Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … In the narration of Sunan Abi Dawud, this detail is also present that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him regarding those two dirhams that he should buy food with one dirham and give it to his family, and with the other dirham he should buy an axe and bring it. He did so, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fitted a handle to it and said to him: “Go and start cutting wood and selling it, and I should not see you for fifteen days.” He went away and continued working according to these instructions. When he returned, he had become the owner of ten dirhams. Then he bought clothes with some of the dirhams and food with some. When the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw his situation, he said: “This work is better for you than that you come on the Day of Resurrection in such a state that the mark and sign of asking from people is upon your face. Asking is only permissible for three types of people: … .” “One who pays blood money (diyah) for a murdered person”—by this is meant that a person takes on the responsibility to pay the blood money (diyah) of the murdered person to his heirs on behalf of the killer, but later it becomes beyond his capacity to arrange it, except by asking people. The requirement of this and other Shari’ah texts on this subject is that the fundamental issue is that asking (begging) is impermissible, and every person should avoid it as much as possible. In the blessed ahadith, begging has been greatly condemned, except if someone has a legitimate Shari’ah necessity. But even such a compelled person should repeatedly consider whether his excuse will be accepted by Allah ta’ala.