The dispraise of taking a fee for teaching the Quran

By Shaykh Abu 'Amr Abdul-Kareem Al-Hajooree - may Allah preserve him

Chapter: The dispraise of taking a fee for teaching the Qur'aan

Narrated by Sahl Bin Sa'd As-Saa'eedee he said: Whilst we were reciting, the prophet - may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family- came out upon us and said: "The book of Allah is one, and amongst you are Al-Ahmar (The Foreigners) and Al-Aswad (The 'Arab), read the Qur'aan before there comes people who read the Qur'aan, they make every letter straight and correct just as an arrow is straight and correct, it will not pass their collarbones, they will hasten its reward and they will not delay it"

It was reported by Al-Aajuree in Akhlaaq Ahlil- Qur'aan (29) and Ibn Mubaarak in Az-Zuhud (813) and At-Tabraani In al-Kabeer (6021) and (6022)

It is Da'eef (week) and has two defects:

The first: The weakness of Musa Bin 'Ubaydah

The second: The absence of Abdullah Bin 'Ubaydah hearing from Sahl Bin Sa'd, as comes in Tahdheeb At-Tahdheeb

And Abu Dawood reported it (831) and Ibn Hibaan with the arrangement of Ibn Bilbaan (760) and At-Tabraani in Al-Kabeer (6024) from the path of abdullah Bin Wahb from 'Amr Bin Al-Haarith from Bakr Bin Sawwaadah from Wafaa' Bin Shurayh As-Sadafee from Sahl Bin Sa'd with similar wording, and in the chain or narration is Wafaa' Bin Shurayh who's condition is unknown (Majhool Al-Haal)

And within Abu Dawood is 'Amr and Ibn Abee Lahiyy'ah, and within Ibn Hibaan, he said: he mentioned Ibn Salam (a Shaykh of Ibn Hibaan) 

And it was reported by Ahmed in Al-Musnad (338/0) from the path of Ibn Lahiyy'ah onwards

It aslo comes in the Hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudree, that he said: The messenger of Allah said - may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family- "there will be afterwards those who recite the Qur'aan, it will not exceed their collarbones. Three people read the Qur'aan: The believer, the hypocrite and the immoral one"

It was reported by Ahmed (39-38/3) and Al-Bukhaari in Khalq Af'aal Al-Ibaad (page 216) Al-Haakim in Al-Mustadarak (374/2) and (547/4) and Ibn Hibaan (755) with the arrangement of Ibn Bilbaan, and Al-Bayhaqee in Shu'b Al-Imaan (2926) and Al-Aajuree in Akhlaaq ahlil Qur'aan (40)

All of them from the path of Abdullah Bin Yazeed al-Muqree from Haywah Bin Shurayh, who said: Basheer Ibn Abee 'Amr Al-Khawlaanee informed me that Al-Waleed Bin Qays narrated to him that he heard Abu Sa'eed, and so forth.

The men of his Hadeeth are trustworthy, with the exception of Al-Waleed Bin Qays, he is At-Tajeebee Al-Masree, the four books of Sunnah (Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, Tirmidhee and An-Nasaa'ee) all narrate from him, Al-'Ajalee declared him dependable, and Ibn Hibaan mentioned him in his book "Ath-Thiqaat" (the trustworthy ones), for then the likes of him are held to be brought up to the degree of Hassan (sound)

And the Hadeeth has another path with Abu 'Ubayd in Fadhaa'il Al-Qur'aan (206-205) and Al-Bayhaqee in Ash-Shu'b (2630) and Al-Baghawee in Sharh As-Sunnah (1182) from the path of Ibn Lahiyy'ah from Musa Bin Waradaan from Abil-Haytham from Abee sa'eed, and so forth

Ibn Lahiyy'ah is Abdullah and he is weak

For then the Hadeeth of Abee Sa'eed is Hassan at the least

It also comes in the Hadeeth of Abdur-Rahmaan bin Shibl, that he said: I heard the messnger of Allah - may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family- say: Read the Qur'aan, do not be extreme in it and do not turn away from it, do not use it to eat and do not use it to increase yourselves (i.e. in Money - see Haashiyat us-Sindee)"

Reported by Ahmed (444,428/3) and Abu 'Ubayd in Fadhaa'il Al-Qur'aan (page 205) from two paths from Abdur-Rahmaan- and it is Saheeh

And it comes in the Hadeeth of 'Uqbah Bin 'Aamir within Ahmed (153/4) that he said: the messenger of Allah - may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family- came out to us, and we were teaching the Qur'aan to eachother, and he said: "Learn the Qur'aan and aquire". and it is Hassan

In a whole, the Hadeeth is authentic with the presence of other Hadeeth, and they have been mentioned like his statement:

"they will hasten its reward and they will not delay it"

And what is intended by "they will hasten it" is its reward in the Dunya, and they seek by its recitation a fee from the non-essential things of the Dunya, and they are not patient upon the reward and the return which will occur for them in the Dar-ul-Aakhirah. And that which he said (in the Hadeeth) has actualised - may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family-

As for his statement: "it will not exceed their collarbones", regarding it there is two statements:

The First: its meaning is their hearts will not understand, and they will not benefit from that which they are reciting from, and there will be no share for them even if the mouth, throat and pallete shared in that recitation, and pronounced the letters

The Second: its meaning is their action will not be raised, neither will their recitation and it will not be accepted

-end of the statement from the explenation of An-Nawawee upon Saheeh Muslim (160/7) from his quotation of Al-Qadhee Iyaadh

And it is an issue of differing, and what is the most probable is that which the evidence points towards, as for the acceptance of gifts then there is no prohibition, or if he is given without it being a condition then it is ok.

Source,
http://aloloomenglish.net/vb/showthread.php?453-The-dispraise-of-taking-a-fee-for-teaching-the-Qur-aan