9/26. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1640 — Three Cases Where Begging Is Allowed
Situations Where Begging Is Allowed And Where It Is Not Allowed
Begging Is Allowed in Three Cases Hadith
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1640
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1640
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ رِيَابٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي كِنَانَةُ بْنُ نُعَيْمٍ الْعَدَوِيُّ، عَنْ قَبِيصَةَ بْنِ مُخَارِقٍ الْهِلاَلِيِّ، قَالَ تَحَمَّلْتُ حَمَالَةً فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " أَقِمْ يَا قَبِيصَةُ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَنَا الصَّدَقَةُ فَنَأْمُرَ لَكَ بِهَا " . ثُمَّ قَالَ " يَا قَبِيصَةُ إِنَّ الْمَسْأَلَةَ لاَ تَحِلُّ إِلاَّ لأَحَدِ ثَلاَثَةٍ رَجُلٌ تَحَمَّلَ حَمَالَةً فَحَلَّتْ لَهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ فَسَأَلَ حَتَّى يُصِيبَهَا ثُمَّ يُمْسِكُ وَرَجُلٌ أَصَابَتْهُ جَائِحَةٌ فَاجْتَاحَتْ مَالَهُ فَحَلَّتْ لَهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ فَسَأَلَ حَتَّى يُصِيبَ قِوَامًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ " . أَوْ قَالَ " سِدَادًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ " . " وَرَجُلٌ أَصَابَتْهُ فَاقَةٌ حَتَّى يَقُولَ ثَلاَثَةٌ مِنْ ذَوِي الْحِجَا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ قَدْ أَصَابَتْ فُلاَنًا الْفَاقَةُ فَحَلَّتْ لَهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ فَسَأَلَ حَتَّى يُصِيبَ قِوَامًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ - أَوْ سِدَادًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ - ثُمَّ يُمْسِكُ وَمَا سِوَاهُنَّ مِنَ الْمَسْأَلَةِ يَا قَبِيصَةُ سُحْتٌ يَأْكُلُهَا صَاحِبُهَا سُحْتًا " .
Qabisah b. Mukhiriq al-Hilali Narrated from:
I became a guarantor for a payment, and I came to Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him). He said: Wait till I receive the sadaqah and I shall order it to be given to you.He then said : Begging, Qabisah, is allowable only to one of three classes: a man who has become a guarantor for a payment to whom begging is allowed till he gets it, after which he must stop (begging); a man who has been stricken by a calamity and it destroys his property to whom begging is allowed till he gets what will support life (or he said, what will provide a reasonable subsistence); and a man who has been smitten by poverty, about whom three intelligent members of his people confirm by saying: So and so has been smitten by poverty, to such a person begging is allowed till be gets what will support life (or he said, what will provide a reasonable subsistence), after which he must stop (begging). Any other reason for begging, Qabisah, is forbidden, and one who engages in such consumes it as a thing which is forbidden.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1640In-book reference : Book 9, Hadith 85English translation : Book 9, Hadith 1636
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1640
This hadith about begging allowed in three cases is one of the clearest texts in the batch. Qabisah came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم because he had become a guarantor for a payment. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him to wait until sadaqah came so it could be ordered for him. Then he explained that begging is allowed only for three types: a man who has taken on a guarantor payment until he receives enough to cover it, a man whose property is destroyed by a calamity until he gets basic support, and a man struck by poverty when three sensible people from his people confirm it. After each case, the person must stop once his need is met. Any other begging is described as forbidden consumption.
What we learn from this hadith
- Begging is allowed for a guarantor payment until it is covered.
- A calamity that destroys wealth is named as a valid case.
- Confirmed poverty is named as a valid case.
- After getting enough support, the person must stop asking.
