Begging or asking for something else is haram. But in some circumstances, begging can be permissible in Islam. What kind of begging is allowed in Islam? Who is a beggar? Why is begging forbidden in Islam? Find the answer below in the 17 prohibitions of begging in Islam.
- A beggar
Beggars are usually portrayed by someone with ugly clothing and they are showing disability. They usually ask something with compassion to others and they say “I have not eaten in three days”. Below is a Quranic verse that explains the meaning of beggar.
” It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing.”
(Verse 2:177)
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2. Allah Almighty does not forbid begging
In another verse of the Quran, it is mentioned that begging is lawful. However, here is a note that not everyone can be a beggar. Beggars can only be done by people who are really very poor in a particular society. Below here Allah says in the Quran
“Therefore the beggar drive not away.” (Verse 93:10)
3. Beggars who need help
In real life, people who are really poor and need help most of them still have pride. They are abstinent to beg. If any of us find people like this, we should help him, one of them is with charity. In the Quran Allah says.
“(Alms are) for the poor who are straitened for the cause of Allah, who cannot travel in the land (for trade). The unthinking man accounteth them wealthy because of their restraint. Thou shalt know them by their mark: They do not beg of men with importunity. And whatsoever good thing ye spend, lo! Allah knoweth it.” (Verse 2:273)
4. Misunderstanding of begging
Begging is allowed by Allah Almighty. However, many humans misunderstand this act of begging. For example lie, beggars who lie by pretending to be sick or poor of course Allah Almighty forbid it in this case. Below the following here Allah Almighty says in the Quran.
“In their hearts is a disease and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie.” (2:10)
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5. Some circumstances are allowed to beg
There are three conditions a person may beg. First, when he bears the penalty or repayment of the debts of others, second, people are struck by disaster and all his property is exhausted, and the last one is a heavy fakir and the whole community around him knows it. Below the following here is Rasulullah (PBUH) said in his hadith.
“O Qabishah! Indeed begging is not lawful, except for one of three: A person who bears the burden (someone else’s debt, diyat or fine), he may beg for it until he repays it, then stops. And someone who was struck by a disaster who spent his fortune, he could beg for it until he got the rest of life. And the one who suffered the misery of life so that there are three sensible men of his people said,
‘The soul has suffered the miseries of life,’ he may beg for the rest of life. Begging for these three things, O Qabishah! is haram, and the one who eats it is eating the haram “.
(Muslims, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, and An-Nasa’i)
6. Ask for help from others
In Islam is asking for help to others is allowed? Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) one day once asked someone for help to make the pulpit. Asking for help in kindness is, of course, permissible especially if the benefits can be felt for all the Muslims. Below here is the following hadith.
Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam once sent to a woman: “Command your carpenter’s son to make for me a platform so I can sit on it!”. (Bukhari, An-Nasa’i, and Ahmad).
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7. Ask for something forbidden
It has been narrated, there was someone who came to meet the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and he asked something of him. The Prophet gave it and when the man asked again the Prophet returned to give it up to the third request, the Prophet gave it and the Messenger of Allah also said in his hadith.
“O judge, this treasure is like a fresh fruit sweet again, and whosoever takes it with no ambition (and greed or at the mercy of its owner), it will be blessed for him the treasure, and whoever takes it with a sense of ambition, surely the treasure will not be blessed for him, and he is like a man who eats and never feels full: the hands above are greater than the hands that are below. “
(Bukhari and Muslim)
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8. Begging that disturbs others
Have you ever seen beggars begging at crossroads or when cross traffic stopped? In fact, such a way of begging Allah Almighty is not permissible. This act is very unfair and unfair. Below here is Allah Almighty says in the Quran.
“Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.” (Verse 16:90)
9. Beggar is lazy
Some people think beggars are lazy. While people are busy working from morning to dusk, beggars just ask for the work of others. Whereas it is mentioned in the Quranic verse, that Allah SWT commands us to work. As the following paragraph clause below.
“And He it is Who maketh night a covering for you, and sleep repose, and maketh day a resurrection.”
(Verse 25:47)
10. Prohibition of asking to fellow human beings
Indeed asking for something in humans is forbidden. Includes asking for a friend treat or something. This prohibition is described in one of the following hadiths below.
“If someone begs (begging) in humans, he will come on the Day of Judgment without having a piece of meat on his face.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
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11. Requesting in a capable condition
A capable person but he works as a beggar. Surely he will feel the pain on the Day of Judgment. Below is the following hadith.
“Whoever begs for himself is not fakir, then he seems to eat the coals of fire.” (Ahmad)
12. Poor of soul and treasure
Someone who always begs, Allah SWT will open for him the door of the poor. In the following hadith, Rasulullah SAW said that someone who always asks for mercy from others. The person will be a poor soul and a treasure.
“It is not a servant who opens the door to beg for but Allah Almighty opens for him the door of the fakir.” (Ahmad)
13. Begging with a bad purpose
Whoever begs with a bad purpose, as he uses it to enrich himself. Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to his hadith that such a person is the same as he asks embers of the fire. Below here is the following hadith.
“Whoever asks for property to others for the purpose of multiplying (wealth), then actually he asks embers fire, therefore it is up to him to get a little or get a lot.” (Muslim)
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14. Begging is a despicable act
Islam strongly forbids begging because it is a despicable act. The wealth or sustenance earned from begging is actually the treasure or sustenance is not blessed from Allah Almighty. Instead of begging to work even though only by selling a bunch of firewood.
“One of your ties a bundle of firewood, then he carries it on his back, then he sells it is better for him than having to beg people, whether he gives it or rejects it.” (Muslim)
15. Becoming dependent
Begging is a despicable act. Moreover, people who like to beg will make them become dependent. They will continue to do this to meet their needs. In Islam, begging is not a job. Begging can only be done by a really poor person. Below here is the hadith.
“To beg for is like someone scratching his own face unless he begs the ruler or the thing he really needs.”(HR An Nasai, Tirmidhi, and Ahmad)
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16. Begging does not require hard work
Making a living by begging is a very forbidden one in Islam. Begging is not a good job to get barakah from Allah Almighty.
Especially if a person is begging as a source of income because it does not have any ability. Working as a beggar does not require hard work. Know that the food obtained from begging there is no barakah at all inside. Below is a hadith.
“No one eats a better food from the food of his own hands. And Prophet Daud ‘alaihi salaam ate from the hard work of his hands. “(Bukhari)
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17. Seek blessings by working
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sought blessings by working as a goatherd and he is also helping his uncle in trade. This proves that earning a living by working is one of the actions that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) recommended. While begging is an act that is forbidden by Islam especially if begging for his own wealth. In his hadith, the Messenger of Allah said.
“It is not Allah Almighty who sent a Prophet but he shepherds a goat”, then there is a friend asked, “Do you too?”, He replied, “Yes, I shepherd the goat by earning a wage of some qiroth belonging to Makkah experts”. (Bukhari)
Hopefully, the17 prohibitions of begging in Islam can increase our knowledge. In here we can know that both in the Quran and in the hadith the prohibition of begging is clearly written.
As a faithful human, it would be better if we make a living in a good and lawful way. With this Allah Almighty will always give a blessing to us. Amen.