The Triumph of the Beggar (part one)

It all started about five years ago at a mechanic workshop located at a close off Waff Road in Kaduna.

I went to fix something in my car and as I was waiting for the panel beater to attend to me a discussion about Nigeria and sundry issues started informally between another car owner and myself.

We were passionately discussing about my country when a blind beggar emerged from nowhere shouting “Sadaka fisebulahi” (for the sake of Allah give me alms).

I excused myself from the discussion, dashed to my car, took some money and gave it to the beggar. He muttered some prayers and he proceeded to the next man. I also returned to me new found friend.

As I approached him his countenance changed. He frowned at me and I asked him what the problem was. He said in a somewhat angry manner. “It is people like you who encourage these beggars. Why can’t the man work, it is unIslamic to beg for alms”

I responded by telling him that I saw nothing wrong in my giving him the money and also told him that I was told by my father when I was younger that I should assist anyone who approaches me for financial assistance if two conditions are present- firstly, if the  beggar says “fiisebilillah” and if whatever I give will not be injurious to  me.

I informed him that my father cannot be wrong on this issue because apart from being a devout Muslim, he earned himself the nickname Baba Jimoh for the simple reason that people stormed our family house on Evans street, Lagos Island every Friday (during his active life) to collect charity from him. As if that wasn’t enough I even told the man that what my father told me was confirmed by our teachers during my primary school days at Ausar-Ud-Deen Primary School Okepopo Lagos.

But my friend would have none of these and he referred me to the Hadith (sayings of the prophet) which condemned begging.

The discussion was brought to an end and we parted ways.

Ever since this encounter I have taken special interest in the attitude of Nigerians to beggars. My areas of coverage include : Abuja (FCT), Damaturu (Yobe state), Kaduna ( Kaduna state) and Lagos state.

Who is a beggar?

According to the Oxford Dictionary a beggar is a person who lives by begging.

It is also pertinent to mention at this stage that there are different categories of beggars. These include street beggars (usually destitutes), the corporate beggars, (usually caused by drugs and unemployment) beggars created by unusual circumstances(eg stranded passengers),  “fine bara” (those who beg under the guise  of being praise singers e.t.c).

Indeed the first time I saw members of the last set in action I was bemused.

It was in Damaturu. They were there in large numbers at the entrance to most of the offices of senior government  officials. They resume in the morning, sit on bare floor in the open chanting  songs praising these government officials as these officials go to and from their offices. I never saw it but I guess that they were handsomely rewarded for this daily exercise.

Of course another example can be found almost every where in the south west as area boys sing your praises to high heavens just to extort  money from you.

I have also observed over the years that there is a sharp contrast in the treatment of and attitude to beggars in the north and western parts of our country.

In the West, especially Lagos, beggars are generally taken care of through generous alms and donations. People, irrespective of their religions and ethic affiliations treat beggars with kindness and sometimes reverence.

This attitude is sometimes borne out of the religious belief that prayers are answered swiftly and that God is forever kind to a “cheerful giver”. The government too has built settlements for beggars and destitutes, though they sometimes chase them off the streets (I will return to this later).

In the North the attitude to and treatment of beggars is different.  Beggars are generally scorned and abused. They are generally  seen as “lazy and indolent people who don’t want to work”.

And when you remind our friends of the Quranic injunctions regarding the responsibility of a Muslim towards beggars, wayfarer etc. they defend themselves by relying on one hadith or the other as if hadith is superior to Quranic injunctions.

This is the central focus of this article. What is the position of Quran in this matter? What does Islam say about begging, alms giving etc? Is the Hadith superior to the Quran? Under what circumstances is begging forbidden in Islam?

Perspectives

I will like to share with you some perspectives on this issue in order to examine critically the stance of those who treat beggars with disrespect and to further provide a basis for examining such behaviours.

In an article titled BEGGING IS NOT COMMENDED (http://www.thewaytotruth.org/stories/begging.htm) God's Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, declared: 'A giving hand is better than a receiving one.' Although Islam recommends helping the poor and encourages the wealthy to spend for the poor out of their wealth, it does not commend begging and requires fit and able people to work for their livelihood. It regards working for one's own and one's family's livelihood as of equal value with worship of God

Another perspective was given by counsellor Yusuf Al-Qaradawi in June 2002 when answering a question on the stance of Islam on begging. He had this to say “The fundamental attitude of Islam towards man's position in the world is that Allah the Almighty has made the earth for his benefit. He has given him control over it. Then it becomes man's duty to profit from this favor and to exert himself to seek Allah's bounties throughout the earth. It is not permitted for a Muslim to stay idle doing nothing to make a living on the pretext of devoting his life to worship or putting trust in Allah. He should know that the sky never rains gold or silver. Also, it is not permissible for him to depend on charity while he is able to earn a sufficient subsistence for himself and his family through his own efforts. In this regard, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, says: "Charity is Halal (lawful) neither for the rich nor for the able bodied."

(Reported by At-Tirmidhi) The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has made it Haram for a Muslim to beg money from others without dire necessity, thus losing his honor and dignity. He says: "He who begs without need is like a person holding a burning piece of coal in his hand.'' (Reported by Al-Bayhaqi and by Ibn Khuzaymah) He also says: "Anyone who begs from people in order to increase his wealth will have his face scratched on the Day of Resurrection, and will eat burning stones from Hell; so let him reduce it (his punishment) or let him increase it as he pleases."

(Reported by At-Tirmidhi) This means that it is up to him to decrease his punishment by not begging, and vice-versa. Again, he says: "A person keeps on begging until he meets Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) with no flesh on his face."

(Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim) By such strong admonitions, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, intended to train the Muslim to safeguard his dignity, develop self-reliance, and steer clear of depending on others. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was aware of situations of necessity, he stipulated that if one is forced to seek financial help from the government or from individuals out of dire need, he is blameless. The Prophet, peace and blessings be on him, says: "Begging is similar to scratching the flesh off your face; so if someone wants to save his face he should avoid it, except for asking from the ruler or asking in case of dire need."

(Reported by Abu Dawud and An-Nisa'i) In his Sahih, Muslim quoted Abu Bishr Qubaysah ibn Al-Makharaf as saying: "I agreed to pay Himalah (an amount of money paid to two quarreling parties to reconcile them) and came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be on him, asking for help. Thereupon, the Prophet, peace and blessings be on him, said, 'Wait until alms (Sadaqah) are brought to us and we will give you from that. Qubaysah,' (the Prophet went further) 'asking for money is not permissible except in three cases: for a man who takes it upon himself to pay Himalah, he may seek people’s help until the designated amount is received and then he should stop asking; for a calamity-stricken man who loses his property, it is permissible for him to seek financial assistance until he is able to stand on his own feet; and for a man who is starving, with three reliable persons from his community testifying to that saying ‘Oh, this man has been reduced to hunger!’ It is permissible for him to ask (for charity) until he is able to stand on his own feet.’ Except for these cases, Qubaysah, begging is fire, it is devouring fire.'”

(Reported by Abu Dawud and An-Nisai) Here is the crucial question: Who are the worthy recipients of Sadaqah? It should be given to a Muslim who happens to deserve it. If, however, it is known that he will use it to perpetuate what Allah has forbidden, then he's not entitled to it. It is preferable that one who pays Sadaqah should give it to the pious, the knowledgeable, and those of a kind disposition. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri quotes the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as saying: "The likeness of a believer and the likeness of belief are similar to the horse that, tied to its post, oscillates around. The believer may forget, but he returns to his belief. Thus, give your food to the righteous people and entrust your favors to the believers." (Reported by Ahmad)” Allah Almighty knows best.

Socio-economic systems and begging

It is clear from these two perspectives that Islam does not encourage begging so as to among other things preserve the dignity of man. It is also clear that begging is permitted under certain circumstances. It was indeed reported that the prophet directed his followers to give alms to anyone who approaches saying fiisebillah even if the person begging was on horseback.

In my country it is sad to note that it appears that we produce more beggars daily than any other country in Africa (the poverty index is an excellent reference here). The social and economic policies of government in the last twenty years have resulted in a decaying economy and some are even saying that we are fast approaching the “failed state” line.

Indeed in discussing this issue and giving instructions on how to treat beggars, the prophet (except in war times) was operating from the platform that a true Islamic state was in existence. A true Islamic state is that which guarantees equal opportunities to all citizens, where the zakat (tax) system works to take care of the needs of the weak and the needy and where the sole purpose of government is to protect the lives and properties of citizens.

 Ironically these ideals can be found in Chapter II of the Nigerian constitution titled “fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy” (sections 13 to 17)

Indeed if successive governments (at all the levels) in Nigeria have achieved as low as 40% of these objectives the level of poverty and begging would have been reduced.

The elites by their greed, kleptomania and gluttonous appetite for wealth and women  have rendered a large proportion of the populace helpless; they have turned them to beggars. Yet these elites will be the first to treat beggars with disdain. It is indeed a pity that our elites do not know that  those beggars are actually reminding them of their greed, wickedness and emptiness. Those beggars are the mirrors that reflect who they are irrespective of their big cars,  mansions and empty posturing. Most of them  became big men through stealing and other vices and it is amazing that they have not yet come across hadith and Quranic injunctions that disapprove of their evil ways.

They flock to the mosques on Fridays and are reminded but their hearts are sealed so they behave like the ostrich especially when they come in contact with the  beggar and he/she  makes his/her valid claims upon their ill gotten wealth.

Every Friday I witness this scenario and I cannot but praise the beggar who appears to be telling them “steal all the money, live in your wire-fenced mansions, tell your security men not to allow us into your offices, but we shall wait for you at the mosque on Friday. We are only giving you an opportunity to shed some of your load so if you frown , insult or avoid us, no problems, we shall be waiting next Friday. If you continue to avoid us, someday we will be waiting and  you will not be here. Then we shall meet where money will not be the determining factor for the best position”

Destructive social structures are either put in place or those in existence are reinforced to keep the people poor and powerless while they continue to loot and plunder the commonwealth. Why should the Almajiri system in the North be growing even when so much has been written against it. Only recently, a columnist in THISDAY queried the existence of this degrading and inhuman system in the north and asked “ why is it that the system is not in existence in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries where people attend modern schools to learn and memorize the Quran?”

It is indeed an irony to discover that while this people daily engage in pauperising our fellow countrymen, the victims of their terrorist activities, the beggars are scorned and abused.

Double tragedy you will say.

They are quick at reminding you that “the prophet forbids begging”.  I want to implore them to devote sometime to the Quran which will  illuminate their hearts so that they can see the harm that they are causing themselves. If only they can just  check the Quran they will know that even the prophet was cautioned by Allah for frowning at a beggar.

By the grace of God I will publish the concluding part next week.

Thanks for having read this article.

Taslim Orimolagun Anibaba (FCA)

24^th January 2008

Robot  Villager

# 1 var sbtitle5928=encodeURIComponent(The Triumph...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 24.01.2008 17:22

MrOneNaija  Villager

# 2 BLOCKBUSTER SEQUEL TO THE OLUSEGUN OBASANJO-MOJISOLA SEX SCANDAL OR RESPONSE TO IT? I have also observed over the years that there is a sharp contrast in the treatment of and attitude to beggars in the north and western parts of our country. In the West, especially Lagos, beggars are generally taken care of through generous alms and donations. People, irrespective of their religions and ethic affiliations treat beggars with kindness and sometimes reverence. This attitude is sometimes borne out of the religious belief that prayers are answered swiftly and that God is forever kind to a “cheerful giver”. The government too has built settlements for beggars and destitutes, though they sometimes chase them off the streets (I will return to this later). In the North the attitude to and treatment of beggars is different. Beggars are generally scorned and abused. They are generally seen as “lazy and indolent people who don’t want to work”. And when you remind our friends of the Quranic injunctions regarding the responsibility of a Muslim towards beggars, wayfarer etc. they defend themselves by relying on one hadith or the other as if hadith is superior to Quranic injunctions. They flock to the mosques on Fridays and are reminded but their hearts are sealed so they behave like the ostrich especially when they come in contact with the beggar and he/she makes his/her valid claims upon their ill gotten wealth. Every Friday I witness this scenario and I cannot but praise the beggar who appears to be telling them “steal all the money, live in your wire-fenced mansions, tell your security men not to allow us into your offices, but we shall wait for you at the mosque on Friday. We are only giving you an opportunity to shed some of your load so if you frown , insult or avoid us, no problems, we shall be waiting next Friday. If you continue to avoid us, someday we will be waiting and you will not be here. Then we shall meet where money will not be the determining factor for the best position” Destructive social structures are either put in place or those in existence are reinforced to keep the people poor and powerless while they continue to loot and plunder the commonwealth. Why should the Almajiri system in the North be growing even when so much has been written against it. Only recently, a columnist in THISDAY queried the existence of this degrading and inhuman system in the north and asked “ why is it that the system is not in existence in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries where people attend modern schools to learn and memorize the Quran?” It is indeed an irony to discover that while this people daily engage in pauperising our fellow countrymen, the victims of their terrorist activities, the beggars are scorned and abused. Double tragedy you will say. They are quick at reminding you that “the prophet forbids begging”. I want to implore them to devote sometime to the Quran which will illuminate their hearts so that they can see the harm that they are causing themselves. If only they can just check the Quran they will know that even the prophet was cautioned by Allah for frowning at a beggar. Taslim Orimolagun Anibaba (FCA) 24th January 2008 Wooh, is this a blockbuster sequel (or is it a response?) to Gbenga Obasanjo's sordid revelations? I leave the answer to this puzzle to others. So, thanks to the writer of the above words in quote, we now know the corrupt and heartless people in Nigeria, the veritable scoundrels responsible for much of the sleaze going on in the country and their provenance! This is simply illuminating! My question: Shouldn't we be keeping this dark and troubling secret within the Northern family? Just like some here (and elsewhere) would have wanted Dr. Gbenga Obasanjo - "the rebel in the house of Odudua" (Dele Momodu of Thisday) - to do? Posted by MrOneNaija| 24.01.2008 19:09

Exxcuzme  Villager

# 3 =Robot;4294983345>var sbtitle5928=encodeURIComponent(The Triumph...Read the full article. Where is Gwobe to comment on this article or at least call you an irredentist :D Posted by Exxcuzme| 24.01.2008 21:32

tanibaba  Villager

# 4 @MrOneNaija I am sorry to disappoint you but this has nothing to do with Gbenga or Obj. The article is about a social malaise in our country, some of its causes and why they persist. People are corrupting Islamic injunctions and hiding under “culture” to inflict pain on our citizens. Other aspects include the embarrassing increase in divorce cases and their negative impact or the helpless women and children. These and others are the root cause of most of our problems in Nigeria. Somebody has to bring up facts about Islam to debunk the claims of these evil people so that they can look for other excuses This is not the first time I am writing about this. You may wish to read Aisha: any hope for the living dead written by me and published in this village. Please get serious. I am not Obj’s megaphone. taslim Posted by tanibaba| 25.01.2008 04:11

draftman  Villager

# 5 These is nothing wrong with cheering some of your blessing, if you're scam by some of these 419 beggars, you leave to god, your conscience is clear. I'll give carefully. Some people has turn begging into profession. It nice to give than to receive, well maybe its nice to give and receive:lol: Posted by draftman| 25.01.2008 16:46