Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh)
There are signs outside the Haram
in Makkah Shareef and Madina Shareef, which clearly instruct that there should
be no begging. Outside our Masjid also, we have a sign that reads, “No Begging.”
But this is outside the Masjid. There is no begging outside the Masjid and, indeed, Shari'ah discourages begging. The
Hadeeth also tells us: “The upper
[giving] hand is superior to the lower [taking] hand.”[1]
So on this level, begging is not
at all encouraged. It is disliked in Islam, unless the person is destitute and
in dire need.
However,
on another level, a Muslim must beg – but a Muslim must beg of only
Allah Ta’ala. This is
something beloved to Allah Ta’ala. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “There
is nothing dearer to Allah than a servant making Dua to Him.”
Allah
Ta’ala's treasures are unlimited. So, inside the Masjid, we beg of Allah Ta’ala.
Furthermore, we find that beggars
teach us how to beg of Allah Ta’ala – we find this especially so in Makkah Shareef. We see how
beggars follow us, and they will persist and insist in asking from us, to the
extent of even catching the person’s garment. They even cry for something, for
anything. …They just refuse to leave until something is given. They have that
Yaqeen that the person they are begging from has something and will give if
they persist.
These beggars outside the Haram
Shareef are teaching us a lesson of how to beg of Allah Ta’ala, inside the Haram Shareef or whenever we are
making Dua.
…Sadly, we do not consider who we
are asking when we make Dua. As such, we make Dua casually, in a relaxed
manner: legs are stretched out, leaning against a wall, and no effort is even
made to raise the begging bowls of the hands. And we make a Dua in this
laid-back, careless manner – and we say we begged
of Allah Ta’ala. And we sometimes do not even have conviction that Allah Ta’ala
will give and will do and will provide. …A far cry from the beggars who beg from
human beings.
These beggars teach us to keep
begging – to persist in asking, and to ask of Allah Ta’ala with full Yaqeen: ‘O Allah, there is no shortage in Your
Treasures… You have unlimited treasures. Everything is in Your control… Grant
us complete forgiveness…’
Nothing is difficult for Allah
Ta’ala to do and Allah Ta’ala will do, when we ask sincerely. Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Indeed Allah Ta’ala is extremely Bashful and
Generous. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes
shy to return them empty”[2]
May Allah Ta’ala grant us all the Taufeeq of
raising our hands and asking of Him, with sincerity and with conviction.
[1] Sahih Bukhari
/ Sahih Muslim
[2] Sunan Tirmidhi,
hadith: 3556
