Documents of the Right Word

to work, it is permissible for him to earn his daily food by
begging. It is not permissible (for this person) to beg for more
(than a day’s food). If a person cannot find time to work because
of supererogatory namâz and supererogatory fasting, it is not
permissible for him to ask for zakât or alms. It is permissible for
someone else to ask (for zakât and alms) on behalf of this
person.
There are three different harms in asking for help. First, it
means to imply that Allâhu ta’âlâ sends His blessings in small
amounts, which is harâm. Second, it means to humiliate oneself;
it is not permissible for a Believer to humiliate himself before
anyone except Allâhu ta’âlâ. Third, it means to annoy someone
by asking from him, which is harâm, too, unless there is strong
necessity to do so. For this reason, people of taqwâ have not
asked for anything from anybody. Bishr-i-Hâfî [1] would not ask for
anything from anyone except Sirr-î-Seqatî. And he explained this
exception as follows: “I know he will be happy when he gives
something to someone. I am asking in order to make him happy.”
Bishr stated, “There are three groups of poor people: The first
group will not ask (for anything) and will not accept anything
offered to them. These people are with angels in the Illiyyîn (the
highest of the eight Gardens of Paradise mentioned in Qur’ân alkerîm).
The second group will not ask, yet they will accept what
is given to them. These people are with the Muqarrabs in the
Gardens of Paradise. The second group will ask when they need.
These people are called Sâdiq and they are with the As-hâb-iyemîn.”
In conclusion, we say that it is harâm and very ugly to beg
without any strong necessity. It is mubâh in case of strong
necessity or need. Yet it will cause one’s demotion. It becomes
wâjib in case of danger of death. If one does not ask from others
and dies as a result of this, one dies as a sinful person. Rasûlullah
‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ sent a present to hadrat ’Umar
‘radiy-Allâhu anh’. ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’ would not accept
the present and sent it back. When they met some time later, the
Messenger of Allah asked, “Why didn’t you accept it?” Hadrat
’Umar answered, “O the Messenger of Allah! You said, ‘The
most beneficent among you is the one who would not take
anything from anyone.’ ” Upon this Rasûlullah said, “That
statement of mine was about asking and taking. If something
comes to you without your asking for it, it is rizq (sustenance) sent
[1] Bishr-i-Hâfî and Sirrî passed away in Baghdâd, the former in 227
[A.D. 841] and the latter in 251 [865].
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