I am from England, the masjid I am affiliated with has a lot of internal problems the Imam and Trustee Committee can not work together the Imam believes he is above the Trustee Committee vice versa the Trustee committee believe that they employ the imam and pay his salary therefore the imam should comply with them and abide by their policy. The committee consist of 15 people elected at elections by the paying members the committee believe they have been given the mandate by the members hence they are the whole and sole decision makers for the masjid. Can you please clarify this for us, if the Imam or Committee is above each other? And who governs who?
Answer
(Fatwa: 1123/942/B=1433)
The thinking of Imam and Trustees is wrong. The thinking of both is against humility and thus the problem shall persist between them forever. The Imam should consider himself as the servant of namazi and the Trustees should consider themselves as the servant of the mosque. None should think oneself superior. It is arrogance and it can throw a person in hell. The rules which the Committee has laid down earlier all of you should abide by them.
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband