Quora Answer: Can an Imam Change His Mind about His Vocation?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “If an imam suddenly changes his mind about his vocation, can he opt out from religion and change his life?” 

Being an imam is not a vocation in the clergy.  You are an imam when you lead the congregational prayer, and cease to be one when the congregational prayer is over.  You may be acclaimed an imam because of your vast knowledge in the religion by other religious scholars, but that does not mean being a scholar is a full-time job.  Many great Muslim scholars were traders, scientists, craftsmen, bureaucrats and even soldiers by profession.  That all aside, it is perfectly within the rights of any person to change the direction of his life and follow his convictions as long as that conviction does not involve hurting people, threatening public order or harming society.  Choosing to be a robber, for example, is not an option.



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