What is the ruling on receiving payment for the call to prayer (adhan) and prayer?

✅Answer: 'Eating through religion' means that a person performs a religious act but in doing so, he seeks worldly gain and worldly acquisition. It has various condemnations and various examples, some of which you can see in the following posts:

1 عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ ظَبْيَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّه إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَخْتِلُونَ الدُّنْيَا بِالدِّينِ وَ وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَقْتُلُونَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْقِسْطِ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَ وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَسِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنُ فِيهِمْ بِالتَّقِيَّةِ أَ بِي يَغْتَرُّونَ أَمْ عَلَيَّ يَجْتَرِءُونَ فَبِي حَلَفْتُ لَأُتِيحَنَّ لَهُمْ فِتْنَةً تَتْرُكُ الْحَلِيمَ مِنْهُمْ حَيْرَانَ.

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 299

Yunus ibn Zabyan said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said that

Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, says:

Woe to those who

(or 'Wail' is for those who)

seek the world through religion and the work of the hereafter (they perform a work for the hereafter and a religious one, but by doing it, they are in search of the world)

And woe to those who kill people who command justice, and wail is for those among whom a believer moves with taqiyyah (dissimulation)!

Have they become arrogant towards Me?!

Or have they become audacious towards Me?!

So I swear by Myself that

I will surely prepare a tribulation for them that will leave the patient and forbearing person bewildered and lost in it!

2 عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَنْزَلَ كِتَاباً مِنْ كُتُبِهِ عَلَى نَبِيٍّ مِنْ أَنْبِيَائِهِ وَ فِيهِ أَنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ خَلْقٌ مِنْ خَلْقِي يَلْحَسُونَ الدُّنْيَا بِالدِّينِ يَلْبَسُونَ مُسُوكَ الضَّأْنِ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ كَقُلُوبِ الذِّئَابِ أَشَدَّ مَرَارَةً مِنَ الصَّبِرِ وَ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ أَحْلَى مِنَ الْعَسَلِ وَ أَعْمَالُهُمُ الْبَاطِنَةُ أَنْتَنُ مِنَ الْجِيَفِ أَ فَبِي يَغْتَرُّونَ أَمْ إِيَّايَ يُخَادِعُونَ أَمْ عَلَيَّ يَجْتَرُونَ [یَتَجَبَرون] فَبِعِزَّتِي حَلَفْتُ لَأُتِيحَنَّ لَهُمْ فِتْنَةً تَطَأُ فِي خِطَامِهَا حَتَّى تَبْلُغَ أَطْرَافَ الْأَرْضِ تَتْرُكُ الْحَلِيمَ [الحکیم] مِنْهُمْ حَيْرَانَ.

📚Qurb al-Isnad, p. 15

Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon them) said, narrating from their father:

Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, revealed a book from His books to one of His prophets, and

in it was: A people from My creation will soon come who will seek to lick the world by means of religion!

They wear sheepskins over hearts like the hearts of wolves, (which are) bitterer than bitter aloes, and their tongues are sweeter than honey!

And their hidden deeds are fouler than a carcass!

Do they deceive Me (by My forbearance)?!

Or do they cheat and trick Me?!

Or have they become audacious towards Me?!

I have sworn by My glory to prepare a tribulation for them that will proceed on its own halter (its halter is released) until it reaches the corners and ends of the earth and leaves the forbearing and patient (or wise) people bewildered and lost!

✅Yes, those who perform religious acts but their goal and intention is to acquire the world and worldly wealth have been condemned in this way!

Performing daily prayers, washing a deceased person, shrouding and burying a deceased person, praising and elegizing the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), calling the adhan, and the like are religious and otherworldly acts. If the goal and intention of the performer is to seek the world and receive payment, he is subject to severe condemnation in the above narrations!

اَللّهُمَّ عَجِّل لِوَلیِّکَ الفَرَجَ وَ العافیَةَ وَ النَّصرَ

3 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَفَعَهُ إِلَى أَبي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: طَلَبَةُ الْعِلْمِ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَاعْرِفْهُمْ بِأَعْيَانِهِمْ وَ صِفَاتِهِمْ صِنْفٌ يَطْلُبُهُ لِلْجَهْلِ وَ الْمِرَاءِ وَ صِنْفٌ يَطْلُبُهُ لِلِاسْتِطَالَةِ وَ الْخَتْلِ إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ وَ صَاحِبُ الِاسْتِطَالَةِ وَ الْخَتْلِ ذُو خِبٍّ وَ مَلَقٍ يَسْتَطِيلُ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ مِنْ أَشْبَاهِهِ وَ يَتَوَاضَعُ لِلْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَهُوَ لِحُلْوَانِهِمْ هَاضِمٌ وَ لِدِينِهِ حَاطِمٌ فَأَعْمَى اللَّهُ عَلَى هَذَا خَبَرَهُ وَ قَطَعَ مِنْ آثَارِ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَثَرَهُ الْخَبَرَ

📚Usul al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 39, hadith 5.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

The seekers of knowledge are three groups, recognize them by their traits and their substance.

A group seeks it for ignorance and dispute

and a group for superiority (and arrogance) and deception

...

until he said:

And he who is after superiority, rebellion, and deception is a deceiver and a flatterer. He rebels and is unjust towards his equals

and he is humble before those other than them from the rich!

He digests (eats) their sweetness, generosity, and benefaction and with this act, he breaks and shatters his religion!

Allah makes the news of such a person blind and hidden! And He erases and cuts off his trace from the traces of the scholars! 👉

....

The reason for the preservation of the works of righteous scholars

4 الآمِدِيُّ فِي الْغُرَرِ، عَنْ أَمِيرِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: صُنْ دِينَكَ بِدُنْيَاكَ (تَرْبَحْهُمَا) وَ لَا تَصُنْ دُنْيَاكَ بِدِينِكَ فَتَخْسَرَهُمَا

📚Al-Ghurar, Vol. 1, p. 457, hadith 51

Commander of the Faithful Ali (peace be upon him) said:

Protect and guard your religion by means of your world (so that as a result you benefit from both)

And do not protect and guard your world by means of your religion, for as a result you will lose both!

5 قَالَ عَلِيٌّ علیه السلام : صُنِ الدِّيْنَ بِالدُّنْيَا يُنْجِكَ وَ لَا تَصُنِ الدُّنْيَا بِالدِّيْنِ فَتُرْدِيَكَ

📚Al-Ghurar, Vol. 1, p. 457, hadith 53

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said:

Protect and guard religion with the world

so that it saves you!

And do not protect and guard the world with religion, for it will destroy and ruin you!

اَللّهُمَّ عَجِّل لِوَلیِّکَ الفَرَجَ وَ العافیَةَ وَ النَّصرَ

6 عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّه يَقُولُ مَنِ اسْتَأْكَلَ بِعِلْمِهِ افْتَقَرَ قُلْتُ إِنَّ فِي شِيعَتِكَ و مَوالیک قَوْماً يَتَحَمَّلُونَ عُلُومَكُمْ وَ يَبُثُّونَهَا فِي شِيعَتِكُمْ- فَلَا يَعْدَمُونَ عَلَی ذلک مِنْهُمُ الْبِرَّ وَ الصِّلَةَ وَ الْإِكْرَامَ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ أُولَئِكَ بِمُسْتَأْكِلِينَ إِنَّمَا ذَاكَ [المستأكل بعلمه] الَّذِي يُفْتِي بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَ لَا هُدًى مِنَ اللَّهِ لِيُبْطِلَ بِهِ الْحُقُوقَ طَمَعاً فِي حُطَامِ الدُّنْيَا.

📚Ma'ani al-Akhbar, p. 181

Hamzah ibn Humran said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say:

Whoever eats through his knowledge becomes poor!

I said: Among your followers and your loved ones,

there are a group who carry your sciences and spread them among your followers, so they are not deprived of goodness, gifts, and kindness because of this!

He said: They are not 'musta'kil' (seeking to eat through knowledge and religion)!

That person (who eats through his knowledge) is certainly a person who, for the sake of greed for the crumbs of the world, gives fatwas without knowledge and guidance from Allah, in order to destroy and ruin rights !!!

7 عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ سَيَابَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: لَا يُصَلَّى خَلْفَ مَنْ يَبْتَغِي عَلَى الْأَذَانِ وَ الصَّلَاةِ الْأَجْرَ وَ لَا تُقْبَلُ شَهَادَتُهُ.

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 7, p. 396

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said:

Prayer is not performed behind a person who seeks and asks for payment for the adhan and prayer! And his testimony is not accepted either!

8 عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ أَنَّهُ أَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُحِبُّكَ لِلَّهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ لَكِنِّي أُبْغِضُكَ لِلَّهِ قَالَ وَ لِمَ قَالَ لِأَنَّكَ تَبْغِي فِي الْأَذَانِ وَ تَأْخُذُ عَلَى تَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ أَجْراً وَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ مَنْ أَخَذَ عَلَى تَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ أَجْراً كَانَ حَظَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 376

A person came to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and said: O Commander of the Faithful, by God, I love you for the sake of God. He said: But I detest you for the sake of God. He said: Why?

He said: Because you are a seeker and a requester (of payment) for the adhan and you take payment for teaching the Quran!

I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) say: A person who takes a payment for teaching the Quran, that will be his share on the Day of Resurrection!

اَللّهُمَّ عَجِّل لِوَلیِّکَ الفَرَجَ وَ العافیَةَ وَ النَّصرَ

9 عَنِ النَّضْرِ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ جَرَّاحٍ الْمَدَائِنِيِّ قَالَ: نَهَى أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَجْرِ الْقَارِئِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ إِلَّا بِأَجْرٍ مَشْرُوطٍ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 376

Jarrah Mada'ini said: Abu Abdillah, Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), forbade the payment of a reciter (of the Quran) who does not recite except for a stipulated payment.

10 عَنْ جَرَّاحٍ الْمَدَائِنِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: الْمُعَلِّمُ لَا يُعَلِّمُ بِالْأَجْرِ وَ يَقْبَلُ الْهَدِيَّةَ إِذَا أُهْدِيَ إِلَيْهِ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 365

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

A teacher should not teach for payment

and when a gift is given to him, he accepts the gift.

1 1 عَنِ السَّكُونِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ: آخِرُ مَا فَارَقْتُ عَلَيْهِ حَبِيبَ قَلْبِي أَنْ قَالَ يَا عَلِيُّ إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ فَصَلِّ صَلَاةَ أَضْعَفِ مَنْ خَلْفَكَ وَ لَا تَتَّخِذَنَّ مُؤَذِّناً يَأْخُذُ عَلَى أَذَانِهِ أَجْراً.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 2, p. 283

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said:

The last thing with which I parted from the beloved of my heart was that he said:

O Ali! When you pray, pray the prayer of the weakest person behind you, and never take a mu'adhdhin who takes payment for his adhan!

2 1 عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي النُّعْمَانِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ يَا أَبَا النُّعْمَانِ لَا تَكْذِبْ عَلَيْنَا كَذِبَةً فَتُسْلَبَ الْحَنِيفِيَّةَ وَ لَا تَطْلُبَنَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ رَأْساً فَتَكُونَ ذَنَباً وَ لَا تَسْتَأْكِلِ النَّاسَ بِنَا فَتَفْتَقِرَ فَإِنَّكَ مَوْقُوفٌ لَا مَحَالَةَ وَ مَسْئُولٌ فَإِنْ صَدَقْتَ صَدَّقْنَاكَ وَ إِنْ كَذَبْتَ كَذَّبْنَاكَ.

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 338

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said:

O Aba al-Nu'man, do not lie against us, for the upright religion will be taken away from you!

And never seek to be a leader so that you are followed and do not eat the people by our means, for you will become poor

Certainly and inevitably you will be held and questioned! So if you have spoken the truth, we will confirm you, and if you have lied, we will deny you!

Taking payment for adhan and prayer

Taking payment for teaching the Quran

اَللّهُمَّ عَجِّل لِوَلیِّکَ الفَرَجَ وَ العافیَةَ وَ النَّصرَ

3 1 عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنِ الْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ لَنَا جَاراً يُكَتِّبُ وَ قَدْ سَأَلَنِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ عَمَلِهِ قَالَ مُرْهُ إِذَا دُفِعَ إِلَيْهِ الْغُلَامُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لِأَهْلِهِ إِنِّي إِنَّمَا أُعَلِّمُهُ الْكِتَابَ وَ الْحِسَابَ وَ أَتَّجِرُ عَلَيْهِ بِتَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ حَتَّى يَطِيبَ لَهُ كَسْبُهُ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 364

Ishaq ibn Ammar said: I said to the righteous servant (Imam Kadhim, peace be upon him):

We have a neighbor who teaches writing and has asked me to ask you about the (income) of his work. He said: Tell him that when a child is entrusted to him, he should say to his family: I will teach him writing and accounting and I will seek the otherworldly and divine reward for teaching the Quran (i.e., I will receive the reward for teaching the Quran from God) so that his earnings become pure for him!

4 1 عَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى فَرْجِ امْرَأَةٍ لَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ وَ رَجُلًا خَانَ أَخَاهُ امْرَأَتِهِ وَ رَجُلًا احْتَاجَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ لِتَفَقُّهِهِ فَسَأَلَهُمُ الرِّشْوَةَ.

📚Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p. 224

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) cursed a person who looks at the private part of a woman who is not permissible for him, and a man who betrays his brother regarding his wife, and a man whom people need for his jurisprudence and he asks them for a bribe!

5 1 عَنْ حُمْرَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ:

وَ رَأَيْتَ الْأَذَانَ بِالْأَجْرِ وَ الصَّلَاةَ بِالْأَجْرِ

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 8, p. 36

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a hadith about the signs of the end of time, among other things:

And you will see that the adhan is with payment and the prayer is with payment!

✅In performing religious and otherworldly acts, the goal and intention must be to gain an otherworldly and divine reward. If a person performs a religious act and seeks a worldly payment for it, he is subject to the severe condemnations in the narrations of the above posts.

Those who ask for and stipulate a worldly payment for leading the congregational prayer, teaching the Quran, giving sermons, washing the deceased, calling the adhan, teaching religious rulings to people, and the like are included in the severe condemnations mentioned above.

اَللّهُمَّ عَجِّل لِوَلیِّکَ الفَرَجَ وَ العافیَةَ وَ النَّصرَ