Question Summary:
” Is the Imaam’s Niyaah for Prayer is correct?” Where the Imaam declares he performs Salah for the purpose of Allah and not for Money! Where as in reality he is taking salary………Is it not contradicting????

Question Detail:

One of my collegues has asked me a question of which I could not answer, and I am asking you what could be theanswer. Please kindly help me.

I live in Bangladesh a muslim country and here most of the mosques appoint Imaam's who are hired to assist Musallees (People coming to Masjid for Prayer) to perform the Salah.

The Question posed to me by one of my collegue who also is a Muslim is

    " Is the Imaam's Niyaah for Prayer is correct?" Where the Imaam declares he performs Salah for the purpose of Allah and not for Money! Where as in reality he is taking salary.........Is it not contradicting????

Moreover if this is the case then when is the Imaam performing his Salaah? As it is his duty to perfom for the Musaulees????

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
 
The Imam’s niyyah is obviously to perform the salaah for Allah. The salary that he is given is not really for the salaah he is performing but the time that he is putting in. Moreover, the salary –a relatively paltry sum I’m sure- is based on necessity. You can very well imagine what would happen if none of the Imams are paid.
And Allah Ta'ala Knows Best


Wassalam


Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah