Articles

Islamic Ruling on Begging
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 12-03-2023

 

Begging is a hateful phenomenon that harms the reputation of society, disturbs and distorts its image, and makes the beggar look needy and humiliated. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade that a Muslim humiliates himself where he said: "It is not for the believer to humiliate himself." {Transmitted by Tirmithi}.

He (PBUH) warned against begging and discouraged such an act because a beggar loses face in this life and the hereafter. Bukhari and Muslim reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "When a man is always begging from people the result will be that he will come on the day of resurrection with no flesh on his face.”

Islam is keen on preserving human dignity and protecting it against humiliation and wretchedness, so we warn against begging, as it is incompatible with dignity that Allah The Almighty Has honored humans with as He, The Almighty Said (What means): "We have honoured the sons of Adam" {Al-Isra`/70}.

In addition, it is forbidden for the one who owns money that suffices their need or who is able to make a living to resort to begging, be that for money of Zakah, charity, or expiation, and it is forbidden to take it. Al-Shabramoulsi said: "If the beggar showed poverty and the giver thought that he was as such then what he was given isn`t his because he has tricked the giver who thought that he was poor. The proof of this is that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "He who begs to increase his riches is in fact asking only for a live coal. It is up to him to decrease it or increase it." [Muslim]. And he (PBUH) said: "When you ask (for anything), ask it from Allah, and if you seek help, seek help from Allah.” Accordingly, the one who practices this ugly profession eats up people`s wealth unjustly and feeds his children using ill-gotten money.

 

Young children and women sent by their guardians to beg at traffic lights and the doors of houses of worship distort the beautiful image of our blessed country. They even live on the streets barefooted, wear vulgar clothes, show destituteness and humiliation to turn people's emotions and deceive them to think that hunger drove them to do this.

Islam has tackled this abusive phenomenon by prohibiting begging, encouraging work and production, and making man`s best meal that which he has earned by working with his own hands. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands, and the Prophet of Allah David (PBUH) used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor." {Bukhari}.

One who is needy should turn to the concerned authorities in our country. The beggar takes people's money unrightfully and will be held to account for that Before Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment. The Jordanian law regards begging without a lawful excuse a crime for which a person deserves punishment because it is eating up people's wealth unjustly, in addition to being a means of deception. Moreover, people should stop giving beggars and the latter should be preached not to eat people's wealth unjustly. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

If someone fasts on the White Days with the intention of making up for missed fasts (qada), will they receive the reward for both voluntary and obligatory fasting?

Making up missed obligatory fasts (qada) is mandatory, and the intention for qada must be specified.
If a person makes up their missed Ramadan fasts on the White Days, they must intend qada, but they may also intend to fast the White Days, and Allah willing, they will receive the reward for both.
This is similar to entering a mosque and praying an obligatory prayer, where the person also earns the reward of Tahiyyat al-Masjid (greeting the mosque) if they intend both.
● If the person missed their fasts due to a valid excuse, they may wait and fast on the White Days.
● However, if they missed the fasts without a valid excuse, they must make up the fasts immediately and should not delay them until the White Days.

What is the age of the Aqiqa or the Udhiyah?

 
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The minimum age for a sacrificial animal (Udhiyah) and the birth sacrifice (Aqiqa) is as follows:
 
Camels: Five years old, entering their sixth year.
 
Cattle and Goats: Two years old, entering their third year.
 
Sheep: One year old, entering their second year; however, it is permissible for a sheep to be six months old provided it is large in size and plump.
 
And Allah the Exalted knows best.

 
What is the ruling on someone who eats or drinks while uncertain about the arrival of dawn, then later finds out that dawn had not yet broken?

If a person does this, their fast remains valid, as it is confirmed that they ate during the night. Similarly, if someone eats while uncertain and remains unsure whether they ate before or after dawn, their fast is still valid. This is based on the maxim of Sharia Law, which states: "Certainty is not removed by doubt." Certainty, here, is the presence of night, and the doubt concerns the arrival of dawn. Therefore, one relies on certainty and disregards doubt.

When does the time for Udhiyah begin?

 
In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The permissible timeframe for Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) begins on the day of Eid al-Adha—the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah—once the sun has risen and a period of time sufficient to perform two brief prayer units (Rak'ahs) and two short sermons (Khutbahs) has passed. This window remains open until the sun sets on the final day of Tashreeq, which is the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
Our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), said: "Every valley of Mina is a place of sacrifice, and slaughtering may be done throughout all the days of Tashreeq." (Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban)
 
The days of Tashreeq refer to the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.
 
The most virtuous time to perform the sacrifice is immediately after concluding the Eid prayer, based on the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The first thing we do on this day of ours is to pray, then we return and offer our sacrifice. Whoever does that has acted in accordance with our Sunnah (tradition), and whoever slaughters before that, it is merely meat he has provided for his family; it has nothing to do with the ritual sacrifice." (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
 
What is meant here is an estimation of time rather than the actual performance of the prayer itself, as our Master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), used to offer the Eid al-Adha prayer immediately after sunrise.
 
The sacrifice is valid if performed at any time during these designated days, whether by day or by night, though slaughtering at night is considered disliked (Makruh). And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.