Beggars: a bitter reality- Muhammad HaroonBegging is frowned upon. Yet, it is impossible to eradicate it, there will and must definitely be beggars, they are a “necessity” in a society. Without them there would be heart as lifeless as stones. It is the duty of the government to provide employment to people in accordance with one's competence. But, this - providing jobs - does not apply to those who are lethargic or are unwilling to work. The government must provide jobs only to those who have been unsuccessful in job-hunting.
There is a case of a man, who going to the employment office off and on to register to get a job, at last found a job in the ministry, and then went on to become a treasurer, an official scribe, and finally as a governor, in the year 544 AH until his death in 560 AH during the reign of the ‘Abbasid rulers, Al-Muqtafa li-Amrillah and his son Al-Mustanjid Lillah, that is Yahya ibn-Muhammad ibn-Habirah al-Shaibani of al-Daur, near Baghdad.A man approached the Prophet for aid, the Prophet advised him to desist from begging. Instead of giving him aid, he asked the man to get whatever he could spare, the man brought him his possession - a sackcloth and a bowl. These, the Prophet auctioned for two dirhams. The Prophet then asked him to buy provisions for one dirham, and an axe with the other. This, the man did.Attached with a wooden handle by the Prophet, the axe was handed over to the man who was then asked to chop wood from the forest and to sell it; he was then asked to come after a fortnight. Having done this, the man who went empty-hand apart from an axe returned to the Prophet fifteen dirhams richer. With this he was able to look after his needs.The Prophet happy upon this said, "Hard work and labour is better than begging."Yet, where the government fails to provide jobs for the genuine job-seeker who have failed in their task, it is the duty upon his guardians to look after his need.In the meantime, job hunting must go on, placing reliance on Allah. 'Umar, the most powerful man on the earth of his time came across a group of people, and asked them who they were, upon which they said, "we are a people who are resigned to the will of Allah." Upon this, 'Umar interjected, "You lie, such a person is resigned to the will of Allah who sows the seed and then places trust in Him. It is not reliance to just sit idle. Gold and silver do not descend from the sky." The obligatory and voluntary charity should be given for momentary relief, and not to encourage idleness, as is happening in the world today, where the unemployed get doles.'Umar, did not approve of begging, yet, he provided provisions from his own pocket, and from the State Treasury, every month, to an old blind Jew, and a group of Christians affected by leprosy, to mention but a few.Coming to a section of people who bask under penury, but most whom do not show up themselves in a state of penury, they place their trust in Allah, bear with patience their hardships. Thus counting the days of penury through hard work. Indeed, with every hardship is ease. These must not be belittled. They need to be shown compassion and try to alleviate their sufferings. If the government cannot do this much, then they are not 'eligible' for apprehending beggars in their attempt to put a show of affluence and plenty to the outside world, and troubling the hawkers, who at least are more dignified than the beggars. Yet, alms needs to be given cheerfully and considerably. {… Feed the poor who doesn’t ask (men) but live in contentment, and the those who ask (men) with due humility,}, al-Hajj, [The Qur’an, 22: 36]; {… Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? For Allah is oft-Forgiving, All-Merciful.} [The Qur’an, 24: 22]
Last update : 02-04-2005 16:27
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