Identifying Factors Affecting the Financial Self-reliance of Mosques (Case Study, Mosques in Qom Province)

One of the main reasons for the independence of mosques and their independence from governments in Shiite history has been their financial self-reliance. The mosque is a religious, popular and non-governmental institution whose financial independence is one of the key elements in its independence. Accordingly, the factors affecting the financial self-reliance of mosques are the problem of this research. The statistical population includes all mosques in the holy city of Qom, of which 10 mosques were selected as a sample. In selecting the sample, each mosque represents a large number of similar mosques. Interviews were conducted with the trustees of these mosques. Combining the extracted concepts in the form of themes, eight comprehensive themes were obtained. These topics are, the role of endowments in the financial management of the mosques, renting mosques spaces to ceremonies, the role of benefactors in the financial management of the mosques, the role of imams of mosques in financing the mosques, the role of cultural programs and spaces in people’s attitudes towards the functions of the mosques, the role of mutual trust between benefactors and trustees of the mosques, the effect of knowledge and legal power of the mosques and the planning role of the trustees in financing the mosques. The findings show that the financing of mosques in Qom province is mainly done by charities and endowments.