Is Taking Payment for Imamat and Nikah Proven from Hadith?
Taken from: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil – Masāʾil al-Buyūʿ, vol.1, p.391
❖ The Question
Is taking payment for leading prayers (imāmat) and solemnizing marriages (nikāḥ) proven from Hadith?
❖ The Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
Yes, the permissibility of taking wages for imāmat and conducting nikāḥ is supported by a clear ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«إِنَّ أَحَقَّ مَا أَخَذْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا كِتَابُ اﷲِ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṭibb, Bāb al-Sharṭ fī al-Ruqyah, vol.2, p.854)
“The most deserving thing for which you may take wages is the Book of Allah.”
◈ Explanation
- This ḥadīth establishes the permissibility of taking wages for teaching, reciting, or services related to the Qur’an.
- Since imāmat (leading prayers) and conducting nikāḥ both involve recitation and application of the Qur’an as part of religious services, taking payment for them is also permissible and is based upon this authentic ḥadīth.
❖ Conclusion
✔ Taking wages for imāmat or conducting nikāḥ is permissible, and the ruling is supported by an authentic ḥadīth.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
