Someone asked me to write what I consider to be essential qualities of an Imam (in a masjid). This is what I wrote.

1. Taqwa and constantly remembering that his accountability is first and foremost to Allah alone.
2. Moral uprightness coupled with personal humility (not arrogance and self-righteousness).
3. Good & correct knowledge of Islam: Aqeeda, Qur’an, Sunnah, Seerah, Fiqh, History and Current Affairs
4. Wisdom to know what to say and when.
5. Courage to say it like it is, directly and to the people involved.
6. Not be subservient to the rich and powerful because he has an eye on their donations.
7. Friendly, approachable, pleasant, great sense of humor, patience (lots of it), control on anger, great networking ability, maintain contacts, be thankful (say Thank you if someone helps you), proactive to help
8. Personal conduct beyond reproach in every way. Always walk the talk.
9. Complete and total obedience to Allah and following of the Sunnah of His Messengerﷺ no matter what the world may say.
10.  Be self-sufficient financially both by having contentment in the heart, a simple lifestyle that does not need much to support and an independent source of income to take care of all this.
11.  Constantly focus on upgrading his own knowledge, skills and experience with a clearly planned and executed Annual Development Schedule.
12.  Be willing to learn and constantly seek feedback and his own Islaah.
13.  Have a connection with elders, teachers, community leaders, learned people irrespective of who they may be and Islamic scholars from whom he can learn and who can guide and correct him.
14.  Writing, publishing, speaking, presenting the message of Islam in a variety of fora and a variety of ways.
15.  Connection with Non-Muslims; people and organization where he and his opinion is sought when it comes to matters relating to Islam and Muslims. Must be respected by them and seen as a role model by Non-Muslims.
16.  Dignity (Waqaar), social skills, excellent manners, sensitivity to others, kindness, personal presence that commands respect and admiration (differentiate between shabbiness and simplicity)
17.  His family and personal life must reflect all that he is: dichotomy is disastrous.
18.  Technologically savvy and aware of all sorts of modern phenomena, technologies, trends, fads and aspirations so that he is seen as being in sync with the times and people find it easy to relate to him
19.  Speak in today’s language and give today’s examples yet relate them to examples of our Salaf to show people that living by Islam is not only possible but easy
20.  Be able to translate theory into practice in today’s terms to show people who understand ‘Why’ – the ‘How’ about living Islam.
21.  Have and constantly and consciously work on building his connection with Allah . Take stock of this periodically and do what needs to be done to ensure that it always grows stronger.
22.  To rely on none other than Allah : Tawakkul is the crown of the Muttaqi
23.  Not become intimidated or lured by worldly threats or temptations

Please remember that not to be intimidated or lured by worldly temptations is not a factor of how much you earn but of how much you want. There is no end to greed. That is why Rasoolullahﷺ said that the only thing that will assuage the hunger of the son of Adam is the earth of his grave in his mouth. He also said that if the son of Adam is given a valley of gold and a valley of silver will ask for a third.

While it is important for the Imam to earn enough to be self-sufficient, what is enough is something for him to decide and to do that he must differentiate between his needs and his desires. If Ulama run after the Dunya then they will lose respect in the eyes of the people. Ulama must stand out as being free from greed – Mustaghni – have the sifat of Ghina in the heart. Sh. Sa’adi said:

Buzrugi ba aqalast na ba saal    Tawangari ba dilast na ba maal

                       (Eminence is a factor of intelligence, not of age                       Generosity is a factor of the heart and not of wealth)

Sayyidina Uthman and Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf (RA) were wealthy. Sayyidina Abu Bakr and Ali (RA) were poor. But in their hearts, there was no difference in terms of what they wanted – the pleasure of Allah and His Messengerﷺ. There was no attachment to money or a desire for it, whether they had it or not.

That is what I mean. It is not how much you have, but how much you want, which determines satisfaction and peace of mind.