Is it permissible to take payment (ajrah) for issuing the call to prayer (Adhan)?

Primary text

It is not permissible to take payment for the Adhan according to the apparent position of the madhhab. This view is supported by Al-Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman, Al-Awza'i, the Ashab al-Ra'y (Hanafi school), and Ibn al-Mundhir. The evidence cited is the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Uthman ibn Abi al-'As: "Appoint a caller to prayer who does not take wages for his call." This hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Al-Tirmidhi, who declared it Hasan (good). Furthermore, the Adhan is an act of worship for the doer, which cannot be validly performed except by a Muslim, thus it cannot be hired for, similar to leading the prayer (Imamah).