When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away and Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) assumed the caliphate, he would allocate a stipend to Ḥakīm, yet Ḥakīm would not accept it. After Abū Bakr’s death ʿUmar became caliph and likewise summoned Ḥakīm to give him his share, but he refused. ʿUmar then called the people to witness, saying, “Bear witness that I am offering him his allotment from the Muslims’ treasury, yet he declines to take it.” He said this—may Allah be pleased with him—so that Ḥakīm would have no argument against him before Allah on the Day of Resurrection and so that he himself would be absolved of responsibility in the eyes of the people. Even so, Ḥakīm (may Allah be pleased with him) persisted in refusing to accept anything from him until he died.
In another wording cited by the author, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The upper hand is better than the lower hand, and start with those whom you support.” Thus a person begins with those whose maintenance is obligatory upon him. Spending on one’s family is superior to giving voluntary charity to the poor, for supporting one’s family combines charity, kinship, sufficiency, and chastity; accordingly, it takes precedence. “Start with those whom you support,” and spending on yourself takes precedence over spending on others, as the ḥadīth states: “Begin with yourself and give charity to it; if anything remains, then to your family.”
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) also related the ḥadīth of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Begging will cling to one of you until he meets Allah with no shred of flesh on his face.” That is, a man will continue asking people—for money—until the Day of Judgment, and there will not be a scrap of flesh left on his face. We ask Allah for well-being.
This is a severe warning that indicates the prohibition of persistently asking people for assistance. For this reason the scholars have said: it is not lawful for anyone to beg except in a case of dire necessity, when a person is compelled