A servant must have provision and is in need of it. If he seeks his provision from Allah, he becomes Allah’s servant, dependent upon Him; but if he seeks it from a created being, he becomes that being’s servant, dependent upon him. This is why “asking of created beings” is prohibited in principle and is permitted only out of necessity. Many hadiths prohibit it in the Sahīh, Sunan, and Musnad collections, such as the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him:

“One of you will persist in begging until he comes on the Day of Resurrection without a shred of flesh on his face.”

And his saying:

“Whoever asks people when he has enough to meet his needs will find his asking turned into scratches, claw marks, or gashes on his face on the Day of Resurrection.”

And his saying:

“Begging is not lawful except for someone burdened with an overwhelming debt, anguished weeping, or grinding poverty.”

This meaning is reported in the Sahīh collection. It also contains:

“For one of you to take his rope and go out to gather firewood is better for him than asking people, whether they give to him or refuse him.”

He also said:

“Whatever comes to you of this wealth without your asking for it or eagerly looking for it, take it. Whatever does not come to you, do not let your soul pursue it.”

He thus disapproved of taking it through verbal requests or inward longing. He said in an authentic hadith:

“Whoever seeks to be free of need, Allah will make him free of need; whoever seeks to refrain from asking, Allah will enable him to refrain; whoever strives to be patient, Allah will grant him patience. No one has been given a gift better or more ample than patience.”

He instructed his closest Companions not to ask people for anything. It is reported in the Musnad:

“When Abū Bakr’s whip fell from his hand, he would not say to anyone, ‘Hand it to me.’ He would say, ‘My close friend instructed me not to ask people for anything.’”

In Sahīh Muslim and elsewhere, it is narrated from ‘Awf ibn Mālik “that