Endowment: Renting an Endowed Imam’s House to Cover Personal Housing Costs
Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei
Endowment: Renting an Endowed Imam’s House to Cover Personal Housing Costs
English:
Question #2033:
A house that is annexed to the masjid was designated by way of endowment as a residential home for the imam of the congregational prayers. However, the house is no longer capable of accommodating the increasing number of the imam’s family, let alone his guests. The imam has a house that needs some repairs. He also ran into debt arising from the house. Is it permissible for him to rent the house held in trust and spend the rent in settling his debt or repairing his house?
Answer #2033:
If the house was held in trust for the use of the imam of congregational prayer to live in, he has no legal right to rent it, even by way of making use of the rent in settling his debt or repairing his house. Should the house not be big enough to meet his family requirements, those of his guests and members of the public who visit him; he can devise a schedule to use the house for consultation during different times of the day and night. He could also make the house available to another imam of congregational prayer to live in.
-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Endowments