Ibn Majah

1؎: The Ahl al-Suffah were those Companions who used to reside under the canopy of the Prophet’s Mosque. The Hanafis, using this hadith as evidence, have argued that it is impermissible to take a wage for teaching the Qur’an, though it is permissible to take a wage for recitation. The permissibility of taking a wage for recitation is derived from the hadith of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri radi Allahu anhu (which has been mentioned above; see hadith 2156), and in Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas radi Allahu anhuma that people said to Abu Sa‘id: “You have taken a wage for Allah’s Book.” To this he replied: “The one most deserving of being paid a wage is Allah’s Book.” And in Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Nasa’i, it is mentioned that when the uncle of Kharijah performed ruqyah (incantation) with Surah al-Fatihah over a madman, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Take its wage. By my life! People produce false ruqyah and you have eaten by performing a true ruqyah.” And the evidence for the impermissibility of taking a wage for teaching is this hadith of ‘Ubadah radi Allahu anhu, secondly, the hadith of Ubayy radi Allahu anhu which is coming ahead, thirdly, in Musnad Ahmad it is narrated marfu‘an from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Shibl radi Allahu anhu: “Recite the Qur’an, do not be excessive or neglectful in it, and do not eat (i.e., earn your bread) from it nor increase your wealth through it.” Al-Bazzar has also mentioned several supporting narrations for this. Fourthly, in Musnad Ahmad and Tirmidhi, it is narrated from ‘Imran ibn Husayn radi Allahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Recite the Qur’an and seek its reward from Allah Ta‘ala, for after you there will come people who will seek compensation from people for the Qur’an.” There are several hadiths in this chapter. However, those scholars who have issued a fatwa permitting taking a wage for teaching the Qur’an have done so on the basis that the teacher spends his time in teaching and learning, so taking a wage for this virtuous act in exchange for his time is permissible.