CHARGING MONEY (MONETARY COMPENSATION) FOR THE

PERFORMANCE OF RELIGIOUS DUTIES

This is THE touchiest topic today as people get indignant when they are told that there is no such
thing as a paid clergy in Islam. Followers of each and every sect/maslak/group/division existing in
today’s Muslim world are surprisingly united in favor of a paid clergy. Our molvis and scholars have
made us believe that they are in the service of Allah and His religion and that Allah allows taking
money/salary for this service. Nobody questions this because the whole system is designed in a
way in which an ordinary man is deliberately kept away from the truth. The common man, who
finds it difficult to open Allah’s book himself in order to understand what is written in it, thinks that
the molvi is there to help him in all types of religious problems and rituals and naturally he has to
pay the molvi for his time. The common man thinks that just like he has spent years
understanding his subject of expertise i.e. physics or medicine, the molvi too has spent years
studying and understanding Quran and Hadith and now he has the right to opt it as a profession
and earn money for himself and his family.

This attitude is quite similar to the one in religions such as Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism. In
these religions, the pundits, priests or rabbis devote their lives to religion and are bound to
perform all religious acts such as communion, baptism, listening to confessions, bar-mitzvah,
funeral prayers, marriages etc. on behalf of God Almighty; and in return they are paid by the state
and/or by the individuals they help. We have adopted and successfully implemented the same
duties in our society where the role of a pundit, pope or rabbi has been given to the molvi. Today,
our molvis proudly sell Namaz, they do not recite Azaan without taking money, they do not teach
Quran for free, and they have fixed fees for performing Nikah. They never forego the chance of
taking money for rendering small services such as reciting Azaan in the ears of a newborn. Even
fatwas are issued by properly salaried Ulema. Similarly, they have invented many rituals like
“Barsi”, “Soyem”, “Esaal-o-Sawaab”, “Bismillah”, “Eid Milad-un-Nabi” and “Alam-Nashrah” etc. in
order to continue earning throughout the year. So basically, these molvis have turned mosques
into their shops where they enjoy easy money and a variety of feasts on a variety of occasions. All
in all, Islam has been turned into a profitable industry, probably the only industry in Pakistan with
never-ending profits.

One wonders, since they claim to be protecting and rendering services to Allah’s Deen by helping
the Ummah, whom do they sell their time to? To Allah Almighty? In reality, to protect or defend
their own sects, they have purposefully taken the masses away from real teachings of the Quran
and Sunnah so that their festivities would continue. But who is to blame? Naturally, WE are to
blame, as we ourselves have created this institution (paid clergy) in our society, which has no
standing whatsoever in Islam!

The Quran says about such molvis and scholars:

“And believe in what I have revealed, verifying that which is with you, and be not
the first to deny it, neither take a mean price in exchange for My communications
(verses); and Me, Me alone should you fear” [02:41]

“They have taken a small price for the communications of Allah, so they turn away
from His way; surely evil is it that they do” [09:09]
 “Surely those who conceal any part of the Book that Allah has revealed and take
for it a small price, they eat nothing but fire into their bellies, and Allah will not
speak to them on the day of resurrection, nor will He purify them, and they shall
have a painful chastisement.” [02:174]

O’ you, who believe! Lo! Many of the rabbis and the monks devour the wealth of
mankind wantonly and debar (men) from the way of Allah. [09:34]

It is exactly the case today with Ummat-e-Muslima. When confronted with these ayahs, the molvis
conveniently say that they address Jews and Christians, not Muslims.

 Isn’t Allah addressing the believers (Muslims) in [09:34]?

 What does Allah mean when He warns us by telling stories of the deeds of previous
nations: that we are excused/exempted from punishment for these bad deeds?
 Isn’t this one of Allah’s warnings where He tells us that Jews and Christians used to
commit a crime by claiming monetary reward for Allah’s communications and that we
should abstain from such wrongdoing?
 Wasn’t Quran sent for humanity and is relevant till the end of time?!!

So how can we restrict [02:41] just to Jews? These are all lame excuses as the following Hadith
clarifies the matter for us:

[Sahih Bukhari - Volume 9, Book 92, Hadith 421]

Narrated By Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The Hour (Qayamah) will not be
established till my followers copy the deeds of the previous nations and follow
them very closely, span by span, and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch)." It was
said, "O Allah's Apostle! Do you mean by those (nations) the Persians and the
Byzantines?" The Prophet said, "Who can it be other than they?"

And what type of followers and believers is Allah addressing in the following ayah?

“And most surely of the followers of the Book there are those who believe in Allah
and (in) that which has been revealed to you and (in) that which has been
revealed to them, being lowly before Allah; they do not take a small price for the
communications of Allah; [03:199]
Let us now see the matter in the light of Sahih Hadith:

[Sunan Abu-Dawud - Book 23, Hadith 3409]

Narrated Ubaydah ibn as-Samit: I taught some persons of the people of Suffah
writing and the Quran. A man of them presented to me a bow. I said: It cannot be
reckoned property; may I shoot with it in Allah's path? I must come to the Apostle
of Allah (PBUH) and ask him (about it). So I came to him and said : Apostle of
Allah (PBUH), one of those whom I have been teaching writing and the Quran has
presented me a bow, and as it cannot be reckoned property, may I shoot with it in
Allah's path? He said: If you want to have a necklace of fire on you, accept it.

[Sunan Abu-Dawud - Book 2, Hadith 0531]

Narrated Usman ibn Abul'As: I requested Allah’s Apostle (PBUH) to appoint me the
leader of the tribe in prayer. He said: You are their leader, but you should follow
on who is the weakest of them: and appoint a Mu'azzin who does not charge for
the calling of Azaan.

[Tirmizi Narrator:- Hazrat Imran Bin Hussain (RA)]

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: He who reads the Quran should ask a
question through the Quran from Allah. Soon such people will come who will read
the Quran and will ask the questions with it from other people.

[Sahih Muslim - Book 20, Hadith 4682]

It has been reported on the authority of Anas b. Malik that some people came to
the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said to him: Send with us some men who may
teach us the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Accordingjy, he sent seventy men from the
Ansar. They were called the Reciters and among them was my maternal uncle.
Haram. They used to recite the Qur'an, discuss and ponder over its meaning at
night. In the day they brought water and poured it (in pitchers) in the mosque,
collected wood and sold it, and with the sale proceeds bought food for the people
of the Suffa and the needy.

[Sunan Abu-Dawud - Book 25, Hadith 3656]

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (PBUH) said: If anyone acquires knowledge
of things by which Allah's good pleasure is sought, but acquires it only to get some
worldly advantage, he will not experience the arf, i.e. the odour, of Paradise.

The abovementioned Ahadeeth make it clear that using the Quran as a source of income of any
sort is not allowed in Islam. We also learn that even taking things as gifts is not allowed.
Moreover, we cannot find even a single precedence in which any of the Sahaba ever claimed
monetary reward for religious duties, or teaching the Quran. All of them used to work as traders
and some even did manual labor in order to earn bread and butter for their families. Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) himself claimed to have worked as a shepherd and as a trader. He used to sell
dates of the garden of Bani An-Nadir during his early life:

[Sahih Bukhari - Volume 03, Book 34, Hadith 285]

Narrated Aisha: The companions of Allah's Apostle used to practice manual labor,
so their sweat used to smell, and they were advised to take a bath.

[Sahih Bukhari - Volume 07, Book 64, Hadith 270]

Narrated 'Umar: The Prophet used to sell the dates of the garden of Bani An-Nadir
and store for his family so much food as would cover their needs for a whole year.

We also get proof from the Quran that all messengers and prophets before Muhammad (PBUH)
used to work to earn their living. They never sold the message of Allah or never expected any
worldly gain for it.

“It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light. By its
standard have been judged the Jews, by the prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to
Allah's will, by the rabbis and the doctors of law: for to them was entrusted the
protection of Allah's book, and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not
men, but fear me, and sell not my signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to
 judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than)
Unbelievers.” [05:44]

“These are they whom Allah guided, therefore follow their guidance. Say: I do not
ask you for any reward for it; it is nothing but a reminder to the nations.” [06:90]

“And, O my people! I ask you not for wealth in return for it; my reward is only with
Allah and I am not going to drive away those who believe; surely they shall meet
their Lord, but I consider you a people who are ignorant: [11:29]

“O my people! I do not ask of you any reward for it (Quran); my reward is only with
Him Who created me; do you not then understand?” [11:51]

Say: "No reward do I ask of you for it but this: that each one who will may take a
(straight) Path to his Lord." [25:57]

“Follow him who does not ask you for reward, and they are the followers of the
right course;” [36:21]

In order to justify their false claims, many molvis say that during his Caliphate, Umer Farooq (RA)
appointed salaries for Imams, Moazzins and Ulema through “National Treasury of Muslims” (Bait-
ul-Maal). All such claims are baseless, as they do not have even a single authentic proof. We all
know that the Islamic empire flourished tremendously during the era of Umer (RA) and he started
many governmental departments and naturally, people were hired to work in these departments.
Their salaries were paid through the Bait-ul-Maal. But how does this justify the professional role of
an Imam where the matters of a mosque are not related to daily functioning of the state? A Caliph
too is a government official as he is the head of a Muslim state. Does that justify the role of an
Imam-e-Masjid as a professional paying job? And what about the last days of the ruler of such a
huge empire?
 [Sahih Bukhari – Volume 05, Book 57, Hadith 50]
Narrated By 'Amr bin Maimun: 'Umar further said, "O 'Abdullah bin 'Umar! See how
much I am in debt to others." When the debt was checked, it amounted to
approximately Eighty-Six thousand. 'Umar said, "If the property of 'Umar's family
covers the debt, then pay the debt thereof; otherwise request it from Bani 'Adi bin
Ka'b, and if that too is not sufficient, ask for it from Quraish tribe, and do not ask
for it from anyone else, and pay this debt on my behalf."

The knowledge of Quran and Hadith is something to be acquired and spread with the intention of
Sawaab in the Hereafter. How could someone request Allah’s blessings on the Day of Judgment
when he has already sacrificed his Aakhirat for the pleasures and mere gains of this world?

[Sunan Abu Dawud – Book 19, Hadith 3656]

Narrated By Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (pbuh) said: If anyone acquires knowledge
of things by which Allah's good pleasure is sought, but acquires it only to get some
worldly advantage, he will not experience the arf, i.e. the odour, of Paradise.

[Sahih Muslim - Book 20, Hadith 4688]

Then will be brought forward a man who acquired knowledge and imparted it (to
others) and recited the Qur'an. He will be brought And Allah will make him recount
His blessings and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his
lifetime). Then will Allah ask: What did you do (to requite these blessings)? He will
say: I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur'an seeking Thy
pleasure. Allah will say: You have told a lie. You acquired knowledge so that you
might be called" a scholar," and you recited the Qur'an so that it might be said:"
He is a Qari" and such has been said. Then orders will be passed against him and
he shall be dragged with his face downward and cast into the Fire.

Today people bring commentaries of eminent scholars in favor of their false beliefs but are we to
accept the Quran and Sahih Hadith or the so-called scholars of today? The biggest problem with
the Ummah today is that we accept and blindly follow the words and fatwaas of our scholars and
conveniently reject the words of Allah and his last Prophet (PBUH). We think that these so-called
scholars are the best interpreters of Quran and Hadith as they come from “pure-breed” family
backgrounds. What we forget is that Allah has made obligatory for each and every Muslim (pious
or not) to read, understand and apply Quran and Sunnah in his life. Did Bilal (RA) have a blue-
blood Muslim family background? Did he ever take wages for being a moa’zzin?

Our readers must have gleaned from this lengthy discussion that it is of utmost importance that
we understand the concept of Emaan, that Emaan qualifies us to be called Muslims and to be
raised as Muslims on the Day of Judgment. We must always keep ourselves away from Taghoot,
and consider evil (as defined by Allah) to be evil, even if that realization remains in our hearts
alone and we lack the courage to shout it out loud. We must spread the Truth to all around us,
discuss different religious beliefs and tell right from wrong, no matter what hardships we have to
endure along the way. Islam cannot be tailored to our convenience. It is a religion that was
perfected centuries ago and has no place for further modification or addition. We must all realize
that negating Allah’s verses, and Sahih Hadith takes us out of the religion of Islam, and no matter
how many prayers we say during the day, or how many months we fast, these duties become
mere rituals that will not help us in any way on the Day of Reckoning. We must at least have
Emaan in our hearts; the religious duties of prayer, fasting, zakat and hajj only then become
incumbent on us. We will qualify for hisaab-kitaab only if we die as Muslims. Those who commit
Shirk, or endorse Taghoot, shall be thrown into the fires of Hell straight away, as they will not
even be considered worthy of hisaab-kitaab. That is the reality of Islam!

_____________
Note: The above article is an excerpt from our book, ‘The Real Islam’. Please contact me
to obtain the PDF version of the book. (Adeem)