- 04 Dec 2011, 16:43
#16135
Assalamu Alaykum,
It is with a sad and concerned mind that I write to you after recently watching a clip of yours on Youtube where you call the people who criticize speakers charging large fees as a disease. You further go on to call zakireen of Ahlul Bayt who refuse to put a price on their service a problem and disease as well. For your sake, the video I refer to is available here:
I strongly disagree with these personal views of yours that you have raised from the pulpit of the Prophet (saww).
Firstly, to charge large amount for majlis is not justified according to the Qur'an. I am sure you will agree that the Holy Prophet (saww) was the best teacher to mankind. Yet when it comes to repaying the prophet for his work, the Qur'an asks only "for the love of those near of kin" the Ahul Bayt (42:23).
You then mention that the people complaining are also the one who are spending $35 for a film or sports match. I have not yet been to either of these and I am sure most of my brothers who feel the pinch of expensive mullas have not either. Nonetheless, the seemingly 'wrong' done by people with their private money should not justify wastage of Imam's money. Someone might say that there are people who buy million dollars yachts; does this mean we should spend that much from the mosque's money?
"When you've given 3,173 lectures on the internet, don't you deserve a little bit of the work that you have done?"
The keyword here is a little bit. Apart from the fact that reward should be expected in the hereafter, I am sure $1500+ is more than just a little bit!
Moving on to your story of Imam Husayn and the man who taught Imam's son bismillah. I have the following objections.
1. How sure are you of the authenticity of this story? I ask because though I am nothing compared to the great Imam, I did not have my son taught bismillah by someone else. I am sure Imam too would not have had a teacher to teach such a basic thing to his son. People used to flock to the Imam for guidance; I find it doubtful Imam would have a teacher for his son.
2. For arguments sake, assuming the story to be true (which it is not unless you prove it to be so), the person who was rewarded by the Imam was gifted with the pearls after the son learnt bismillah. In a majlis, how sure are you that the audience has learnt anything?
Also, the teacher did not demand the pearls as a condition for teaching.
3. Again, assuming the story to be true, the Imam himself gifted the man. The teacher did not ask for anything. Similar is the case when it comes to charity. We are advised to give charity but on the other hand, the poor is recommended not to beg from any other than Allah.
Finally, you mention that sometimes it is the speaker who is the problem, the disease. I am shocked at the audacity with which you abuse these speakers who are unselfish and godly. I fear asking, if the selfless ulema who do not charge are diseases, what are money hungry speakers? If charging money to recite lectures and teach is what makes one undiseased, does it mean selfless, humble people like Aytullah Seestani and the remaining marja of the hawzat illmiya in Najaf and Qum are all diseased?
If charging fees for teaching was a good practice, the great Ayatullah Seestani would not have mentioned in rule no 1008 in his book of laws that, "To take wages for teaching obligatory acts of prayers is haraam." This clearly shows that whilst it is not recommended to charge large fees, it is sometimes prohibited to charge at all.
To further my point, I will quote a question-answer reply from The Great Aytullah Makarem Shirazi which I believe is self-explanatory. The book, "Fiqh of Azadari" is available online at www.makaremshirazi.org in Farsi.
Question 127: Is a Dhakir of the Ahlul Bayt permitted to take monetary compensation in return for mentioning the merits and the tragedies of the Ahlul Bayt, peace be upon them?
Answer: There is no legal program (shar'i) with specifying a set monetary compensation; however such an action is not becoming of the status of the ones who speak about the Ahlul Bayt, peace be upon them all, as such individuals must be the manifestation of God-consciousness (Taqwa).
To conclude my dear shaikh, I understand that hidaya comes at a cost! However if a single majlis costs $1500, then that would mean we cut short even the salawats recited as each 30 second salawat costs us $12.5!
There is more to dawah and tabligh then money.
Wabillahi tawfiq
Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Dar es Salaam resident.
It is with a sad and concerned mind that I write to you after recently watching a clip of yours on Youtube where you call the people who criticize speakers charging large fees as a disease. You further go on to call zakireen of Ahlul Bayt who refuse to put a price on their service a problem and disease as well. For your sake, the video I refer to is available here:
I strongly disagree with these personal views of yours that you have raised from the pulpit of the Prophet (saww).
Firstly, to charge large amount for majlis is not justified according to the Qur'an. I am sure you will agree that the Holy Prophet (saww) was the best teacher to mankind. Yet when it comes to repaying the prophet for his work, the Qur'an asks only "for the love of those near of kin" the Ahul Bayt (42:23).
You then mention that the people complaining are also the one who are spending $35 for a film or sports match. I have not yet been to either of these and I am sure most of my brothers who feel the pinch of expensive mullas have not either. Nonetheless, the seemingly 'wrong' done by people with their private money should not justify wastage of Imam's money. Someone might say that there are people who buy million dollars yachts; does this mean we should spend that much from the mosque's money?
"When you've given 3,173 lectures on the internet, don't you deserve a little bit of the work that you have done?"
The keyword here is a little bit. Apart from the fact that reward should be expected in the hereafter, I am sure $1500+ is more than just a little bit!
Moving on to your story of Imam Husayn and the man who taught Imam's son bismillah. I have the following objections.
1. How sure are you of the authenticity of this story? I ask because though I am nothing compared to the great Imam, I did not have my son taught bismillah by someone else. I am sure Imam too would not have had a teacher to teach such a basic thing to his son. People used to flock to the Imam for guidance; I find it doubtful Imam would have a teacher for his son.
2. For arguments sake, assuming the story to be true (which it is not unless you prove it to be so), the person who was rewarded by the Imam was gifted with the pearls after the son learnt bismillah. In a majlis, how sure are you that the audience has learnt anything?
Also, the teacher did not demand the pearls as a condition for teaching.
3. Again, assuming the story to be true, the Imam himself gifted the man. The teacher did not ask for anything. Similar is the case when it comes to charity. We are advised to give charity but on the other hand, the poor is recommended not to beg from any other than Allah.
Finally, you mention that sometimes it is the speaker who is the problem, the disease. I am shocked at the audacity with which you abuse these speakers who are unselfish and godly. I fear asking, if the selfless ulema who do not charge are diseases, what are money hungry speakers? If charging money to recite lectures and teach is what makes one undiseased, does it mean selfless, humble people like Aytullah Seestani and the remaining marja of the hawzat illmiya in Najaf and Qum are all diseased?
If charging fees for teaching was a good practice, the great Ayatullah Seestani would not have mentioned in rule no 1008 in his book of laws that, "To take wages for teaching obligatory acts of prayers is haraam." This clearly shows that whilst it is not recommended to charge large fees, it is sometimes prohibited to charge at all.
To further my point, I will quote a question-answer reply from The Great Aytullah Makarem Shirazi which I believe is self-explanatory. The book, "Fiqh of Azadari" is available online at www.makaremshirazi.org in Farsi.
Question 127: Is a Dhakir of the Ahlul Bayt permitted to take monetary compensation in return for mentioning the merits and the tragedies of the Ahlul Bayt, peace be upon them?
Answer: There is no legal program (shar'i) with specifying a set monetary compensation; however such an action is not becoming of the status of the ones who speak about the Ahlul Bayt, peace be upon them all, as such individuals must be the manifestation of God-consciousness (Taqwa).
To conclude my dear shaikh, I understand that hidaya comes at a cost! However if a single majlis costs $1500, then that would mean we cut short even the salawats recited as each 30 second salawat costs us $12.5!
There is more to dawah and tabligh then money.
Wabillahi tawfiq
Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Dar es Salaam resident.