The Book of Miscellany

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If one of you would keep begging (of people) until he meets Allah (on the Day of Resurrection) his face will be without a shred of flesh."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

While Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was on his pulpit (in the mosque) delivering a Khutbah (religious talk) about Sadaqah (charity) and begging, he said, "The upper hand is better than the lower hand, the upper hand is the one which gives and the lower hand is the begging one."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who begs to increase his riches is in fact asking only for a live coal. It is up to him to decrease it or increase it."[Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Begging is a cut that a person inflicts upon his face; except for asking a ruler, or under the stress of circumstances from which there is no escape."[At- Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan Sahih].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who suffers poverty and seeks relief from people, he will not be relieved; but he who seeks relief from Allah Alone, he will be relieved sooner or later."[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who guarantees me that he will not beg anything from anyone, I will guarantee him (to enter) Jannah." I said, "I give you the guarantee." Then Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) never begged anything from anyone.[Abu Dawud].

I stood as surety for a debt and came to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to seek his help in discharging it. Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Wait till we receive charity and I shall give you out of it." He (ﷺ) added, "O Qabisah, begging is not lawful except for three people. One who has incurred debt (for assuming guarantee), for him begging is permissible till the guarantee is discharged and he should then refrain; a person whose property has been destroyed by a calamity is allowed to beg till he attains self-sufficiency; a person who meets with dire necessity (due to hunger) provided that three men of understanding from his people affirm the genuineness (of his poverty), for him begging is lawful till he attains means of his subsistence. Other than these, O Qabisah, anything received through begging is unlawful, its recipient devours it unlawfully."[Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A needy person is not the one who goes from door to door, begging and is turned away with a morsel or two or with a date or two. But a needy person is the one who does not have enough to live upon, and neither from his appearance it occurs that he is needy and should be given alms, nor does he himself beg anything from others."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is far better for you to take your rope, go to the mountain, (cut some firewood) carry it on your back, and sell it and thereby save your face than begging from people whether they give you or refuse."[Al-Bukhari].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is better for anyone of you to carry a bundle of wood on his back and sell it than to beg of someone whether he gives him or refuses."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "(Prophet) Dawud (ﷺ) ate only out of that which he earned through his manual work."[Al-Bukhari].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "(Prophet) Zakariyya (ﷺ) was a carpenter."[Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No food is better to man than that which he earns through his manual work. Dawud (ﷺ), the Prophet of Allah, ate only out of his earnings from his manual work."[Al- Bukhari].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked, "Who of you loves the wealth of his heir more than his own wealth?" The Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah! There is none of us but loves his own wealth more." He (ﷺ) said, "His wealth is that which he has sent forward, but that which he retains belongs to his heir."[Al-Bukhari].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Protect yourself from Hell-fire even by giving a piece of date as charity."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never said 'no' to anyone who asked him for anything.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Everyday two angels descend and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate (more) to the person who gives (in charity)'; while the other one says, 'O Allah! Destroy the one who withholds (charity, etc)".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah, the Exalted, says, 'Spend, O son of Adam, you will also be spent upon."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].