when begging; accordingly, the punishment on the Day of Resurrection will fall upon that very face. Al-Khattābī said: it may mean that the person will arrive utterly bereft of honour, and it may mean that he will be punished until the flesh of his face drops away—retribution reaching the very limb that committed the offence, because he humiliated his face by begging.
5 – The ḥadīth likens his state in the Hereafter to his state in this world while asking: the beggar approaches with a face that is humbled, broken, weary and exhausted, perspiring from the disgrace of entreaty; on the Day of Resurrection he will come with that same face which had grown tired through begging.
6 – The scholars said: the prohibition on asking without need is confined to requesting from ordinary people. If the one approached is the ruler, it is not forbidden even when there is no need, as will be seen in ḥadīth no. 531, which makes an exception for the ruler. There is no censure in asking him, for the petitioner only seeks a share to which he already has a right—the Muslims’ public treasury—and the ruler bestows no favour upon him.
7 – If a person is maintained out of, is given as a gift, or inherits wealth that contains both lawful and unlawful earnings, the ruling is as follows: if the very sum he receives is the money acquired unlawfully, it is impermissible to consume it; but if it is not that specific sum, it is not forbidden. You may enjoy its benefit while the sin rests on its owner, though it is preferable to avoid it—except for one in need, in which case there is no harm.
Decision of the Council of Senior Scholars concerning the censure of begging
In Resolution (123) of the Council of Senior Scholars, dated 24/10/1404 AH, the following conclusion was reached:
After reviewing the condition of beggars—some being truly needy, some having taken begging as a trade despite their ability to earn lawfully, and others engaging in fraud or seeking excess—and after discussion and deliberation, the Council resolved:
First: begging is permitted only for the one who fulfils one of the three conditions mentioned in the ḥadīth narrated by Muslim from Qabīṣa ibn Mukhāriq [which will be cited under no. …]