What is the ruling on someone who rents out the house belonging to the mosque, which is for the imams, to others and takes the rental value for himself, and what is the ruling on drinking tea and coffee from the hands of a Buddhist or a Hindu?
It is not permissible for the Imam or anyone else who owns the usufruct of an endowment (waqf) to allow others to benefit from it through a gift, compensation, or loan, except for what is customary, such as hospitality. This is especially true if the endower designated the endowment for usufruct only, not for ownership of the property itself, because "the condition of the endower is like the text of the Lawgiver, as long as it does not contradict the Sacred Law."
Therefore, it is not permissible for the Imam to rent out the endowment house, and any rent he takes is unlawful for him.
As for the provision of services by non-Muslims, there is no objection to it unless there is another impediment.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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