My husband asked me this, and since we have none in my area, and I've never seen it discussed . . . I don't know!
1.) Who pays for the construction?
2.) Are the people who work there paid? How are they paid? Do people donate money and food to them, or are they expected to hold other employment?
3.) Is housing provided for the imam? Do they ever live in the mosque itself?
4.) How are things like maintenance covered? Is there a collection upon necessity, or does it come out of an account with funds gathered from . . . where?
And here's a question from me!
5.) If someone wants to start a prayer center in their local community, what must they do to get it legally recognized for tax purposes (US laws)? Are women allowed to do this, or since they cannot lead the prayer, should it be done by a male?
1) It veries, some are private, and some are governmental mosques. Like in Denmark, the government don't build mosques,only churches, so all our mosques are payed by us. (the muslims give some money to the mosque by own will, and they run the mosque).
2) As far as I know, Imaams usually earn a lot (those I know are rich), they get it sometimes from government, and sometimes people pay a zakaat, or just donate to them, and if kids want to read in a mosque, they may also pay fee's to the imaam. I'm not sure about the economy, but I know that it varries from mosque to mosque. But atleast the imaam dosn't starve.
3) Some imaams may build a house by the mosque, and live there, and some may live another place, it's up to them..
5) I didn't get your question, but as far as I know women are allowed to teach too, and males should do the Adhaan and Iqamah. =) If you wish to use your money to build a mosque, ask your husband. =)
I make Islamic Graphic. Check it out: Gallery, and check out my Youtube channel as well (warring contains music) :Crescent: :Koran: :aboo:
Many Masjids I have attended have been simply a room in the Imam's house. Others have been old stores rented by the local Islamic Society or Islamic center. Often the Imam is either the oldest or the most educated person present. Very few Masjids I have been in have had a paid Imam.
Typically in the US Mosques begin as simple gatherings in homes. Eventually enough Muslims are together to form an Islamic center and the next step is to either construct a Mosque or rent a suitable building. Many Mosques in the US are funded by the person or family who initiates it. Very few Imams I know have been paid to be so. The cleaning of the Mosques has been by volunteers and there has usually been a donation box at the back of the Mosque for those who wish to help support it. As the numbers grow an Islamic center develops and part of this becomes private schools, book stores and activity centers. Tuitions and book sales begin to help support the center and the Mosque, at that point a full time, paid Imam is often hired.
My husband asked me this, and since we have none in my area, and I've never seen it discussed . . . I don't know!
1.) Who pays for the construction?
2.) Are the people who work there paid? How are they paid? Do people donate money and food to them, or are they expected to hold other employment?
3.) Is housing provided for the imam? Do they ever live in the mosque itself?
4.) How are things like maintenance covered? Is there a collection upon necessity, or does it come out of an account with funds gathered from . . . where?
And here's a question from me!
5.) If someone wants to start a prayer center in their local community, what must they do to get it legally recognized for tax purposes (US laws)? Are women allowed to do this, or since they cannot lead the prayer, should it be done by a male?
In the UK some masjid's are government funded others aren't and rely solely on donations from the congregation, the Masjid I go to for jummah does a collection every Friday after the prayer and that's how it's funded. The first step I guess would be establishing if there's a need in your community for a masjid. Does your community contain a huge number of Muslims' without a place of congregation? Or does it contain a small number of Muslims'?
In my area there is only a few Muslims' so this brother made one of the rooms of his house into a prayer room and we just gather there to pray, it suffices since there is only a few of us.
At the main masjid where I go for jummah, they sometime make annoucements that they're doing a collection for the buidling of a masjid in such a such area. Maybe you could do that if there's a viable need for a masjid in your locality, approach an all ready established masjid and ask them to do a collection on your behalf to construct a masjid and work with them on it.
Here, some brothers couldn't get a license for a masjid because the non Muslims started protesting, so instead they got a license for a community centre but it carries out the activities of a masjid.
Whether or not the imam lives in the masjid depends upon him I think, if he has no where else to live I don't see why he can't live in the masjid. He doesn't have to though if that's your query. I think it could be a join effort with you and your husband, your husband can approach the male brothers and discuss about it with them and raise awareness, and you could approach females and do the same.
I'm not sure what imam's live off here, maybe they live off donations I'm not sure. The cleaning in my masjid is covered by volunteers, and if there's a need for something more important like an extension, they announce it and everyone donates towards it on a weekly/monthly basis untill they have enough. Sometimes they're collecting for a few years before they meet the amount of money they need.
Last edited by Salahudeen; 04-04-2011 at 02:44 PM.
“Who said that guidance requires there to be someone accompanying you"
My husband asked me this, and since we have none in my area, and I've never seen it discussed . . . I don't know!
1.) Who pays for the construction?
2.) Are the people who work there paid? How are they paid? Do people donate money and food to them, or are they expected to hold other employment?
3.) Is housing provided for the imam? Do they ever live in the mosque itself?
4.) How are things like maintenance covered? Is there a collection upon necessity, or does it come out of an account with funds gathered from . . . where?
And here's a question from me!
5.) If someone wants to start a prayer center in their local community, what must they do to get it legally recognized for tax purposes (US laws)? Are women allowed to do this, or since they cannot lead the prayer, should it be done by a male?
1. The community usually pays. But in Australia, they have private, discreet donors who fund the mosque's construction.
2. Usually, it's just an Imam and the board. But I know a mosque here who has a secretary, and yes, she is paid.
3. Sometimes. I know in Australia, the government gives them a house and car. It varies, but I think here in the US, Imams usually just get paid a salary.
4. People donate. Especially on Jumuah.
5. Not sure about the legal aspect, but I'm sure you could probably register it as a religious 501 thingy.
It varies. There really isn't one method of making a Mosque. But I think a Mosque has to be bought, not rented or something, right?
Thanks everyone, so much. I'll be sure to pass this to the hubby tomorrow when I go to visit him in the hospital . . . I'm sure he'd love to have something else to chat about other than blood tests. :/ Insha'Allah it will also help assuage some of his concerns about Islam; he still has the Looming Vatican stuck in his head.
We don't have a large Muslim community here (actually to the best of my knowledge, we don't have ANY Muslim community here, unless I'm a community. My scale sure seems to think so). But we're right next to the highway, and seeing as there are no real private places to pray for a four hour stretch of road that we are right in the middle of, I thought it might be nice to have one available for anyone who wanted to use it. The truck stop on the highway exit has a chapel, but trust me, it's made very clear that it is a CHAPEL, and while I think the Benedictine sisters have made their multi-cultural center available for a few Muslim families coming to the area for asylum, I don't think they really advertise it as "Muslim prayer space" for obvious reasons.
That's interesting that they should not be rented . . . as Woodrow had mentioned, I too have heard of people renting space, often an unused storefront or something similar. We have a lot of unrented space in a very convenient strip-mall going for dirt cheap, which made me think it might work. But I'll definitely be looking into what has been ruled about it in the past, and why.
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My husband asked me this, and since we have none in my area, and I've never seen it discussed . . . I don't know!
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