Islam commands and encourages working and views it as a high virtue; it forbids and disapproves laziness and begging.
While Islam permits a Muslim to give food to the poor and to offer the one who asks for something, it abhors begging because it impairs human honor and virtue, shatters personality and leads to the exploitation of benevolent people’s pure feelings. So, it is regarded as an ugly act.
According to Prophet Muhammed (SAW), it is permitted to ask for something for only three categories of people. They are as follows: the people who are indebted because of acting as a guarantor for a person or a community and cannot pay their debts; people all of whose property was destroyed in a disaster; and people who became destitute and whose poverty is acknowledged by people who know them. It is not regarded permissible for people other than those who have a day’s food and the strength to work for livelihood to beg.
Indeed, the Prophet (SAW) categorically declared begging which is taken as an occupation as disgrace and said:
“Some among you do not ever abandon begging. Finally, on the Day of Resurrection, that dishonorable person will meet Allah with no flesh left on his face.” (Muslim, Zakat, 103)
“Whoever continues to beg people for their property in order to accumulate much property, surely asks for a piece of fire…” (Muslim, Zakat, 105).
“It is better for one among you to bring a load of firewood on his back and give charity out of it (and satisfy his own need) and be independent of people, than that he should beg from people, whether they give him anything or refuse him (Muslim, Zakat, 107)
Islam does not deem Muslims who do not work, who sit idle, make do with a morsel and a coat, and who pose burden on other Muslims as good Muslims. As is understood in the Hadiths above, it is strictly forbidden to beg and to take begging as an occupation.
Begging is no more than laziness and manipulating philanthropic feelings of the community. Such people do not even abstain from interpreting the idea of tawakkul (putting one’s trust in God) according to themselves. They deem it tawakkul to sit back idle and expect some things from others.
There is no other religion or moral system which teaches humans the ways to preserve their integrity, morality and honor as much as Islam does. In Islam, the future of the community and its honor and integrity are important; similarly the honor of one’s self is important and must absolutely be preserved. Each Muslim is responsible to preserve that valuable trust. So, in order to preserve that trust, people are shown all the ways of virtue and are commanded to abstain from evil.
Each evil takes away certain things from one’s self and honor. And the situation of those begging without any need is even worse. It is because they cause their honor and respectability to decay and cause themselves to fall into the pit of spiritual bankruptcy. For this reason, Islam, which strongly commands helping the destitute and the weak, does forbid those who are not poor and are not in need from begging, just as strongly.
While The Prophet (SAW) tried to keep Muslims away from such an evil as begging on the one hand, on the other hand, he advised them to work and he wanted no Muslim to prefer the ignominy of begging to the honor of working for one’s livelihood.
The help we offer for the sake of Allah’s acceptance and approval is not left without a reward. Whether the other party deserves it or not does not change this judgment. However, as much as possible, we should search for the real needy people and donate accordingly.
Whatever motive lies beneath begging, there is a bitter reality that we all will accept: That illness is an unyielding wound of the society.
As it seems, beggars fall into these categories: those deprived of a chance of finding a job and working because of such bodily handicaps as paralysis, physical disability, illness or old age; those who, though handicapped, do not make do with what they have and crave ample money; those who are physically and spiritually sound but choose begging as a means of livelihood and as a job.
Prophet Muhammad, who carried out radical and essential revolutions in society, brought about certain solutions to the illness of begging. The following anecdote reveals the responsibility laid on those who beg though they are in no need, and shows us in which circumstances begging can be permitted:
Anas bin Malik narrates:
One day, a person from Ansar came to The Prophet and asked for something. The Prophet asked him:
“Do you have anything at home?”
“Yes, Allah’s Messenger, we have a piece of cloth. We lay some of it beneath us, and with some of it we cover ourselves. We have a water pot; we drink water from it.”
“Then, get up immediately, bring both your cloth and water pot to me.”
The person fetched them both.
The Prophet took the cloth and the water pot in his hand, and showing them to the people who were present, he asked, “Is there anybody who will buy these two articles?”
One person among them said, “I will give one Dirham to both.”
The Prophet repeated a couple of times: “Is there not anybody who gives more than one Dirham?” Afterwards, someone else said, “I will buy them in return for two Dirhams.” The Prophet sold the cloth and the water pot to that person. He took the two Dirhams and gave it to the possessor of the articles; then he said:
“Buy food with one Dirham of this money and give it to your family; and with the other one Dirham, buy an axe and bring it to me.”
The man left, bought an axe and came back. The Prophet put a stick to the axe himself. Giving it to the man, he said: “Take this, go and cut some wood, gather it and sell. I should not see you for fifteen days.”
The man went away, cut wood, gathered and sold it. When he came to the presence of the Prophet, he had made fifteen Dirhams. With some of it, he bought clothes and with some, foods. Thereupon, The Prophet said:
“Instead of coming to the Day of Resurrection as a black point because of begging, this state of yours is better.