Allah states:
“Those whom believe pay attention: Revere Allah & speak a Straight-Word.”
(Noble-Qur’ān: Chpt.33, V.70)
Muhammad (Peace be upon them) stated:
“Always speak Truth, even if it’s bitter (even if it rubs People the Wrong-Way).”
(ibn-Hibbān&al-Bayhaqī)
The Need for Financial-Security of an “Imām”
One of my Religio-Collegues William Webb (AKA Suhaib Webb) made an Interesting-Post, via Facebook, regarding the Issue of Retirement for one who’s an “Imām”. Before I get into my Personal-Take on the Issue, I’ll be quoting Word4Word what William Webb articulated. Finances have historically always been an “Achilles’-Heel” for “Imāms” dwelling external of Muslim-Countries. However, via the Modern-World & specifically as per the 21st-Century, especially via a Post-Covid World, etc. the “Imām” is in Deep-Shit financially.
“Often, I meet Imams who have not prepared for the transition into retirement. Here is a check list that should help.
1. Seek Financial Advice: Engage with financial advisors who understand both personal and religious finances. Even a short-term consultation can help navigate potential investment and tax issues.
2. Earn Enough Now: Make sure you are paid enough to retire. Often Imams wait until its too late; they have not thought or budgeted in a way that helps them retire. Talk with your employer now to ensure, inshallah, a succesful retirement.
3. Plan Your Retirement Lifestyle: Begin thinking about your life post-retirement. Whether it involves continuing community service at a reduced pace, or pursuing personal interests, having a plan is essential to avoid feeling lost.
4. Acquire New Skills or Certifications: Consider enhancing your qualifications with skills that are beneficial in retirement, such as counseling or teaching, to maintain an active role in your community.
5. Understand Your Retirement Benefits: Be clear about where your retirement income will come from, including community support, savings, or other pensions, and when you can access these funds.
6. Be Conservative with Retirement Savings: Protect your financial future by managing your retirement funds conservatively, especially considering market uncertainties.
7. Learn About Required Minimum Distributions (RMD): Understand the rules and tax implications of withdrawals from your retirement accounts, ensuring compliance and financial stability.
8. Utilize RMDs as Housing Allowance, If Applicable: Investigate whether you can use RMDs as a housing allowance to benefit from tax savings, adhering to IRS regulations.
9. Prepare for a Long Life: Plan your finances to support a longer-than-average lifespan, ensuring you do not outlive your resources.
10. Make Wise Decisions on Social Security: If eligible, strategize the timing of your Social Security benefits to maximize your financial returns.
11. Plan for Healthcare Costs: Recognize healthcare as a significant retirement expense. Explore eligibility for programs like Medicare and budget accordingly.
Decide Where to Live: Consider relocating for better access to family, healthcare, or reduced costs. This decision should balance financial practicality and personal happiness.
12. Budget Wisely: Adapt your budgeting strategies to reflect changes in income and expenditures during retirement.
13. Live to Die: Recognize the inevitability of death with hope in Allah. Embrace this reality by living a life that prepares you for meeting Allah, which can bring peace and purpose to your retirement years.
14. Leave Students Behind: Ensure you are mentoring successors who will continue your religious and community work, preserving the dīn.
15. Prepare Your Shar’iah Will: Have your will drafted and reviewed by a qualified lawyer to ensure it is compliant with both Islamic law and your country’s legal standards, reflecting your wishes accurately.
16. Negotiate Transition Plans with Your Community: Engage with your board 5 years before your intended retirement to plan a smooth transition. This approach prevents conflicts and ensures that responsibilities are transferred seamlessly to your successors.
I hope checklist offers a thorough guide for Imams, covering financial, legal, personal, and communal aspects to facilitate a comprehensive and comfortable transition into retirement.”
I personally view the Number-2 of what William Webb mentioned “Earn Enough Now” to be the Most-Important for me to focus on, because Number-2 is ironically the Sabab/Reason for most of the Other 16-Points aforementioned via William Webb.
All of These-Things can easily
be remedied, if Imāms get
Real-Jobs/Careers
Realistically, it’s impossible for the Average-Imām to “Earn Enough Now”, because the Average-Imām presides over Financially-Destitute Communities or Financially Non-Affluent Communities via Regions of the Muslim-World where they’re in Non-Muslim Countries. Most-Persons whom’re “Imāms” literally spend their Entire-Lives as “Imāms” financially as they say “Scrappin da Pot”…all under the Pseudo-Auspicies of “Islāmic-Work”.
al-Imāmah/Imāmship over Masājid/Mosques, Communities, etc. has never been a Source of Dignified/Sustainable-Income, especially via Regions of the Muslim-World in which Muslims are A’immah/Imāms in Non-Muslim Countries. When we look at the A’immah of the Past: most of them either were Islāmic-Government Employees, Muslim-Kingdom Employees, Self-Made
Ballers/Businessmen, Recepients of Hefty-Mīrāth/Inheritance, etc. Moreover, the Position of Imām is such that Most-Muslims don’t really view as a Career that’s worth investing in…that’s precisely how/why the Position of an Imām anywhere via Non-Muslim Countries is so poorly compensational financially.
As per Career-Choice, Hands-Down: the Imām is clearly the Most-Expendable, Most-Vulnerable, Least-Valued/Appreciated, Most-Underrated, etc. This is solely because they must “hustle” their Way to get the Next-Paycheck via “Fundraising” for their Masājid, Communities, so that they can feed off the Donations extrated thereof. Equally, there’s never been “Job-Security” for any “Imām”, unless they’re Bureaucratically-Employed via Some-Type/Kind of Religio-Governmental Apparatus (which has never existed in Most Non-Muslim Countries)
https://garethbryant.wordpress.com/2023/07/12/professionalworthispriceless/
Equally, there’s something else to consider as per the Role of Imāmah
Let’s keep it 💯…if the Position of “Imām” of a Masjid/Mosque, Community, etc. were authentically viewed as a Real-Job/Career and Persons had to actually petiton/apply for the Role of “Imām”, then quite honestly Most of the Imāms whom’re A’immah rite now as we speak (especially via Non-Muslim Country Regions of the Muslim-World) would:
a. Not even be worthy of applying for the Position/Role, because their Professional-Skills would be nearly non-existent.
b. Would’ve utterly bombed the Interview-Phase of seeking the Position/Role.
c. Would’ve probably been fired during their 1st-Year of Imāmship.
Also, if the Position of “Imām” were taken serioysly via the Real-Movers/Shakers (the Financial-Dons) of Muslim-Communities, then they’d actually invest in the Dignified-Salaries of Imāms & facilitate a Standard-Salary for Imāms anywhere accross the Planet.
Let’s investigate what it actually takes to be an “Imām” in the 1st-Place
I’m going to exclusively be focusing on the Professional-Skills necessary to be an “Imām”, if the Role of “Imām” were in fact viewed via any Professional-Light. Realistically, anyone who’s an “Imām” must/should have at least one of the Following-Skills:
1. CPE/Clinical Pastoral Education
2. Sociology/Social-Work
3. Wellness/Mental-Hygiene
4. Crisis-Management
5. Suicide-Awareness/Prevention
6. Substance-Abuse Awareness/Prevention
7. Sexual-Abuse Awareness/Prevention
8. Crime/Gang Awareness/Prevention
9. Psychiatry/Psychology
10. Community-Organizing/Development
I say this authoritatively, because, Muhammad (Peace be upon them) the Greatest-Leader via Human-History literally had all of the Aforementioned-Skills (albeit via Practice not via Name/Title). Now, let’s all ask ourselves objectively: How many A’immah do we actually know personally who’s even proficient in one of the Aforementioned-Skillsets, let alone all of them?!!! That what I thought…Most of us don’t know any.
What Leadership actually looks like
As it stands, even to choose being an “Imām” requires Huge-Sacrifice
Aside from the Financial-Dimension of “Imām-Life”, which will always be major-The Lifestyle of the “Imām” often yields rather Tumultuous-Outcomes for the “Imām” themselves as well as their Loved-Ones, Households, etc. Being an “Imām” makes one a “Khādim/Slave” to those whom they’re entrusted to serve communally. An “Imām” really doesn’t have a Life…if they do have a Life then that’s a Clear-Sign that they’re nit even doing their Job rite & must/should be removed from al-Imāmah anyway. But, yet, that doesn’t even occur. There’s Countless-Amthāl/Scenarios of “Imāms” resorting to Atrocious-Offences, whether they be: Embezzlement, Sexual-Indiscretions, Oppression, etc. and they still possess their Positions as “Imāms”.
The Domestic-Price of Leader-Life
So, to conclude, if Muslims want/expect more from/out of their “Imāms” then “Imāms” must/should be better qualified to be “Imāms”. If “Imāms” want/expect for Muslim-Communities to compensate them better (as per their Khidmah/Service), then be skilled enough professiinally to be deserving of such. One can’t simply expect just because they’re a Hāfizh (Qur’ān-Memorizer), a Qārī (Qirā’ah/Qur’ān-Recitation Expert), `Ālim (Religio-Scholar), etc. that they’re Islāmically-Entitled/Justified to a Baller-Salary (especially if/when you’ve 0 Professional-Skills). Nah…my Nigga: dat ain’t enough. There’s literally Persons way more Religio-Academically Knowledgeable than the Average-Imām whom never even wants the “Imām-Life”. So, clearly, having Religio-Academics isn’t all there’s to it.
As Muslims, we must no longer be “content” with anyone freshly coming out of some Random “Madrasah/Muslim-School”, “Jāmi`ah/Islāmic-University”, etc. & they can simply get the “Imām-Slot”. This is literally how/why the Role of “Imām” is so devalued: it’s because Peoole are getting Others to be “Imāms” whom’re Underqualified, Underskilled, Underexperienced, afraid to get Deported, Naive, Manipulatable, etc. The “Imām” must/has to be Intelligent, Daring, Insightful, Independent, Courageous, an Earthshaker, a Glass-Ceiling Breaker, a Trend-Setter, a Trailblazer, a Radical, a Revolutionary, a Warrior, etc. as per the Socio-Moral & Socio-Political Fitn/Trials of the Times. And, it must be predivated upon Religio-Professionalism.
Gareth Bryant
Gareth Bryant 