Are the stipends received by scholars and imams from Awqaf (endowments) or Bayt al-Mal (the public treasury) considered wages for teaching and leading prayers? And does the ruling differ between them taking only what they need, donating the rest or leaving it, and them taking more than what they need?

It is permissible for scholars and imams to receive salaries from the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal) or endowments (Awqaf). This payment is considered compensation for the imam's dedication to his work, and it is permissible even if intended as a wage for leading prayers, preaching, or teaching religion. The proof for this is the hadith (definition): "Indeed, the most deserving of things for which you take a wage is the Book of Allah." This is the view of the Malikis, Shafi'is, and later Hanafis, in contrast to the Hanbalis and earlier Hanafis. It is preferable to refrain from taking a wage if it is from a specific individual. What the imam receives as a salary enters into his possession, and he may dispose of it as he wishes.