How to respond to professional beggars

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

 Assalm o alaikum!
I want to ask about a confusion that I face every day while transiting on raod where I see a lot of professional beggars who are standing there daily and begging from all passing by. Most of them are not deserving to be given any charity and they are just begging out of their habits. These beggars include many yound and innocent children as well who I am sure are sent by their parents/handlers and in my opinion are part of a chain of beggars. In order to denounce their habit of begging, I endeavour not to give any charity to any of them just to discourage them. However, on the other hand I feel guilty that they might be needy. Here I get confused that how to deal with them and what are my social/moral obligations. Looking forward for your kind guidance in this regard please.
Regards

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 51 Surah Dhaariyaat verses 15-19:

15      As to the Righteous they will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs

16      Taking joy in the things which their Lord gives them because before then they lived a good life.

17      They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night

18      And in the hours of early dawn they (were found) praying for forgiveness;

19      And in their wealth and possessions (was remembered) the right of the (needy): him who asked, and him who (for some reason) was prevented (from asking).

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 93 Surah Dhoha verses 9-10:

9        Therefore treat not the orphan with harshness

10      Nor repulse those who ask (for something in charity)…..

 

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, Allah Subhanah has not given man the power to look into the hearts or intentions of other human beings and judge or determine the exact intentions of the other….thus it is possible that one is in such dire straits and in such desperate need, that killing the self-respect which each human being is bestowed with, one is compelled by one’s misery to beg or ask his brethren to help him.

 

The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was that, if it was within his means, he (saws) would never ever refuse someone who asked him for something in charity for the Sake of Allah Subhanah; for whatever one spends in the Cause or for the Sake of Allah Subhanah, absolutely regardless of what transpires or what the other does with the charity, the one who gave the charity only for the fear and sake of their Lord, will have their full and due reward in the Presence of their Lord Most Gracious.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 63 Surah Munafiqoon verse 10:

Spend (in the Cause of Allah) from the provisions that We have given you before death should come to any of you and then he should say, "O my Lord, why did You not reprieve me awhile that I should have given in charity and become of the righteous." But Allah does not at all reprieve a person when his term comes to an end, and Allah is well aware of what you all do.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 261:

The charity of those who expend their wealth in the Way of Allah may be likened to a grain of corn, which produces seven ears and each ear yields a hundred grains. Likewise Allah develops manifold the charity of anyone He pleases, for He is All-Embracing, All-Wise.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 254:

Believers, spend of the wealth We have bestowed upon you (in Allah's way), before the Day comes when there shall be no buying and no selling; when neither friendship nor intercession will be of any avail.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 60:

60      Alms are for the poor, the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds), for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to the Truth), for those in bondage and in debt, in the Cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.

 

Thus unless and until one is absolutely sure and certain and has enough reason to believe that the person who is asking or begging charity of them would spend it on the unlawful (alcohol, drugs, gambling, prostitution, etc.)….one who is blessed with abundance from their Lord should not hesitate to give in charity to the poor and needy, regardless of whether they choose to ask and beg, or they abstain from asking.

 

As much as the guidance of Islam absolutely discourages and dislikes one to beg of men or ‘beggary’ without an absolutely genuine need or cause, Islam absolutely encourages the believers to fulfill the needs of those poor and needy who ask, and those who don’t ask…..

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1850        Narrated by Hubshi ibn Junadah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Begging is not allowable to a rich man, or to one who has strength and is sound in limb, but only to one who is in grinding poverty or is seriously in debt. If anyone begs to increase thereby his property, it will appear as laceration on his face on the Day of Resurrection and as heated stones which he will eat from Jahannam. So let him who wishes ask little, and let him who wishes ask much."

 

Sahih Muslim Hadith 2266     Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘He who begs the riches of others to increase his own is asking only for live coals, so let him ask a little or much.’

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5287        Narrated by Abu Kabshah al-Anmari

Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "There are three things which I swear to be true, and I ask you to memorize them.

  1. a man's property does not decrease on account of sadaqah (giving charity);
  2. that when a man is wronged and bears it patiently, Allah will give him greater honour on that account;
  3. and that when a man opens a door towards begging Allah opens for him a door towards poverty.”

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1941        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas

Allah's Messenger (saws), said, "I shall tell you who is the best of men; he is a man who holds his horse's rein in Allah's Cause. I shall tell you who comes next to him; he is a man who retires with a few goats which he possesses and pays what is due (sadaqah, zakah, etc.) unto Allah on them. I shall tell you who is the worst of men; he is a man from whom someone begs in Allah's Name, but who does not give anything in His Name."

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1668  Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘If anyone seeks protection in Allah's Name, grant him protection; if anyone begs in Allah's Name, give him something; if anyone gives you an invitation, accept it; and if anyone does you a kindness, recompense him; but if you have not the means to do so, pray for him until you feel that you have compensated him.’

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

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