue. However, the strongest opinion, in my view, is that receiving payment for teaching the Quran and Shariah knowledge is permissible if one is in need for it.

Teachers, scholars, and academicians who dedicate their time and effort for teaching people deserve compensation in return and with good intention they will have a reward in the Hereafter as well.

An analogy could be drawn here with the case of the one who fights for the cause of Allah and after the war gets a share of the spoils. But if one is not in need for that payment, he/she should not accept it. This case could be made analogous to the case of the guardian of the orphan about whom the Quran says what means “And if [the] one [who is the orphan’s guardian] is rich, then let him abstain [from the guardian’s wealth entirely]. But if one is poor, then let him consume [of it only] in accordance with what is right.” (An-Nisaa’ 4:6)  

This opinion meets with the objectives of the Shariah, reconciles between different evidences, and is more suitable for our time. Otherwise, those who dedicate their times for teaching Shariah knowledge will spend greater time to earn their living and with time the number of these people will decrease leaving people in ignorance of Shariah knowledge.

Allah knows best.