Fatwa ID: 08007

Answered by Mawlana Muhammad Zubair Khan Alizai

Question:

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
I know some of the Masjid and Madrasah in the UK use a method in their wages payment. They pay an amount to the staff as their wages and another amount as their travel cost, considering the Imams/staff need to have cars, insurance, petrol etc.
This saves the Masjid paying a big amount on the tax and also helps the staff to have decent wages.
Now my question is:

Is it allowed according to the UK law?

Is it permissible according to Shariah?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

It is allowed to take wages for the service that you are offering and for the time that you are putting in as an imam, mufti, or muadhin of the masjid.

According to UK law, the costs of travel between one’s home and work are not considered expenses that can be deducted from taxes. I would like you to refer to this statement from a government website: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim32366;
“If an employee has to report to and work at a particular office at the start and end of the day, travel between there and home is not travel in the performance of the duties, unless the calls at that office are fortuitous or incidental.”
There are, of course, other costs that can be deducted, such as heating and lighting for religious communities:
“Domestic costs such as heating, lighting, and cleaning are deductible, to the extent that they are incurred by the minister in the performance of the minister’s duties.”
You will be able to read more at https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim60048.

According to Islamic law, the imam is liable to receive payment for his effort and time fulfilling his responsibilities. Those costs which include driving to and from home and work, the time it takes to teach and lead people in salah and other activities which an imam is required to complete according to the contract which is agreed between him and the masjid, the imam is fully eligible for the payment.
Any agreement should be written down as a contract so that future disagreements don’t occur between the imam and the committee of the masjid.

And only Allah Taala knows best.
Written by Mawlana Muhammad Zubair Khan Alizai
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:

1. بحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري المكتبة دار الكتاب الاسلامي المجلد ١ الصفحة ٢٦٨

… أَمَّا عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ لِلْفَتْوَى فِي زَمَانِنَا فَيَجُوزُ أَخْذُ الْأَجْرِ لِلْإِمَامِ وَالْمُؤَذِّنِ وَالْمُعَلِّمِ وَالْمُفْتِي كَمَا صَرَّحُوا بِهِ فِي كِتَابِ الْإِجَارَاتِ وَفِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خان الْمُؤَذِّنُ إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ عَالِمًا بِأَوْقَاتِ الصَّلَاةِ لَا يَسْتَحِقُّ ثَوَابَ الْمُؤَذِّنِينَ قَالَ فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ فَفِي أَخْذِ الْأَجْرِ أَوْلَى. اهـ.

2. إرشاد الساري لشرح صحیح البخاري المكتبة المطبعة الكبرى الاميرية المجلد ٨ الصفحة ٣٩٠

… نعم حديث ابن عباس وحديث أبي سعيد في قصة واحدة (فجاء) الذي رقى (بالشاء إلى أصحابه فكرهوا) أخذ (ذلك) الأجر (وقالوا: أخذت على كتاب الله أجرًا حتى قدموا المدينة فقالوا: يا رسول الله أخذ) فلان (على كتاب الله أجرًا فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم):
(إن أحق ما أخذتم عليه أجرًا كتاب الله) واستدلّ به على جواز أخذ الأجرة على تعليم القرآن.

3. بحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري المكتبة دار الكتاب الاسلامي المجلد ٨ الصفحة ٢٣٧

[رِزْقُ الْقَاضِي مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ]
قَالَ: – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (وَرِزْقُ الْقَاضِي) يَعْنِي وَحَلَّ رِزْقُ الْقَاضِي مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ لِأَنَّ بَيْتَ الْمَالِ أُعِدَّ لِمَصَالِحِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَرِزْقُ الْقَاضِي مِنْهُمْ؛ لِأَنَّهُ حَبَسَ نَفْسَهُ لِنَفْعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ «وَفَرَضَ النَّبِيُّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – لِعَلِيٍّ لَمَّا بَعَثَهُ إلَى الْيَمَنِ» وَكَذَا الْخُلَفَاءُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ هَذَا إذَا كَانَ بَيْتُ الْمَالِ جُمِعَ مِنْ حِلٍّ فَإِنْ جُمِعَ مِنْ حَرَامٍ وَبَاطِلٍ لَمْ يَحِلَّ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَالُ الْغَيْرِ يَجِبُ رَدُّهُ عَلَى أَرْبَابِهِ ثُمَّ إذَا كَانَ الْقَاضِي مُحْتَاجًا فَلَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ لِيَتَوَصَّلَ إلَى إقَامَةِ حُقُوقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ اشْتَغَلَ بِالْكَسْبِ لَمَا تَفَرَّغَ لِذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَيْضًا وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ لِمَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ الْعِلَّةِ وَنَظَرًا لِمَنْ يَأْتِي بَعْدَهُ مِنْ الْمُحْتَاجِينَ وَلِأَنَّ رِزْقُ الْقَاضِي إذَا قُطِعَ فِي زَمَانٍ يَقْطَعُ الْوِلَادَةَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَتَوَلَّى بَعْدَهُ هَذَا إذَا أَعْطَوْهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَرْطٍ فَلَوْ أَعْطَاهُ بِالشَّرْطِ كَانَ مُعَاقَدَةً وَإِجَارَةً لَا يَحِلُّ أَخْذُهُ لِأَنَّ الْقَضَاءَ طَاعَةٌ فَلَا يَجُوزُ أَخْذُ الْأَجْرِ عَلَيْهِ كَسَائِرِ الطَّاعَاتِ اهـ.
وَلَك أَنْ تَقُولَ: يَجُوزُ  أَخْذُ الْأُجْرَةِ  عَلَيْهِ كَمَا قَالُوا الْفَتْوَى عَلَى جَوَازِ أَخْذِ أُجْرَةٍ عَلَى تَعْلِيمِ الْقُرْآنِ وَغَيْرِهِ كَمَا تَقَدَّمَ فِي كِتَابِ الْإِجَارَةِ وَلَا يُقَالُ هَذَا مُكَرَّرٌ مَعَ قَوْلِ الْمُؤَلِّفِ: وَكِفَايَةُ الْقُضَاةِ فِي بَابِ الْجِزْيَةِ؛ لِأَنَّا نَقُولُ ذَلِكَ بِاعْتِبَارِ مَا يَجُوزُ لِلْإِمَامِ دَفْعُهُ وَهَذَا بِاعْتِبَارِ مَا يَجُوزُ لِلْقَاضِي تَنَاوُلُهُ فَلَا تَكْرَارَ قَالَ الشَّارِحُ: وَتَسْمِيَتُهُ رِزْقًا يَدُلُّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ مِقْدَارَ كِفَايَتِهِ وَعَيْلَتِهِ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَزْيَدَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَقَدْ جَرَى الرَّسْمُ بِالْإِعْطَاءِ فِي أَوَّلِ السَّنَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْخَرَاجَ كَانَ يُؤْخَذُ فِي أَوَّلِ السَّنَةِ وَهُوَ يُعْطَى مِنْهُ وَفِي زَمَانِنَا يُؤْخَذُ الْخَرَاجُ فِي آخِرِ السَّنَةِ وَالْمَأْخُوذُ عَنْ السَّنَةِ الْمَاضِيَةِ فِي الصَّحِيحِ وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى وَلَوْ أَخَذَ الرِّزْقَ فِي أَوَّلِ السَّنَةِ ثُمَّ عُزِلَ قَبْلَ مُضِيِّ السَّنَةِ، رَدَّ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ السَّنَةِ وَقِيلَ هُوَ عَلَى الْخِلَافِ فِي الزَّوْجَةِ عَلَى مَا بَيَّنَّا. اهـ. .

4. https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim32356

EIM32356 – Travel expenses: travel in the performance of the duties: home to work travel
Section 337 ITEPA 2003
The Courts have established as a clear general principle that the cost of travelling from an employee’s home to his or her normal place of work is not travel in the performance of the duties