[T1ivuQGS]

i dont have an opinion on this topic as i have conflicting views. here are some of my observations....

1. there are many people who serve the deen one way or another, for example people who spend a lot of time with tabligh jamaat, people who volunteer for charities, people who take part in the 'other effort'. all of these people also have family that they need to look after and homes to run, yet they find time to serve the deen for free and spend their own money in the path and dont expect any handouts from anyone for serving the deen. they will look after their family and homes using their own money which they have earned themselves.

2. it is possible to live comfortably on a low wage if a person lives an austere life based on the sunnah and does not spend his money on vain and haram things. a person only needs 4 walls and a roof over their head, but instead they want to have a nice house in a middle-class neighbourhood, with a nice driveway, landscaped garden, mod-cons in the kitchen, leather sofas, leather beds, latest cable or satellite TV, latest wafer thin TV with blueray etc etc.....people are not happy to have a simple inexpensive car or even not have a car at all, instead they want a new car with tinted windows, nice wheels, leather seats, air con, etc. expensive branded clothing, latest iphone, ipad, isomething else etc ect ect you know what im getting at....

i know a tablighi brother who has been going in jamaat ever since i can remember since i was a little kid. i have been to his home many times. he lives a very simple life. he does not make much money but still he has enough to spend on his jamaat activities and for going for hajj and umrah every year with his wife....every year!!!

3. there are just too many ulama being churned out through the madrasas (in the UK at least) that there just isnt enough work for them to put them on a salary and give them a full time position. if they were being paid for a full time position then how would they get utilised? how would the money given to them by the mosque be put to good use? they cant be paid for the sake of being paid. they need to earn their wage or salary........and to be honest, a lot of them would not be value for money! at least in the UK, the ulama that are being churned do not do justice to the title of ulama. why should they get paid top notch when they spent their 7 years of studying on the streets of manchester smoking sheesha!

4. maybe every community (not every mosque as in some towns there are upto 5 mosques in just one small community) should have one full time paid alim who has experience and excellent ilm and piety, education, knowledge of the local language, social skills etc who the community can go to for their deeni needs. he should treat his position as he would any job and the employer should treat him like any employee. give him a good salary, a place to work from like an office, assistants if required, etc....but at the same time he should work hard to benefit and serve the community and be available to carry out his duties on time and professionally.