What is the ruling on accepting a gift (without prior condition) for teaching the Qur'an?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Leasing
Primary text
If a teacher is given something without a prior condition, the apparent view of Ahmad permits accepting it. This is supported by the Prophet's statement, 'Whatever comes to you of this wealth without asking or coveting, take it and treat it as your own, for it is provision that Allah has sent to you.' This situation is treated as a pure gift, which is permissible, similar to a situation where no teaching took place. The Prophet ﷺ also permitted Abu to eat the food provided by the old man he was teaching, provided it was the teacher's ordinary food and not specifically a treat.
Supporting text
A group of scholars disliked accepting such gifts without a prior condition, citing the incidents involving the bow given to 'Ubadah ibn Al-Samit and the fine cloth given to Ubayy ibn Ka'b, where the Prophet ﷺ warned against accepting them as they related to acts of worship done for God. Some interpret the prohibition in these cases as being specific to those incidents, suggesting the Prophet ﷺ knew their intentions were purely for God's sake, thus making the compensation unacceptable from other than God.