What does Islam say about begging?

[Come Ramadhan and there is suddenly an explosion in the number of beggars.  Many of them seem hale and hearty.  What does Islam actually say about this?  Is begging allowed in Islam?  If so, for whom?  We present an extract from Noor Ul Masabeeh, the Urdu translation of Zujaajatul Masabeeh of Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) to explain this issue]

 

A Companion (May Allah be well pleased with him) says:  I had guaranteed a debt, which was about paying blood money.  (As clearance of debts is also one of the avenues of Zakaat) I went to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and said:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  Please grant me something to clear my debt.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Wait for some days!  When Zakaat is gathered before us, we will give you something from it.

 

Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  …Begging is permissible only for 3 persons:

 

One, who had guaranteed a debt.  For that person, asking for only the amount of the debt is permissible (provided that person is unable to clear it).  After that, that person should not beg for anything.

 

Then begging is permissible for that person whose wealth and property has been destroyed by a calamity (like crops, etc.), to the extent that his (or her) needs of food and clothing are fulfilled or to the extent that he (or she) can resettle his means of livelihood.

 

Begging is permissible for that person as well who has been assailed by poverty, which can be confirmed by 3 intelligent persons, who know that person.  This person can ask to the extent that his (or her) needs of food and clothing are fulfilled or to the extent that he (or she) resettles his life.

 

…. Begging is not permissible for anyone apart from these 3.  If any person begs (apart from the aforementioned 3), then such begging will be forbidden for that person and (through that begging) that person will be earning unlawful wealth.

 

This has been related by Muslim.

 

It is stated in this Hadith that a needy person can beg to fulfill his (or her) need.  We learn from this handicap or disease is not a condition for permissibility of begging.  A healthy person who has been assailed by poverty is also allowed to beg.  And this is the position of the Hanafi scholars, as Imam Tahawi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) has stated.

 

Warning on begging without a valid reason

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Janaadah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Begging is not allowed for a prosperous person (i.e. a person who has food for one day) and neither is it allowed for a healthy person who is able to earn.  However, it is allowed for such a person who has been felled to the ground by poverty and starvation (i.e. has been rendered weak) or for such a person who has come under a lot of debts.

 

          As for that person who begs to increase his (or her) wealth, then on the Day of Judgment this begging will be expressed in the form of a wound on that person’s face.  On the Day of Judgment, wealth (gained from such begging) will be in the form of hot stones, which this person will eat.

 

The wound on the face will be because that person has turned to beings other than Allah against the will of Allah Most High.  The punishment of eating hot stones will be because this person using his tongue and mouth has complained about Allah Most High to the people.

 

Thus whoever wants to can decrease the punishment (of unlawful begging) and whoever wants to can increase it.

 

This has been related by Tirmidhi.

 

It is stated in the Hadith that begging is not permissible for a well-off person.  It is written in Durre Mukhtaar in this regard that begging is impermissible for the person who has food enough for a day and it is not permissible for that person as well who although does not have food enough for a day, but is healthy and able to earn.

 

What kind of help should we render to those who are begging for valid reasons?

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that a Madinite Companion came to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and started asking for something.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) asked: Don’t you have anything in your house?  That Companion said:  Yes.  I have a blanket, a part of which we spread on the ground and wrap ourselves with another part of it, and a wooden cup in which we drink water.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  You get both of them to me.  That Companion brought these 2 things to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) took both these things in His blessed hand and announced:  Who buys these things?  A person said:  I buy them in 1 Dirham.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) again said:  Who buys these things for more than 1 Dirham?  He repeated this twice or thrice.  On this, another person said: I buy them in 2 Dirham.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) handed over those things to him and took 2 Dirham from him.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) gave those 2 Dirham to the Companion and said:  You buy some food with 1 Dirham and give it to your family.  With the other Dirham buy an axe head and come to Me.  When the Companion came to the Prophet with the axe head, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) fixed the handle with His own blessed hands and said to the Companion:  Go, cut trees and sell the wood.  Don’t come to me for 15 days (i.e. keep doing the same task).

 

Thus, that Madinite Companion went away.  Daily, he would cut trees and sell the wood.  When he came to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), he had 10 Dirham with him.  With that money, he brought some clothes and some food.

 

          On this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told him:  What you are doing now is better than your begging of others…..

 

This has been related by Abu Dawood.  Ibn Majah also has related almost the same Hadith.

[Excerpted from Noor Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 5]