How Much Should Islamic Clergy Make?

65 Comments

1. 

   Naseer

   January 16, 2012 at 6:53 AM

   Could you have said it better? NO!
   it’s pathetic truly, I wish we could wake up and do something, I’m doing my studies now and planning on furthering it soon overseas and my intentions on coming back are limited because I want to actually make a living. Being an Imam from the get go has a negative connotation, which is confusing because of their importance. Oh well, the youth who are interested in studying Islam will do one of two things.

   1. Find the 4% of Masajid in the states that actually pay.
   Or
   2. Move overseas where they are better cared for and can continue to submerge themselves in studies in countries that will better care for them.

   Reply
   • 

     Joe

     January 17, 2012 at 11:29 PM

     Salam Alaikum

     This article touches on a few important issues, but in my estimate (and I say this working as an Imam) in all of our comments we have missed the mark. We are either concentrating way too much on measurable minutia, or on intangible feelings. We are asking the wrong questions, its not what he does or how much he makes. Those changes with time and place. We should be asking: “What is an Imam?”

     We have no shortage of funding, resources, or facilities in our community. What we also have no shortage of is disjunctive approaches to community advancement . We have a leadership crisis, in which competing visions vie for prominence in a closed environment. This results in hegemony and chaos. Our problem is more psychological than anything; we have a phobia of clear delineated leadership. We hold anarchy as “Shura”, we hold leaders as underlings, we hold trusteeship as oligopoly.

     In summary, the Imam is a leader. He lends organizational representation to his organization, he is a gatekeeper to the institution he is associated with. Due to his religious training, he is the person best fit to design and implement strategic plans for the furtherance of the Mosque’s mission, which at its core is religious in nature.

     We must realize that all other services support the religious nature of our Mosques, and that institutions need leaders to succeed. We will always remain marginalized, because we marginalize our leadership, by either not empowering them, or by not identifying and training potential leaders.

     The Prophet (عليه السلام) said: (إنما جعل الامام ليؤتم به) “The Imam is only there to lead.”
     Allow leaders to lead.

     Reply
2. 

   Umm Sulaim

   January 16, 2012 at 7:33 AM

   Great reminder. I think I had a similar debate over a decade ago. Some people would rather the Ambassadors of Islam lived on crumbs.

   The only point on which I disagree with you is good Imams have more or less the same responsibilities everywhere. In fact, those in the developing world face the added problem of lack of access to up-to-date information on some of the issues you mentioned. Some of these societal problems are considered taboo, unlike in the west where it is a daily reality in the news, except for those more comfortable with a conspiracy of silence.

   And is that 50-60 cents? Haha. I think you meant 50000-60000 dollars.

   Umm Sulaim

   Reply
3. 

   Mehzabeen (iMuslim)

   January 16, 2012 at 8:49 AM

   Masha’Allah, I agree: investing in people is paramount to investing in architecture. The first caliphs, radiallahu anhum were paid so that they could commit their entire time to the leadership of the Muslim community. Imams should not be made to feel like beggars – especially when it is we who are the needy ones.

   Reply
   • 

     The Shardul of Allah

     January 16, 2012 at 1:44 PM

     The first caliphs, radiallahu anhum were paid so that they could commit their entire time to the leadership of the Muslim community.

     Yes, the first Caliphs were allowed to take their portions from the national treasury, but they would only take the bare minimum. In fact, Abu Bakr (R) did not take anything from the national treasury. He used to live on his own. As for the Umar (R), he would also take extremely little. Uthman (R) did not need anything from the treasury because he himself was very wealthy. Ali (R) was also a great ascetic.

     Despite surviving on their own, the Caliphs had served the ummah in the best possible way. Despite being a caliph, Abu Bakr (R) would go out in the outskirts of Madina to milk the goats of some old women. Umar (R) saw this one day and asked those women, “Do you know who this man is?” They replied in negative. Umar (R) then cried and said,”O Abu Bakr! Indeed you have raised standard of khalifah to a very high place.”

     Uthman (R) had the highest number of camels among the Arabs. Yet when he became the Caliph, he had only two camels. He donated the rest in the cause of Allah.

     I am not saying that imams should not be paid. We should offer them a salary that commensurate their experience, knowledge, and the hours they spent each week for community service. However, it should be up to the imams whether they would take such a high salary.

     In my humble opinion, although imams are giving a lot of their time and effort in their professional role, it would be unfair to compare imamah with other profession. Because there will be no more prophets, and thus the duty of keeping the ummah guided has been transferred to the shoulders of imams. Thus the profession of imam is noble profession and people serve as imams for the sake of Allah and reward in the hereafter first, and for the sake of money second.

     Again I am not saying that imams should not be paid, but I will recall this incident only to highlight the nobility of this career: The Messenger of Allah used sleep in a bed made up of dates palm barks. When he would sit on it, it create marks on his body. Umar (R) saw this one day and cried, “O The Messenger of Allah! The Romans and the Persian Emperors sleep on comfy beds despite being kuffars and you sleep on such rough beds despite being the Messenger of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah become angry hearing this statement. He reminded Umar (R) that we have akhirah while the Roman and Persian Emperors had only duniya.

     Reply
     • 

       mw_m

       January 16, 2012 at 4:17 PM

       You make a very good point akhi. However, you have to keep in mind that being Muslim in America raises some new issues that the khulafa did not have to deal with:

       Transportation: It’s becoming pretty much a necessity for families with children to have two cars. One for the breadwinner, one for the parent who’s taking care of the children to drive them to and from school, extracurricular activities, Islamic weekend school, etc. Two cars means double the expense. Say the imam drives a Toyota Camry and his wife drives a Honda Accord (neither of which are extravagant). That’s a substantial sum of money.

       Education: Sure, public school is an option, but many imams might prefer to send their children to Islamic school or private school. That’s a substantial expense right there. Add to that children who are going to college. Even a public university where the child stays at home runs close to $10,000 a year. Three children in college at once ad you’re looking at $30,000 in tuition alone.

       Vacation: This might seem like a luxury that the khulafa did not have but in reality, this is a necessity. Families no longer spend as much time together and if the imam never goes on vacation with his family, you’re looking at some serious domestic problems. Add in some expenses here as well.

       And finally, take into account the high school student with a 90 percentile plus ACT/SAT score. He tells his parents he wants to become an imam, what do you think their response is going to be? 30k a year for the rest of his life, being a slave to the masjid board (since he has no way to save up and is living hand to mouth) or 300k a year as a physician where he can “learn some Islam on the side.” The fact of the matter is that, with the rare exceptions that we know so well, the majority of people who are able to actually go on to become imams in America are not the most intelligent young men we have. I can easily think off the top of my head at least 4 or 5 brothers who would have loved to become imams but because of the concern of their parents are currently pursing the path to become physicians.

       Reply
     • 

       James

       January 17, 2012 at 8:34 AM

       Salaam.

       You mentioned the poverty that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and some of the Khulafa experienced. Keep in mind that this poverty was optional. In hadith, the prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) mentioned that he was given the choice to live as a prophet and king or a prophet in poverty, and he opted for the latter.

       It is the responsibility of masjid boards to give Imams a decent salary that allows them to not constantly be worrying about covering expenses, etc. If the Imams choose to donate majority of it in the path of Allah, and live hand to mouth, that is their choice. However, there is a fine line between masjid boards imposing poverty on imams and masjid boards giving imams a decent salary with the imams deciding for themselves how they want to use it.

       Reply
     • 

       Zebram Zee

       February 9, 2012 at 9:30 PM

       I dont agree completely.  While Imams should not take ostentatious salaries, also keep in mind that the caliphs took little in part because taxes are forced contributions, and they did not want to force people to pay up so they could live a nice life.  In the case of Imams here, however, they are being paid through voluntary contributions.

       Reply
     • 

       ummabduWahab

       June 27, 2016 at 10:30 PM

       JAZAKALLAHUKHYRE for that brother MASHALLAH ALLAHUMAH barik lak you have spoken with knowledge and understanding of it may ALLAH reward you for reminding us.. I do agree that sometimes a Imam is over worked and sometimes doing what a scholar should be doing. There is responsibility on the directors of masjids that each person is in the places of there capacity that is another topic a very important topic that does need to be addressed. However if we concentrate just about the pay of the Imam this is what I have to say: What we know from the book of ALLAH is that this world is a delusion and most are deluded by the pomp and glitter of it.

       “Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that we may test them (as to) which of them is best in deed” Quran surah 18 verse 7

       ” But you prefer the worldly life. While the hereafter is better and more enduring”
       Quran surah 87 verse 16&17

       “And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion”
       Quran surah 3 verse 185

       Any Imam must first and foremost know that the service they are doing is for ALLAH and with ALLAH is the best of provision and reward in this world and the next and if one is sincere in their service to ALLAH, they will never regret, suffer or complain. However an Imam must live, eat, cloth and shelter himself and family and normal necessities etc but not to delude oneself to what the normal necessities are. So to ask or to be paid to what is necessary for his position and the rest he can feel safe that his reward is with ALLAH..
       There is no worldly price on this work and I have heard much people value the Imams work in worldly terms which is an obvious lack in faith or understanding. The Imam should be paid to live within his means. So he is able to keep his role as Imam so not to pass his time else where in order to provide. But if he has higher expectations or desire for worldly benefits maybe he could leave his role to a more humble sincere individual who has the right understanding and intention of being Imam INSHALLAH.
       The first and foremost the intention should be to please ALLAH and serve his deen for the sake of ALLAH and not for the pay check that’s if he wants to receive the real benefits and sweetness of being Imam and receive the true rewards in this world and the next. And ALLAH knows best.
       May ALLAH guide us and guide our Imams to guide us.

       Reply
4. 

   Basil Mohamed Gohar

   January 16, 2012 at 9:02 AM

   Baarak Allaahu feek wa jazaak Allaahu khayran, yaa akhee, for sharing this with us. I had just received a link to that Slate article a few days ago, and I debated whether or not to even share it with our own imaam – would it make him feel better or worse, given that we’re facing exactly this situation in our community.

   I think there’s another shade to this problem. Some people, especially in the administration and/or amongst the elders/uncles of the community, don’t even want an imaam in the true sense. They want a Quran teacher, an imaam only for prayers, and a worker for the masjid. Beyond that, they think that their (the uncles’) own secular education will be enough to lead the community Islamically. You’ve hinted at this, I think, in that the administration might want complete control over the imaam.

   There’s a real failing in our communities in accepting that we need to have sound and strong Islamic leadership to achieve anything close to the concept of an Islamic community. We should strive hard to find good leaders, compensate them appropriately, and once they’re in place, support them in all the good that they do, and most importantly, have a degree of trust in their choices and decisions, and follow them as long as they are in line with Quran & Sunnah.

   I could probably go on until I hit the comment length limit, so I’ll leave it this, and I just want to share that it’s a problem felt far-and-wide. May Allaah correct our understanding of Islamic scholarship and its worth and necessity in our communities.

   Reply
   • 

     mw_m

     January 16, 2012 at 4:20 PM

     I think there’s another shade to this problem. Some people, especially in the administration and/or amongst the elders/uncles of the community, don’t even want an imaam in the true sense.

     This.

     We actually had an uncle of the community stand up and say quite explicitly that American Muslims have no need for an “imam.” All we need is a hafidh to lead the prayers and taraweeh. Any “imam” duties can be taken over by the non-religiously trained uncles (he clearly stated this very sentiment). As long as communities don’t see a need for imams, we’re going to run into this issue.

     Reply
5. 

   Teaching Kids the Holy Quran using toys

   January 16, 2012 at 10:01 AM

   I think the Muslim community should split the roles. An imam is someone who leads you in prayer (probably because he knows more of the Holy Quran). A scholar is someone who knows a lot about fiqh and can give fatwas. Every mosque should have a resident scholar who lives in the community and “gets” them. You can probably have 2-3 imams who rotate their schedule. Marriage counsellors should be separate and should work in hand with the scholar, but should be specialized to save marriages.

   It is hard to have a super human imam that can do all.

   Another idea that needs to take hold in the community is that these people should not be paid highly as they are distributing Islamic knowledge and “working for Islam”. Why should they not be paid? They are providing a service.

   And finally, I have seen many people illegally record lectures and made dvds from original lectures sold by the scholars, because “it’s for Islam” (so copyright laws don’t apply?). This also needs to be tackled with.

   — Mezba

   Reply
   • 

     Siraaj

     January 16, 2012 at 1:14 PM

     Mezba, my thoughts exactly. Oftentimes, imams and scholars are lumped together in one bundle, but the needs of the community are becoming more and more compartmentalized and we’re finding it’s better to have trained specialists in an area rather than a jack of all trades.

     I believe another problem our community faces is the belief that knowing the Qur’aan or understanding jurisprudence equals leadership capability, marital counseling specialties, and so on. I think these and other skills have to be both trained in some academic sense and then practiced, otherwise it becomes on the job training with the barometer being the satisfaction of the board, and if their standard is too low, then the community suffers for it, and if it’s too high, too much stress is placed on the imam.

     Siraaj

     Reply
6. 

   Jo

   January 16, 2012 at 10:17 AM

   as salaam alaikum,

   Actually, in my mind it makes more sense to pay an Imam a housing allowance than to buy a house.

   My father is the treasurer of his church and he knows all the ins and outs of clergy pay so that it is beneficial for both the church and the pastor.

   Maybe we as an ummah should use some of our interfaith connections to talk to churches who have been doing this for decades in order to learn what we’ve been missing.

   http://www.freechurchaccounting.com/housingallowance.html

   Reply
   • 

     ahmed

     January 16, 2012 at 11:58 AM

     this link is very interesting, jazakum Allahu khairan.

     Reply
     • 

       Jo

       January 16, 2012 at 1:14 PM

       waiyyakum

       Reply
   • 

     Siraaj

     January 16, 2012 at 1:07 PM

     This is a great suggestion – it would be great if individuals could come together and put together a suggested package for taking care of Imams and community leaders, and researching models that already exist in other communities to brainstorm what is appropriate for their own.

     Siraaj

     Reply
7. 

   Bader

   January 16, 2012 at 1:18 PM

   Clergy = a term for and used by Christians about their own qississin;
   Imam (of a Masjid) is the proper term. Walhamdulillah.

   Reply
   • 

     ibnabeeomar

     January 16, 2012 at 1:28 PM

     the term clergy was used because it was in response to an article by slate that used the term [see the initial link in the article]

     Reply
8. 

   AycaB

   January 16, 2012 at 2:40 PM

   It is permissable to take money for teaching our deen. A person has to earn a living, and the best way to earn a living is one which strives for Allah’s cause or to spread His message. So, for example, just like lawyers who fight for Muslims in court cases for the sake of Allah, just like doctors in Palestine operate on wounded citizens for the sake of Allah, just like judges want to do justice for the sake of Allah, it is no different than imams, sheiks, or alimas who teach and preach for the sake of Allah. I mean Allah didn’t expect people to work for free in dunya and beg people for money!! It is instructed for Muslims to go into professions for the sake of Allah, so this whole paying imams, sheiks, and alimas should be a non-issue. Moreover, Imams, sheiks, and alimas do more than teach and preach, they put up with their congregates myriad of problems! They remind me of college deans….they do it all. Moreover, Islamic religious preachers these days almost always have advanced degrees too. Who do you think will pay for their loans if they aren’t paid well?!

   Reply
9. 

   AbdelRahman Murphy

   January 16, 2012 at 3:32 PM

   Observation: interesting that people who don’t serve as imams or full-time community workers feel so strongly about the issue. For those who support adequate salaries, this is comforting. For those who are still a little stuck in the dark ages, this is frightening.

   I’d like to hear reflections from some imams or full-time community workers.

   Reply
10. 

    bint

    January 16, 2012 at 5:05 PM

    jazakAllah khayr for raising this issue that certainly needs to be touched on. I completely agree with you. My husband serves as an Imam and I can attest to how much overtime hours he puts into his community. He even spends time at the masjid on his days off. Unfortunately, he hardly has time to spend at home with family. And he’s always on the phone, either counseling or dealing with masjid-related issues. The point I’m trying to make is that Imams definitely work hard and put a lot of time and effort into their jobs and should be paid accordingly. There is nothing wrong with taking money for serving the deen, after all they do have families to support just like everyone else.

    Reply
11. 

    Nahyan

    January 16, 2012 at 6:32 PM

    Excellent article akhi.

    Reply
12. 

    Abdullah

    January 16, 2012 at 9:29 PM

    It’s interesting that we like to make fun of Jewish people and we have a stereotype about them being stingy, but in this case, it is the Muslims who are at the bottom when it comes to spending on their Imams. There are MANY communities in the US, that if you were to add all the wages of the community members, it would run into the MANY millions! Every year, so many Muslim communities are making tens of millions of dollars prior to taxes and they aren’t even ready to pay $50k per year to the Imam. Then they complain that their kids have gone astray and their kids have abandoned them in their old age and other complaints. Well, maybe if the kids were attracted to Islamic teachings because of having a good Imam, then they would be more religiously inclined. But your whole life was all about making money and religion played a very minimal role and your children saw that. So don’t go crying about your children not caring about you. They might have cared if they had a better Imam who influenced them in a positive way.

    Reply
13. 

    Abdullah

    January 16, 2012 at 9:56 PM

    @The Shardul of Allah

    Masha Allah, beautiful advice for the Imams.

    I guess the advice to you would be to leave whatever you are doing and go and become an Imam because Masha Allah, you write like an intellectual.

    If you don’t want to, even though Islamic rewards wise, the Imam position is the most rewarding, then please make sure that you never buy a house. Make sure that your car does not cost more than $5,000. Also, please make sure that whatever money you earn, that ALL of it is donated to your local Masjid because that is what Abu Bakr r.a. did right?

    Along with financial hardships, the Imam must also bear taunts of certain segments of the congregation. Your recitation will always be compared to Shaikh Sudais or Shatri and every speech of yours will be compared to the speeches of Shaykhs Hamzah Yusuf or Yasir Qadhi. So you must recite like Sudais, speak like Yusuf, be as handsome as Pitt (that was so random :) ), and live on minimum wages with no health insurance for the whole family.

    God Forbid! If you get a house, or start driving a decent vehicle, or start wearing decent clothes, then you will once again have to face the jealousy and hatred of some parts of the community. Along with all that, you will rarely get a word of appreciation from the community. If you make a mistake, you will be compared to public figures who earn millions of dollars, but when it comes to actual pay, your pay will be paid less than a school teacher.

    But financial hardships can be tolerated, but what can never be tolerated is when Imams are disrespected when they are treated as the doormat of the community. Anyone can say or do anything to the Imam, but the board will not side with you. Welcome to the life of an Imam! :) Go and show your appreciation to the Imam the next time you see him. I know I am going to do it the next time I see him.

    Reply
14. 

    Shirtman

    January 16, 2012 at 10:31 PM

    Salaam,

    So it’s been like years since I have posted on here. But thank you Omar for bringing this into light. I have worked full time in the Islamic realm making a very modest salary, but having to go through alot of pain and suffering. I have also volunteered as an Imam as well, paying for gas etc. To be very honest, the salary should be greater than our Jewish cohorts. The reason is that the Jewish community focuses on one main ethnic group with a slight variance of Ethiopians, Persians etc. While American Imams have to deal with people from all regions of the world, following various madhahib both theological and jurisprudential. They also have to deal with the culture clash of U.S. raised Muslims and immigrant Muslims, converts, African American community and so on. The expectations are out of this world. It would honestly take someone about 20 years of study and experience to meet all of the demands, SubhanAllah and then expect them to take 30k, and be on call, is ridiculous. May Allah bring honor back to the positions of Islam.

    Shirtman

    Reply
15. 

    Carlos

    January 17, 2012 at 1:08 AM

    The largest mansion near my house is owned by a televangelist. Makes me mad.

    Reply
    • 

      Anonymous

      February 9, 2012 at 4:02 AM

      It shouldn’t make you mad.  Our imams are supposed to be an example.  Zuhd is something this ummah is lacking, especially those of us in the west, and the imams ought to set an example for us in zuhd – and many do which is just fine alhamdulillah.

      If an imam had the largest mansion, that would make me mad.

      Reply
16. 

    ِابو سهل الملون

    January 17, 2012 at 5:52 AM

    Assalamu Alaikum .W.B.

    a vital matter, and very enlightening contributions.

    I would think this is a two pronged issue, As a preamble… No community would ever be able to pay an Imam for any service of Deen that he has offered, remember that if He taught me or my son / daughter to read a surah nay a verse or for that matter even a word, the worlds riches would be small to repay him. AND THIS IS NO SUPERNAL/PLAIN SPIRITUAL REPERTOIRE, THIS IS A FACT Which we need to concede to and accept. However, as SHARDUL of Allah correctly states that this position is similar to the post held by the Khulafaa and Hukkaam of the Golden Era (khayrul Quroon), and the directives or inspiration we draw from their blessed lives should be the benchmark and blue print of a scholar today too. A student of deen who studies the sciences, pursues this NOT with the intention of enhancing his absorption in worldly pursuits, instead one is motivated by a far more loftier and nobler purpose. and thus one will accept ineluctably and naturally that pursuing this career would not yield to me a lavish “living like the Jonses” kind of life, instead I would be inheriting the legacy of the Prophet A.S. which is “I eat one day and I thank HIM and I stay hungry one day and say Alhamdulillah….” (bear in mind that The prophet S.A.W said that amongst the signs of the hour is that KNOWLEDGE WILL BE PURSUED FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN THE PLEASURE OF ALLAH. (Tirmidhi) ” so the student of Islam attempts for a degree in philosophy, arts religion to enhance his/her vehicle of delivering the message or even understanding, and NOT for the sake of adding another appellate , title to one’s name hence increase the bid or stakes… Now heres the twist, all this is for the STUDENT/scholar to know and digest and internalize and NOT, yes NOT for the committee members to brandish when interviewing him!! otherwise priorities are messed up and muddled. The committee on the other hand should be focused on sustaining and maintaining that Imam somewhat like the way the Ansaar of Madinah did for our Nabi S.A.W and the muhaajireen, that we will take care of you, your needs your requirements as we would do for our own folk, NOT BECAUSE WE DOING A FAVOR TO YOU, BUT VERY MUCH THE OPPOSITE,,, YOU are DOING A GOOD TURN TO US. This attitude can bring about the correct ideals in both. Now a practical step: we pay the Imam for the time He gives (not his service) so Have the Imaam do office hours e.g 9-5 including mornings and pay him for that time as we would pay a community worker as per his credentials/experience etc. the Imam will run the Masjid office for all social/domestic/school visit/ official work.(Believe me there’s alot of work out there , open an office and you’ll see for yourself….. the Masjid will become a hub, the Imam could then be sent for training/qualifications as per the need) counselling, rehab, support worker . that time spent should be
    remunerated for. Over and above that time , the community should take it as his favor upon them, He’s our asset and thus it is our duty and we need to make his life easier in what ever way possible. decent house, However, individual gifts of money etc. should be avoided as it carries the risk of polluting thoughts of the Imam as well as that of the community.
    Dearest Brothers, in conclusion let me say that this is workable, and it is currently happening. I share this humbly because I am an Imam, and the last four years this is how we’ve “brokered the deal” and sincerely request your Duas.

    Reply
    • 

      ummabduWahab

      June 27, 2016 at 11:28 PM

      JAZAKALLAHUKHYRE, may ALLAH reward you for your efforts. And there’s alot you said I agree with may ALLAH guide us on the path of guidance and cause us to be among the best and most pleasing to Him.

      Reply
    • 

      ummabduWahab

      June 27, 2016 at 11:42 PM

      JAZAKALLAHUKHYRE to the brother post ابو سهل الملون ALLAH reward you for your efforts. And there’s alot you said I agree with may ALLAH guide us on the path of guidance and cause us to be among the best and most pleasing to Him.

      Reply
17. 

    Abdullah

    January 17, 2012 at 7:12 AM

    Brother ibnabeeomar, Jazakumullah for the wonderful article. I just hope that picture of the check with something like the $150 amount is not an Imam’s monthly pay check. : )

    Reply
18. 

    ummMaryam

    January 17, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    salamu ‘alaykum,

    my husband is the principal of an islamic school…was wondering if the author would agree to apply a similar logic to such positions. the community expects the principal of the school to also be the janitor of the school and consider it a huge favor upon him that he is paid over 40000. when he works 70 hours a week like a doctor on call. shouldn’t imams and those taking care of the youth and the “spiritual hearts” of the muslims be valued a bit more? when i say doctor on call, i am serious. muslims use the “akhee” factor too much. you see the islamic school principal in the masjid for isha, catch him for a one hour discussion about your child. would a person ever think of calling their child’s middle or high public school principal on weekends or evenings on a regular basis, and think they own him like that? or if they see him at a restaurant, would they say : do you have a few minutes and then chat for a couple hours? likewise, anytime there are community events to be held at the school, who do you call to open the building and clean up aftewards? oh yeah the school building maintenance person (ie principal).

    then, when the board discusses a possible salary increase, they put the guilt factor on the person by saying something like: “you know the financial situation of the school, but how much of a raise would you need to be comfortable?” and a person as nice as my husband, will only ask for 1 or 2 thousand increase when what he really needs is at least 10 more so that he can visit his old parents and take care of basic needs.

    inshallah he’s planning to quit islamic schools within a year or two so he can work for a public elementary school or a school district to earn normal pay for his education and experience.

    Reply
    • 

      ahmed

      January 17, 2012 at 1:51 PM

      subhaan Allah sister, these problems are so widespread

      May Allah bless you and your family with Jannatul Firdaws among the Prophet SAWS

      Reply
19. 

    Filisteeniyyah

    January 17, 2012 at 10:52 AM

    MashaAllah a great article! Alhamdulillah I’ve been blessed to be a wife of a full-time da’ee, and let me tell you I’ve seen some very shallow minded Masjid admins over the years that my husband had to deal with. By the Qadr of Allah we came across some really bad admins, e.g. at the last Masjid my husband was Imaam, we used to get 800-1000 people during jumu’ah! During his regular weekly halaqaat about 100 atleast would show up. For the weekend school we had more than 200 kids. Ya’ni a very big community. Yet the admin paid my husband literally peanuts to the point that we couldn’t even afford rent for apartment! We didn’t care because this is what he loves. Then the admin used to have meetings with my husband every few days complaining that their sons were becoming too religious and their daughters were starting to veil up through hanging around with me. They wanted to control my husband’s mouth and removed me from teaching at the weekend school. So my husband told them “you pay me an amount with which i can’t even afford rent and with this lousy amount you even want to buy my mouth!” We left that community Alhamdulillah.
    This is just one example. I can give worse stories about how he was seen as nothing but a doormat by the “elite uncles” of the community. He actually served as Imaam for 3 different Masaajid over the past 7years. My husband mashAllah is very good with money management and we were able to get by the Rahmah of Allah. But eventually guess what, we both really got fed up with administrations and he has not served as an Imaam any where during this past year. He just teaches classes here and there on a weekly basis and helps brothers & sisters with their personal problems.
    But wallah, the youth of the community, the mothers, etc still keep in contact with my husband and are happy with what he did for them.
    And I am witness to what my husband does and I say wallah I could not be happier than to be married to someone like him who never cares about how deep of a financial crisis he’s in but he’ll never water the Sunnah down just to please mafia administrations. These admins do not care to see what good Imaams do for the community. SubhanAllah even at 2AM my husband went to do ruqyaa for a family that was effected by sihr. This is what he learned from his shuyookh and this is the effort he puts in towards the Ummah. This is what it means to be caller to Tawheed. Doesn’t matter what the elites do, but you can not deprive the innocent laymen of the community.
    We struggle a lot and I mean a lot Alhamdulillah. There have been times when we could only afford one meal a day due to our circumstances but wallah my husband always tells me that no salary will ever equal to knowing that there were teens who used to commit zina but after sitting through kitaab at tawheed gave up that life and now is doing his best to follow the Sunnah.
    Gone are the times of ‘Umar radiyaAllahu ‘anhu who used to personally make sure the governors, judges, imaams were being paid proper salary. Most admins in the West do not even understand the value of a Sheikh, Taalib ul ‘ilm & du’aat. Some admins do understand as long as the Imaam will speak according to their watered down and deviant ideologies. At the end of the day we’re left with an extremely small percentage of Masaajid admins who value a da’ee based on his adherence to the Sunnah.
    And you know, my husband had some of his engineer friends tell him on his face “bro quit and do something else, people don’t understand these days…just take care of your family”
    To all the hyped up kids who think life of a da’ee must be very cool…yes Alhamdulillah for some it is very easy financially but for a lot of others, Alhamdulillah, it is filled with obstacles. You must always prepare for such hardship. Like the saying goes “hope for the best but be prepared for the worst”. And remember once you put your foot in this profession, you cannot quit and go do something else. How will you face Allah? Just because Allah gave you some financial hardship you quit calling people to His Deen & Sunnah of His Messenger??
    My husband has options of leaving USA and teaching in a school in some other country but he feels (and I do too) that there is a far bigger need for du’aat upon the Sunnah, even small ones like himself, here. The younger generation are hungry for knowledge and the door to perverted ideologies is easily available too and therefore every Sheikh/Taalib ul ‘ilm/Da’ee…famous or unknown…big or small timers…need to play a collective role in calling people to the Tawheed of Allah and the authentic Sunnah of His Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
    Once I’m done with my own studies InshaAllah I really want to write a book about all the things I’ve faced and seen my husband face being a da’ee. Sincere Muslims need to hear these things more so that they can work together and build better communities away from mafia admins that are so common these days.

    Reply
    • 

      ahmed

      January 17, 2012 at 1:47 PM

      Jazaky Allahu khairan sister, a very important and heartbreaking look into the life of an Imam and his family.

      May Allah bless you and your family with Jannatul Firdaws among the Prophet SAWS

      Reply
20. 

    AnonyMouse

    January 17, 2012 at 12:10 PM

    What I find ironic is that people are so willing to fork over hundreds and thousands of dollars to take a course by a superstar shaykh, but are unwilling to part with a couple hundred dollars for their local Imam who shows up for salah 5 times a day, teaches Arabic, Qur’an, Islamic studies, etc. another X number of days a week, and on top of that, serves as a counselor in practically every other field as well (all during totally random hours, including the very wee hours of morning)!
    These are the people who don’t just spend a weekend or two with you – these are the people who are living with you and serving you every single day!

    Reply
    • 

      mw_m

      January 17, 2012 at 7:04 PM

      but…..but….they’re not FAMOUS!

      Reply
21. 

    Abdullah

    January 17, 2012 at 10:26 PM

    A commentator mentioned this previously, and the same comment is used by some people to look down on imams when they try to insinuate that you only became an Imam because you weren’t doing well in school. Do you know how offensive that sounds? I would totally disagree with that generalization. I have come across so many Imams and Islamic scholars who were amazingly smart. They could easily have gone to work in the most rewarding of professions. The way I see it is like this. Parents who are not religiously inclined will never permit their children to become Islamic scholars and Imams even if their children are not doing well in their secular education. Most Imams and Islamic scholars had parents who cared about Islam and that is why they encouraged their kids to become Islamic scholars. From these, there are intellectuals and there are others who are not. Just like in any other profession. But I find it offensive that we dismiss Imams and Islamic scholars by saying that they only chose that profession because they were weak at school.

    On another point, if you look at all the major famous Islamic scholars and speakers in the US, majority of them are not Imams. They are running their own thing because they don’t want to deal at times with low wages and power hungry board members. I’m surprised that Shaykh Yasir is an Imam in Memphis and I notice that he only delivers two Jumahs a month even though Masha Allah, he is an amazing scholar. (http://www.memphisislamiccenter.org/) I would be EXTREMELY surprised if Imam Suhaib stays in the same Boston masjid as an Imam for five years (http://isbcc.org/).

    Reply
    • 

      Fezz

      January 18, 2012 at 2:11 PM

      No I think you misread the point. There was a time where parents would love for their children to take up a full scholastic education and go on to become scholars/imams (look at the time of the early generations etc). We need to acknowledge that ON AVERAGE this is not the case anymore. However many of the top scholars/Imams are – of course – exceptional talents and inshAllah will continue to be so.

      Reply
22. 

    Brother

    January 17, 2012 at 11:48 PM

    Unfortunately the local scholar in my community has attracted hoards of youth to his nightly talks yet the masjid hasn’t even considered paying him. The actual Imam of that masjid only comes on specific days and leaves the masjid on the days that he isn’t there for the laymen to lead the prayers. Yet the uncles have all the money in the world to make the masjid even larger than its original form even though it’s been in construction for 5+ years! Also, the youth in my community are scared of even considering a life as an Imam/Scholar to serve the community due to the fact that their is no one that will help them maintain a living if they do come back. Tawakaltu Al Allah.

    Reply
23. 

    Yahya Ibrahim

    January 18, 2012 at 9:10 AM

    Bismisllah,

    The one who sets on the path of dawah MUST prepare for a life of austerity and prepare his family for limited resources.

    Sometimes it would cost considerable money to attend a conference for a speaking engagement.

    You take unpaid leave from work, travel around the world, leave your family, park your car at the airport at 30 dollars a night, buy gifts for the family, and receive a box of chocolates as a gift after speaking to an audience of thousands who paid tickets to see you and others live.

    You return home to line up in Immigration and be picked up/taxi/drive home out of pocket and seek Allah’s reward.
    WALLAHI it is a blessed life that you cannot appreciate until you experience it. Allah provides Alhamdulillah.

    That is the reality. Wa Alhamdulillah. You must have another career to survive.

    Eventually some give up, or begin charging a modest fee…even though it pains them to do so.

    I ask Allah to increase our rizq and put baraka in our families and preserve our health and honour.

    Some superstars of course do not experience the above anymore, but 100% of them have in the past.

    yahya
    http://www.facebook.com/yahya.adel.ibrahim

    Reply
    • 

      ahmed

      January 18, 2012 at 11:20 AM

      That is the reality. Wa Alhamdulillah. You must have another career to survive.

      Subhaan Allah, this is the truth. A relative of mine is kind of on the board of a couple of masajid and he sees how the Imams get treated, but cannot do anything about it. He says exactly the same as you mentioned Shaikh.

      Jazakum Allahu khairan.

      Reply
    • 

      ummMaryam

      January 18, 2012 at 1:13 PM

      alhamdulillah, you are right. Allah ‘azza wa jall takes care of everyone. The point is rather, so if an islamic school principal with a family of 6 is not making enough from the “poor” school whose board is pouring in thousands to have hi tech facilities and take seniors on an school paid senior trip during spring break, and then the principal chooses as a result to take a different job because he can’t even pay his own rent or visit his 80 year old parents across the country once a year, THEN it is up to the community to decide how much do they really want this principal (or same could go for imam scenario) with whom they are entrusting their kids. it’s not about having a huge salary, it’s about the following:

      for the sake of da’wa to the whole community and their kids, a person may not be able to fulfill the rights of old parents…so then yes, it’s the right of the person to change jobs, but at the community’s loss.

      it is not fair to expect the islamic worker to be there round the clock and not give him a chance for the tarbiya of his own kids (i’m sure everyone knows the scenario of the imam with the naughtiest kids in town)…

      alhamdulillah, we are content with our situation, but at some point, my husband’s parents and our own kids must come before the kids of the rest of the community… we have to save ourselves and our families from the fire before the rest of the town,,,

      so the smart thing: if there is a really talented imam/principal: ask him: what do you need to stay here? what tutoring needs do your kids have? we wil pay for those since we are taking you away from your own family. it’s not about having the designer clothes, nice house or sporty car. we’ll stick with our ’95 corolla.

      Reply
24. 

    Sabour

    January 18, 2012 at 12:52 PM

    Great points in the article and in the comments.

    I agree that our resident imaams, scholars, counselors etc. should be selected carefully based on their relevant qualifications – and as a result they should be paid well and taken care of thoroughly.

    The biggest concern should be mismanagement of masjid funds for other expenses, because masjid boards and leaders may not be carefully chosen based on qualifications, and as a result they can be horribly incompetent. How many of them have the years of education to manage such a huge community structure? Almost none.

    Considering the embarrassing and unprofessional levels most communities go to to collect donations (especially during Ramadaan), and the sheer magnitude of funds that are collected, it should set off an alarm that we’re even discussing the pay of our highest priority expenses. How many million dollar masjids do we have with half a dollar khutbahs?

    Our management and finances are at the crux of the issue, and if we don’t fix this we’re going to be paying the price (pun intended).

    Reply
    • 

      ibnabeeomar

      January 18, 2012 at 12:56 PM

      agree completely.. we’re hoping muslimsi.com starts making small inroads in fixing the management issue :)

      Reply
    • 

      ummMaryam

      January 18, 2012 at 1:20 PM

      salamu ‘alaikum,

      jazakAllah khair. you are spot on.. thousands will go into facilities without a single raised eyebrow, but pay an islamic worker over 40,000 and the rumor mills abound…”Wallahi, how could he? Take that much from the community?” And if he tries to do private tutoring or other programs on the side for the income his family needs, everyone is taking account as if it’s their own bank savings they’re worried about losing.

      Remember the one saved on the day of J is : illa man ata Allaha bi qalbin saleem. so shouldn’t the spiritual heart doctor of islamic communities be considered of value?

      Reply
25. 

    Fezz

    January 18, 2012 at 2:24 PM

    Are they that desparate for a pay increase? I disagree that we should regard this as another “labour market” issue. Being an imam is not “just another job” There are many Imams already on MM who could comment better.

    More money would probably help and form reading the above seems warranted. But I suspect what many would value far far more is primarily respect, freedom and the autonomy to lead and develop services for their community. Give them the funds to invest in professional development be that futhering a specialist interest (educating children / marriage counselling) or even on general scholarly development (budgets to expend on overseas courses, seminars and workshops etc)

    The modern western mosque is evolving from being merely a prayer area to a community centre/educational establishment/youth centre etc. (infact as it orginally was and should be!). The role definitions of imams are changing (although not uniformly) and I guess there is a lag behind in this for renumeration.

    Ultimately, we should look at the transformative effect highly motivated scholastic imams can have on our community. Their salary is not just a paycheck. Given to the right person its a crucial investment in the community and our future.

    Reply
26. 

    Fezz

    January 18, 2012 at 2:38 PM

    Arrgh! My orginal post got lost but the essence of it was;
    Do imams want more pay? MM has many people better able to comment but perhaps not all do. I supect many are underpaid (although I dont know what the average available supply of mosque funds would be in any case). I hesitate about looking at this as a ‘labour market’ issue; its not ‘just another job’.

    I suspect what many would much rather have just more respect, and the freedom and autonomy to develop services to meet the needs of the community. Particularly funds for develping specialist interests (marriage, educating children etc), profressional developement (overseas study, courses and seminars) and also to bring in other committed and talented people to support them in this work (yes that includes bringing in the YOUTH)

    We need a better understanding of what we want from Imams as they evolve from just someone who reads the prayer to a Leader of the Community. The prayer centre is now a centre for youth work, marriage counselling and so much more. Centres and talent vary; a ‘one-size fits all’ salary is clearly inadequate.

    We can see what a transformative effect some of the scholared imams can have not just on their community but on the regions around them as well. Utlimately paying an imam is not just a salary, its an investment in the commnity.

    jzk

    Reply
27. 

    none

    January 18, 2012 at 3:28 PM

    The issue at hand is not for the present but also investing in our future. There is a bright, young hafidh of Quran somewhere today who can soak up knowledge and dispense it with wisdom who might be goaded towards an attractive profession in the dunya because of some needs his family has. If you want to be a zahid, please feel free to pack up and get out of America because zuhd over here still requires money. Zuhd can’t be practiced at the expense of someone else’s life. These imams are not celibate, they have families, kids, expenses.These imams are born of parents and may have to provide for them especially after they invested 25K in that special islamic school to keep the imams away from loose women in junior high school (rolls eyes) .

    Having said that the salary range is ridiculous. Many people have to wear numerous hats at their job and are not blessed with a 100K salary. It should be region specific and it should be based the masjid’s viability in the business arena. Masjids have to figure out how to generate income and get their communities involved. My dollars will get stretched thin if the leaky roof has to get fixed, the electric bill needs to get paid and an imam hasn’t gotten his $7000 paycheck, apart from the barakah Allah puts in the donation. We have blessings and we have miracles, we can’t count on the imam’s paycheck materializing from blessings. They aren’t Maryam (alayhis salaam).

    And while Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Hasan, and Muawiya are excellent examples, we are going to have some bad imams, some worldly imams, some imams who want to be ballers. We are talking about a budding industry, a profession, not about character. Their talents need to be utilized not shunned due to poor income.

    Reply
28. 

    Yasmin

    February 6, 2012 at 3:06 PM

    Jazakallah khair for shedding light on this very important issue! I was one of those naive people who thought Imams didn’t get paid. However, after reading this informative article I am confident that our Imams should be paid a reasonable and fair salary!

    Reply
29. 

    Patent A Program

    February 8, 2012 at 1:41 AM

    After serving our community for the past five years, I have come
    away with certain lessons. We have gone through our fair share of
    challenges, and we have been blessed with our fair share of success by
    Allah (swt). The next few essays are my personal opinion on what worked
    for us and what I suggest may work for you. Again, its just an opinion.

    Reply
30. 

    K1hay

    February 11, 2012 at 6:51 PM

    Is there a clergy(priest) class in Al-Islam? When did it start? Was there such a group in the time of PM(saw)? If there was no clergy class during the time of PM(saw) Is this then bida? Helllp me 

    Reply
31. 

    Jamilah

    February 13, 2012 at 10:40 AM

    Very interesting. I agree that they need to get paid more in general but I also really believe most masjids need TWO imams because between the prayers, counseling, marriage rights, death rights etc…no matter how much you pay one imam you are going to be stretching him too thin and his family life will suffer too much. Perhaps paying a bit less than what you stated and having TWO imams at most masjids is the way to go.

    Reply
32. 

    Gailani90

    February 13, 2012 at 10:27 PM

     who will be paying the money, it depends on the community. I believe no imam should be hired to work in the masjid full time, unless he is really exceptional like Imam Siraj Wahaj or Hamzah Yousif, they already know what is going on in the street. Brining an imam from overseas and ask him to work full time is a crazy decision. what is he going to tell people???

    Reply

33. Pingback: Life of a Da’ee – An Anonymous Response to ‘How Much Should Islamic Clergy Make?’ - MuslimMatters.org

34. Pingback: Life of a Da’ee – An Anonymous Response to ‘How Much Should Islamic Clergy Make?’ | Peachy Parenting

35. 

    Asma

    March 7, 2012 at 5:06 PM

    “But I cannot fathom how seemingly every other masjid has multi-million dollar blueprints and expansion plans, but they can’t afford to invest in quality human resources. This is a joke. Without proper human resources, we will just have empty (but beautiful) structures. Put the money where it’s needed most.”
    Gold. 
    JazakAllahu Khair for the insightful post. 
    hats off. :) 

    Reply
36. 

    Abu Hafsa

    March 17, 2012 at 12:23 AM

    Same problem in Islamic schools. I’m an Islamic studies teacher and I’ve been working for almost 8 years in this field making low 30’s with no insurance. I have an IT background and am now considering to go back to that field rather than serving Allah swt’s deen.

    Reply
37. 

    Adam

    March 18, 2012 at 1:51 AM

    May Allah subhanahu we ta’ala reward you with nothing less than being the neighbor of the prophet peace be upon him. ameen

    Reply
38. 

    Asim Esen

    April 12, 2014 at 3:39 AM

    I was taught that a major difference between Islam and Christianity was that Islam does not have a “Ruhban” class, namely a paid clergy and institutions similar to those in Christianity. I was taught that there was no pre-designated Imam to lead the prayer and perform other religious functions and rituals. Each time, Muslims gather and form a Jamaat, whoever is most qualified among the Jamaat leads the prayer and perform other functions. Thus, imam would change from prayer to prayer. In fact, my father was an imam. He led Friday prayers, perform burial prayers, and other functions; he was never paid a salary or its equivalent. Once a year, during the month of Ramadan, some people would bring gift as a way of appreciation for his services. He used to say “When I lead a prayer, I am also praying myself and doing my duty to Allah, why should I accept payment for something that I was going to do it anyway?”

    There were other qualified prayer leaders like my father in those days; they attended their daily business (farming, storekeeping, etc.) and led prayer, but did not get paid a salary. I see now, especially in Turkey, Imams are government employees and paid salaries from government treasury. They are a privileged class that did not exist during even the Ottoman time and in the Republic of Turkey until the 1980s. What Ayat (or Surah) in the Koran and what authenticated hadith says that there is designated and paid imam in Islam? I do not accept excuses and traditional reasons that people often use to legitimize the things they do that are not in the book. So, I would appreciate if an Islamic scholar would comment on this matter.

    Reply
39. 

    ElvenInk

    April 12, 2014 at 10:59 AM

    The concept of hired Imams isn’t something I agree with. At least not the way it’s implemented here in Canada. People often want to bring in an Imam from overseas and pay them to sit in the masjid and give halaqas, advice and fatwas to people. But how can we expect someone who just moved to the country and doesn’t interact with the outside world or face the struggles that his congregation faces in terms of work, school, etc, to be able to give sound advice and fatwas that are relevant to specifics of the community?

    I think Imams should be volunteers – people who are respected in the community and willing to give a couple hours a week to give a khutba or answer people’s questions while at the same time having another job and life to support themselves. It should also be a shared responsibility with many volunteer Imams sharing the hours of work at each masjid.

    The problem, I think, is that people expect too much. They want an Imam who will sit in the Masjid 24/7 and be available for them to randomly drop by and ask him for advice whenever they feel like it. Nothing works like this.

    Keeping in mind that I say this with a distinction in my mind between an Imam who leads prayer at a masjid and answers day to day questions and an Islamic Scholar. Islamic scholars will of course be people who dedicated their lives to learning about Islam and passing on their knowledge and usually they will have formal/paid positions in universities or islamic conventions, etc. Often, however, these scholars will have other professions anyway because our religion as someone already mentioned before me doesn’t have this concept of rahbania.

    Reply
40. 

    Gio

    August 2, 2016 at 7:17 PM

    The author lives under the delusion of bourgeois privilage (six figure salary?)…most of us are struggling to pay for rent.

    Reply
41. 

    Dr Umar Khalid

    August 4, 2016 at 8:22 AM

    Imam should not paid , this is called selling Islam for petty gains. IF they need money they should earn other than just leading Prayers or friday sermons..
    That is why now a days every second mosque in world fight for Imams. because this is very lucaritive offer.. See Dr Yasir Qadhi , Omer Sulaiman etc imams in West living on Imams salary luxury ..

    Reply
42. 

    Mr Boutique

    September 12, 2021 at 1:26 PM

    There are a lot of greedy imams who are money hungry,manipulative and devious. Here in the UK there is one who conned me into giving around $1000 of my monthly income out of my $3000 monthly salary than wasted it on other than where it was sposed to go. When he saw my new 2nd hand car he said ” you need to start giving more to the community” of course all the money went through him untransparent unregulated no doubt he was taking the 20% gift aid tax the government pays here in the UK on donations…..he was supposed to give the money to fund muslim imam students instead he wasted frittered it away like a gambler on nonsensical ventures. A pot of these new age imams have never done a day’s work in their life and are manipulative try to make u feel guilty about not giving everything u own to them and they have followers who pay their way and its their goal to build a empire of donations Jimmy swaggert style

    Reply