A Wage for Reciting the Qur’an to Listeners

Question

People take a wage for the imamate and for teaching the Holy Qur’an, and they take a wage for reciting the Holy Qur’an to listeners in blessed Ramadan. What is the difference in this, and which wage is permissible? If the mutawalli (trustee of the mosque) takes the imam’s wage from the poor by putting pressure on them, is this permissible?

Answer

The basic principle is that taking a wage for acts of worship is haram. However, the later jurists (muta’akhkhirun), having recognised through ijtihad certain Shar‘i interests (masalih shar‘iyya), permitted hiring (ijara) for the imamate and for teaching the Noble Qur’an.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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