9/26. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1641 — Work Is Better Than Begging
Situations Where Begging Is Allowed And Where It Is Not Allowed
Hadith About Begging and Self-Reliance in Islam
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1641
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1641
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، عَنِ الأَخْضَرِ بْنِ عَجْلاَنَ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْحَنَفِيِّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْأَلُهُ فَقَالَ " أَمَا فِي بَيْتِكَ شَىْءٌ " . قَالَ بَلَى حِلْسٌ نَلْبَسُ بَعْضَهُ وَنَبْسُطُ بَعْضَهُ وَقَعْبٌ نَشْرَبُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ . قَالَ " ائْتِنِي بِهِمَا " . فَأَتَاهُ بِهِمَا فَأَخَذَهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِيَدِهِ وَقَالَ " مَنْ يَشْتَرِي هَذَيْنِ " . قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَنَا آخُذُهُمَا بِدِرْهَمٍ . قَالَ " مَنْ يَزِيدُ عَلَى دِرْهَمٍ " . مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا قَالَ رَجُلٌ أَنَا آخُذُهُمَا بِدِرْهَمَيْنِ . فَأَعْطَاهُمَا إِيَّاهُ وَأَخَذَ الدِّرْهَمَيْنِ وَأَعْطَاهُمَا الأَنْصَارِيَّ وَقَالَ " اشْتَرِ بِأَحَدِهِمَا طَعَامًا فَانْبِذْهُ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ وَاشْتَرِ بِالآخَرِ قَدُومًا فَأْتِنِي بِهِ " . فَأَتَاهُ بِهِ فَشَدَّ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عُودًا بِيَدِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ " اذْهَبْ فَاحْتَطِبْ وَبِعْ وَلاَ أَرَيَنَّكَ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا " . فَذَهَبَ الرَّجُلُ يَحْتَطِبُ وَيَبِيعُ فَجَاءَ وَقَدْ أَصَابَ عَشَرَةَ دَرَاهِمَ فَاشْتَرَى بِبَعْضِهَا ثَوْبًا وَبِبَعْضِهَا طَعَامًا . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَذَا خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَجِيءَ الْمَسْأَلَةُ نُكْتَةً فِي وَجْهِكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ الْمَسْأَلَةَ لاَ تَصْلُحُ إِلاَّ لِثَلاَثَةٍ لِذِي فَقْرٍ مُدْقِعٍ أَوْ لِذِي غُرْمٍ مُفْظِعٍ أَوْ لِذِي دَمٍ مُوجِعٍ " .
Anas bin Malik Narrated from:
A man of the Ansar came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and begged from him. He (the Prophet) asked: Have you nothing in your house? He replied: Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread (on the ground), and a wooden bowl from which we drink water. He said: Bring them to me.He then brought these articles to him and he (the Prophet) took them in his hands and asked: Who will buy these? A man said: I shall buy them for one dirham. He said twice or thrice: Who will offer more than one dirham? A man said: I shall buy them for two dirhams. He gave these to him and took the two dirhams and, giving them to the Ansari, he said: Buy food with one of them and hand it to your family, and buy an axe and bring it to me. He then brought it to him.The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fixed a handle on it with his own hands and said: Go, gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight. The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten dirhams, he came to him and bought a garment with some of them and food with the others.The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: This is better for you than that begging should come as a spot on your face on the Day of Judgment. Begging is right only for three people: one who is in grinding poverty, one who is seriously in debt, or one who is responsible for compensation and finds it difficult to pay.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1641In-book reference : Book 9, Hadith 86English translation : Book 9, Hadith 1637
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1641
This Hadith about begging teaches a clear path from need to honest work. A man from the Ansar asked the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم for help. Instead of only giving him something for the moment, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم looked at what he had, sold his simple items, and helped him buy food and an axe. Then he fixed the axe handle with his own hands and told him to gather firewood and sell it. The man returned with earnings, clothing, and food. The lesson is simple: when a person can work, earning through halal effort is better than asking people. The Hadith also gives limits: begging is right only for severe poverty, heavy debt, or hard compensation.
What we learn from this hadith
- Seeking work is better than asking people when a person is able to earn.
- Immediate family needs should be handled with care, such as food before other plans.
- Begging is only allowed in the hard cases named in the Hadith.
