Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (23/366)

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

Is prayer behind a eunuch valid?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. Prayer behind him is valid, just as it is behind an uncastrated man, by agreement of the leading Muslim scholars. He is more entitled to lead the prayer than someone less qualified than he is. Thus, if he surpasses another in knowledge and religious commitment, he takes precedence over him in leading the prayer, even if the less qualified man is uncastrated. And Allah knows best.

He was asked:

A man does not have enough to support himself and leads prayers for payment. Is that permissible or not?

He replied:

Hiring someone to lead the prayer is not permissible according to the best-known position in the schools of Abū Hanīfa, Mālik and Ahmad.

It has also been held that it is permissible. This is the position of al-Shāfiʿī, one view reported from Ahmad, and an opinion within Mālik’s school. The disagreement also extends to giving the call to prayer.

وَسُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: عَنْ الْخَصِيِّ هَلْ تَصِحُّ الصَّلَاةُ خَلْفَهُ؟ . فَأَجَابَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، تَصِحُّ خَلْفَهُ. كَمَا تَصِحُّ خَلْفَ الْفَحْلِ بِاتِّفَاقِ أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِالْإِمَامَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ دُونَهُ فَإِذَا كَانَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالدِّينِ كَانَ مُقَدَّمًا عَلَيْهِ فِي الْإِمَامَةِ وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمَفْضُولُ فَحْلًا وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَسُئِلَ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ مَا عِنْدَهُ مَا يَكْفِيهِ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي بِالْأُجْرَةِ. فَهَلْ يَجُوزُ ذَلِكَ أَمْ لَا؟ . فَأَجَابَ: الِاسْتِئْجَارُ عَلَى الْإِمَامَةِ لَا يَجُوزُ فِي الْمَشْهُورِ مِنْ مَذْهَبِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَمَالِكٍ وَأَحْمَد. وَقِيلَ: يَجُوزُ وَهُوَ مَذْهَبُ الشَّافِعِيِّ وَرِوَايَةٌ عَنْ أَحْمَد. وَقَوْلٌ فِي مَذْهَبِ مَالِكٍ. وَالْخِلَافُ فِي الْأَذَانِ أَيْضًا.