❖ Ruling on Giving Zakāh or ʿUshr to the Mosque’s Muʾadhdhin or Imām
Reference: Fatāwā Shaykh al-Ḥadīth Mubārakpūrī, Vol. 1, p. 191
❀ Question
Can zakāh or ʿushr be used for the salary of the mosque’s muʾadhdhin (caller to prayer) or imām (locally called Miyān Jī)?
Also, can zakāh or ʿushr be spent on mosque-related items like mats, carpets, buckets, pitchers, ropes, flooring, or their repair and cleaning?
(Question by: ʿAbd al-Raʾūf Raḥmānī)
❀ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
① Spending Zakāh or ʿUshr on Mosque Items
- Using zakāh or ʿushr (which is awsākh al-nās – the impurities of wealth) for:
- mosque furniture,
- mats, carpets,
- buckets, pitchers, ropes,
- flooring, cleaning, and repairs,
- or mosque construction,
is not permissible.
Reason:
Mosques and their requirements are not among the Qur’ānically prescribed categories of zakāh (maṣārīf zakāh).
Qur’ānic Proof:
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ…
[al-Tawbah: 60]
This verse restricts zakāh to the eight categories only, and excludes mosque expenditure.
Reference: al-Maʿnā 4/125
② Zakāh or ʿUshr for the Muʾadhdhin or Imām
- If the mosque’s muʾadhdhin or imām has no other source of income and is in genuine need (faqīr or miskīn),
- Then, they may be given zakāh or ʿushr as personal assistance (either monthly or occasional), since they fall under the legitimate recipients of zakāh.
Reference: Muḥaddith Dihlawī
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
