The Prophet (sa) said: “This wealth is green and sweet; whoever takes it without greed is blessed in it.” (Bukhari) This Hadeeth outlines the general principle of Islam regarding property and riches – that it is permissible to lawfully acquire wealth and enjoy the benefits it provides, though it must not become a cause of diversion from the right path. However, there is a misconception among many Muslims that acquiring wealth somehow contradicts the teachings of Islam or that there is a tradeoff between spirituality and affluence. This mindset has resulted in our Imams and religious teachers generally being poor; they are expected to lead a life of deprivation in the name of piety. On the other hand, it is not only permissible but also desirable in Islam to attain wealth and help others financially, as the Prophet (sa) said: “How excellent is the wealth of the Muslim if it is collected through legitimate means and spent in Allah’s (swt) cause and on orphans, poor people, and travellers.” (Bukhari)
Among the most prominent Companions were some extremely wealthy individuals, such as Khadijah (rtaf), Usman (rtam), Abdur-Rahman (rtam), Talha (rtam), and Zubayr (rtam) – and all five were given glad tidings of Paradise by the Prophet (sa). The wealth of Zubayr (rtam) at the time of his death was over fifty million (dirhams or dinars) – probably worth billions of rupees today – including eleven houses in Madinah and four elsewhere, as reported in Bukhari. Such wealthy companions were able to make critical contributions towards the growth of Islam and the welfare of society. We also have examples of wealthy Muslim scholars throughout history, and even prophets like Dawud (as) and Sulayman (as) possessed immense wealth and property.
Reasons for poverty among Imams
One reason for most Imams today being financially weak is a lack of awareness of the Islamic rulings on wealth and property; for instance, only those Ahadeeth are widely known that warn against excessive love of riches, as opposed to those that encourage acquiring wealth lawfully and sharing it with others.
There is also the false notion that a religious person has to be an ascetic – that he or she must give up their possessions, disengage themselves from all worldly pursuits, and stay aloof from all enjoyments of life. This sort of self-isolation is not at all required by Islam, especially not from Imams, who are expected to lead by example and play a crucial role in society. While certain religions do require abstinence from worldly pleasures to achieve salvation, Islam is about attaining piety, while remaining very much a part of society.
A further reason for poverty among our Imams is the lack of opportunities for them to increase their earnings. This comes primarily from the unfounded assumption that any religious education, including the teaching of the Quran, must be free of cost. However, there is no evidence in the Quran or Ahadeeth that outlaws charging for religious services. We learn in a Hadeeth reported in Bukhari that the Prophet (sa) approved taking payment for treating someone through the recitation of the Quran. Moreover, considering the huge amounts we spend on worldly education these days, it makes little sense to relegate religious knowledge to free tutoring only.
Consequences of Imams living in poverty
The Imams of today are often unable to afford decent accommodation, own a car, or provide quality education to their children. Their low standard of living serves as a disincentive for many young people interested in religious learning and teaching. This explains why nearly all mosques in affluent neighborhoods have Imams coming in from the poorer parts of the city – because the wealthier households fail to produce Imams of their own. This further creates a social dichotomy within our mosques that is all too obvious on Fridays, when young people are often unable to relate to the sermon; they view their situation as fundamentally different from that of the Imam delivering the sermon. The insistence on keeping religious education free and depriving Imams of their rightful earnings has led to our religious schools being grossly underfunded. This adversely affects the quality of education offered, depriving students of the skills necessary to thrive in the modern era.
Benefits of Imams being wealthy
Having financially strong Imams would improve not only the quality of our religious education and institutions but also the social cohesion within our mosques. A wealthy Imam can allocate larger funds for Dawah purposes and can easily reach out to the disadvantaged members of society, such as the orphans, widows, and the needy. Moreover, he is better able to look after the needs of his own family, which is extremely important, as the Prophet (sa) said: “The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents.” (Bukhari)
The wealthy Imam is thus better placed to assume the leadership role bestowed upon him. His wealth can also be a source of inspiration for others; a person simultaneously remembering Allah (swt) and enjoying His fine blessings is an attractive phenomenon for many. For instance, it is easy to recall how the Queen of Saba attained guidance through the grandeur of the blessings that Allah (swt) had bestowed upon Prophet Sulayman (as).
Ensuring higher incomes for Imams
Through scripture-based evidence, the religious authorities and educationists need to dispel the notion that teaching the Quran must always be free. The salaries of those teaching the Quran, Ahadeeth, Fiqh, and related disciplines must be commensurate with the immense effort they put in. There is a need to overhaul the entire operating model of our religious schools, to make them more self-sufficient and less reliant on donations. Once the students pay what they can afford for studying in these schools, the staff could be better compensated, helping to lift the quality of education and the spread of knowledge.
Furthermore, the salaries of the publicly appointed Imams must be substantially increased to bring them at par with other reputable jobs. The Imams should also seek to engage in part-time commercial activity – through such avenues as private teaching, entrepreneurship, and self-employment – to provide them with a side-income, to improve their financial prospects. Engaging in religious and commercial pursuits simultaneously was a practice of the Sahabah, the Imams of the past, and the classical Muslim scholars – and one that needs to be revived in the present era.
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