Paying money to masjid, imaam, scholar or hafiz

**Imraan** · 05-06-2020

Assalam Walaikum

For as long as I can remember, people in my community have paid money to a masjid (any masjid close or far far away), imaam, scholar or hafiz in exchange for prayers to help them with their calamity.

How valid is this action, are there any virtues in this?

If someone is suffering from a calamity has had a death or illness in the family and they are approached (by someone of good intentions I'm sure) to make a monetary contribution for dua's... what should they do?

The amount is rarely defined. Humbleness normally requires a kind of "give whatever you can give in line with the current GDP and general wokring class affordability etc...". But people tend to be paying in £50 or £100 increments.

On one hand people are compelled to make a payment to save face (how can i ask for something of the mosque / 'individual like an imaam' without giving something back?) on the other hand it is assumed people are going to pay to have their request fulfilled. Bit cynical I know.

May Allah swt guide us all in making the right decisions where we can achieve maximum benefit insh Allah.

Jazak Allah
Your brother imran.

**moinudin** · 05-06-2020

و عليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

I don't know of a legal ruling according to the shariah, but it sounds questionable to me. Are you being approached and asking if you should accept the donation or or you asking if it is OK for you to make such a request?

What I have personally experienced, الحمد لله, is that after donating with no expectation of receiving duas, I hear that the recipients have made duas for me (without asking; although once I hear this I typically ask for specific duas).

**M.I.A.** · 05-06-2020

Originally Posted by Imraan

Assalam Walaikum

For as long as I can remember, people in my community have paid money to a masjid (any masjid close or far far away), imaam, scholar or hafiz in exchange for prayers to help them with their calamity.

How valid is this action, are there any virtues in this?

If someone is suffering from a calamity has had a death or illness in the family and they are approach to make a monetary contribution for duas... what should they do?

May Allah swt guide us all in making the right decisions where we can achieve maximum benefit insh Allah.

Jazak Allah
Your brother imran.

Our main mosque usually announces deaths within the community and when the burial is taking place.
All are encouraged to attend and also make dua for the deceased.

The imam announces the family members contributions towards the mosque.

This announcement imo is the only questionable part of the process, but is also ironically how society and community works.

Plenty to discuss about the ethics of implication and inference.

My brother in laws.. Plural, are quran hafiz so maybe they would know the actual rulings.

Imo money is just a tool like any other, some people can use it and some people misuse it.
Some people need it and some people have enough of it.

Security is with Allah swt

But most normal people living normal lives, need normal payment.

Or the charity of Allah swt.

I wouldn't want to be coerced into having to pay money for someone to offer dua on my behalf.

But in most cases I would not end up in that situation anyway.

I lead a careful life... God fearing.. because I'm not good at warding off evil.

It didn't use to be like this..

But I think too much about what is being said to me.

Unfortunately not much of a speaker myself.

..in a world where the dua on the prayer mat and the dua infront of people are not seemingly equal.. this is not a good thing.

**Imraan** · 05-06-2020

Person A knows of person B's calamity. Person A says to Person B "Why don't you ask imam / masjid / hafiz to read khatam and pray for you"

that means... either
a) Person B pays an imaam in his hand and ask him to pray to make it easy for Person B, Imaam keeps that money (this is a service an imaam can offer im guessing?)
b) Person B donates to the masjid and asks them masjid comittee/resident imam to pray and make it easy for him
c) Person B pays a certain amount to a hafeez to read a khatam and to pray for him.

as far as Person B is concerned, they can pay (for reward in the akhirah and for the sake of Allah) and be done with it with hope and faith that it makes a difference, which is what normally tends to happen.

**CuriousonTruth** · 05-06-2020

Originally Posted by Imraan

Assalam Walaikum

For as long as I can remember, people in my community have paid money to a masjid (any masjid close or far far away), imaam, scholar or hafiz in exchange for prayers to help them with their calamity.

How valid is this action, are there any virtues in this?

If someone is suffering from a calamity has had a death or illness in the family and they are approached (by someone of good intentions I'm sure) to make a monetary contribution for dua's... what should they do?

On one hand people are compelled to make a payment to save face (how can i ask for something of the mosque or someone without giving something back?) on the other hand it is assumed people are going to pay to have their request fulfilled. Bit cynical I know.

May Allah swt guide us all in making the right decisions where we can achieve maximum benefit insh Allah.

Jazak Allah
Your brother imran.

Sounds more like business to me. Is it a Pakistani/Indian/Bangladeshi based mosque?

It reminds me of the history lesson of the 30 years war, how the Catholics were selling written forgiveness decrees in exchange for money. Nothing good comes out of making religion into a merchandise.

**Imraan** · 05-06-2020

Im in the UK and from what i have seen, most masjids that I have been to 'mainly Pakistani and bangladeshi' adopt this 'indirectly implied condition'.

I do feel bad now because as i was growing up it was blatently obvious that the personal finances of some imaams were quite flourishing and there was some envy and curiosity in it on my part. Off course as we're growing up most of us are all looking for ways to make money! (anyway lets not deviate into that!)