The office of imam

Question

Is the regular imam or khatib of a mosque an employee of the mosque’s mutawalli? And if not of the mutawalli, can he be called a servant or subordinate of the congregation? I answered this question as follows: the imam is an employee neither of the mutawalli, nor of the congregation, nor of the mosque. Rather, the imam holds the status of a responsible authority, or of a deputy of the ruler of the time, and whoever regards the imam as a servant or employee — his prayer behind the imam will not be valid.

Answer

The office of imam is a most exalted office — it is, as it were, a deputyship of prophethood (niyabat al-risala). Honouring and respecting the imam is necessary; to regard him as a servant is a grave error and a violation of his right.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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