It’s time imams got their due
With not much earnings from mosques, muezzins too take up other biz
The imam (one who leads the prayers), muezzin (one who gives the prayer call) and other caretakers of a mosque fight all odds to make a livelihood owing to the low salaries paid to them by the masjid committees.
On an average, the imam is paid about `4,000 a month while the muezzin is paid about `2,500 a month, the sweepers and cleaners even less. As a result, they are forced to search for other alternatives of employment to supplement their regular income. “We try to have two decent meals every day. The masjid committees say that our salaries are paid through the revenue the mosques get. Except for posh colonies, seldom do people donate money for the management of mosques. Even if there is good revenue, we are not paid accordingly as the salaries are decided by the management,” said an Imam of a mosque in Jahanuma of Old City.
A muezzin, working at a mosque in Falaknuma doubles up as a fruit merchant to supplement his income. “We have to be present during all the five times of the prayers daily. Yet we are underpaid and depend on donations from the faithful who understand our needs during Ramzan,” he said.
Most of the imams employed at the mosques in the city are hafiz (one who knows the Quran by heart) and have passed out from various Islamic schools in the state. The TS Wakf Board pays an honorarium of `1,000 each to the imams and muezzin every month.
“Imams and muezzins have a very high position in the community. It is shameful that they are not paid decently by the managements of the mosques. The problem can be redressed only if the community takes it as a responsibility and increases their donations to the mosques,” feels Mohd Mustaq Malik of Tehreek Muslim Shabban.