Religious Teachers Are Paid, Do They Still Get Rewards?

darulmaarif.net – Indramayu, 21 May 2026 | 10.00 WIB

In today’s modern life, the profession of religious teacher is often at the crossroads of public perception. On the one hand, they are seen as heirs to the duties of the prophets who taught religious knowledge and guided the people. But on the other hand, quite a few people wonder: “If you get paid to teach religion, do you still get a reward?”

This question is increasingly relevant when many Koran teachers, ustadz, madrasa teachers and Islamic boarding school teachers now receive honorariums, monthly salaries or professional allowances. Some even get quite large salaries from the educational institutions where they teach. Some people then look cynically, as if sincerity is lost just because of wages.

In fact, Islam is a realistic religion. Sharia does not turn a blind eye to the fact that a teacher is also a human being who has the necessities of life, supports the family, pays for household needs, children’s education, and daily living expenses. Therefore, receiving a salary from teaching religion does not automatically erase one’s merits and sincerity.

Teaching Religion and Making a Living Can Go Together

The scholars explain that a person can still get rewards even though he receives wages from religious work, as long as his main intention is not solely for the sake of the world. Especially if the salary is used to meet family needs and support life so that they can continue teaching.

In the fatwa Majma’ Al-Fiqh Al-Islami It is stated that if religious teachers do not receive wages, then they will not have a source of livelihood to support their lives. This means that giving a salary in this context is a reasonable need and is justified by the Shari’a.

This explanation was also confirmed by Imam Ibnu Hajar in Hasyiyah Manasik Al-Idlah page 40:

However, if he intends to provide for his family, then he is the one who has the right to receive the reward.

Meaning: “Even if he aims to fulfill his family’s needs, then he must still receive a reward.” (Hasyiyah Manasik Al-Idlah, p. 40)

This sentence shows that earning a living for the family is not something that is contrary to sincerity. Even in Islam, providing for one’s family is an obligation and a rewarding act of worship.

The Main Measure Is in “Bā’its” (Driving Motives)

In discussing Sufism, scholars often use the term al-bait (الباعث), namely the main motive or drive behind a charity. Does someone teach solely because of the money, or because of the love of knowledge and preaching, even though they still hope for income?

If someone continues to teach even if they are not paid, then this shows that their main motivation is dedication and sincerity. Meanwhile, salary is just a life support.

Imam Al-Ghozali in Oh yes’ ‘Ulumiddin explains that sometimes two motives can come together in one charity, and both equally influence a person’s actions.

He gave the example of someone helping a poor relative. He helped because of two things at once: because of his kinship and because he saw his poverty. If one of these factors is not present, it will still help because of the other factor.

Here’s an example from Oh yes’ ‘Ulumiddin:

The second is the gathering of two sources, each of which is independent in carrying out the revival even if alone. An obvious example is when two people work together to carry something with enough strength to carry it if they were alone. An example of our purpose is that his poor brother asks him for something, and he fulfills it because of his poverty and his kinship, and he knows that if it were not for his poverty, he would certainly He compensates him only because of his kinship, and if it is not because of his kinship, he will compensate him only because of his poverty, and he knows it from himself that he attends to it. A rich relative wants to meet his needs, and a poor stranger wants to meet his needs too.

Meaning: “The second situation is the gathering of two motives (drivers) in one charity, where each of these motives is actually sufficient to encourage someone to do that action even though they stand alone.

A concrete example is two people lifting an object together, even though each of them actually has enough strength to lift the object alone.

Meanwhile, the example in our discussion is someone who is asked for help by a poor relative. Then he fulfills this need because of two things at once: because of his poverty and because of his kinship.

And he realized that if the relative was not poor, he would still help him simply because of his kinship. Likewise, if the person were not his relative, he would still help him simply because of his poverty.

He knew this from his own circumstances; that is, when a rich relative comes to him, he still wants to help with their needs. And when a poor stranger came to him, he was also compelled to help him.”

In the context of Imam Al-Ghozali’s discussion in Ihya’ Ulumiddin, this example explains that one charity can be driven by two intentions at once without losing the value of the reward, as long as the impulse for goodness and the intention of worship are still truly in the heart of the doer.

Furthermore, Imam Al-Ghozali explained that one charity can be driven by two intentions at once; worship intentions and worldly intentions that are permissible. As long as the intention to worship remains present and becomes part of the encouragement of charity, then the reward for worship is still expected to be there.

Likewise, if the doctor orders him to stop eating, and the day of Arafat comes, then he fasts, knowing that if it is not the day of Arafah, then he will give up food because of diet, and if it is not because of diet, then he will give up because it is the day of Arafah, and they are all gathered, then he continues the practice.

Meaning: “Similarly, someone is ordered by a doctor to give up food (diet or fast for the sake of health), then the day of Arafah comes and he fasts.

Meanwhile, he knows that if that day were not the day of Arafat, he would still give up food to maintain his health (diet). And if it weren’t for reasons of maintaining health, he would still have given up food because that day was the day of Arafah.

So these two motives gathered together in him, then he continued to do the action.”

From this explanation it can be understood that a religious teacher may have two intentions at once:

• teaching for the sake of knowledge and worship,
• while getting a halal livelihood for the family.

And as long as the intention to worship is still dominant or remains within him, then the rewards of teaching are expected to flow.

Religious teachers are also human

Sometimes it is too easy for society to demand that religious teachers live “purely and sincerely”, but forget that they also have the necessities of life. Ironically, when religious teachers receive salaries they are considered less sincere, but when they live in hardship, few people care.

In fact, many previous ulama received allowances from Baitul Mal, gifts from students, or support from the authorities so they could focus on teaching and spreading knowledge.

Even in today’s reality, without a decent income, many religious teachers are finally forced to leave the world of education in favor of other jobs that better ensure their family’s living needs. If that happens, then society itself will lose the blessings of knowledge and religious education.

Sincerity Doesn’t Always Mean No Pay

There is a misunderstanding that often arises in society: thinking that being sincere means having to work without pay. In fact, sincerity lies in the heart, not whether there is honor or not.

A person may teach for free but be filled with riya and want to be praised. On the other hand, there are people who receive a salary but are still sincere in teaching, patiently guiding students, and devoting their lives to the education of the people.

Therefore, the measure of sincerity is not as simple as whether there is honor or not. What is more important is the orientation of the heart and the main goal in doing charity.

Religious teachers who teach on a paid basis can still get rewards, as long as their intention is not merely to seek the world, but also to preach, spread knowledge, and provide for their family in a halal way.

Islam does not prohibit a religious teacher from receiving wages. In fact, in many circumstances, salary is a means so that they can continue to teach and serve the people better.

Therefore, what needs to be considered is not just whether there is payment, but also the purity of the intentions in the heart. Because charity in Islam is not only judged from its external appearance, but also from the underlying motives and goals.

Hope it is useful. Wallohu a’lam.