Often times, after Juma'ah service in Nigeria, we are approached by people begging for money. It is such a common sight in our masjids and no one even gives it a second thought afterall We have be ordered by Allah to feed the Miskin (the poor).

(Roughly translated):

So give to the kindred his due, and to Al-Miskin (the poor) and to the wayfarer. That is best for those who seek Allah's Countenance; and it is they who will be successful.

( سورة الروم , Ar-Room, Chapter #30, Verse #38)

But the Question arises, who are the miskin??

Our messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"A Miskin (needy) is not the one who can be turned away with a date-fruit or two, or a morsel or two. The true Miskin is one who, despite his poverty, abstains from begging".

[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

In another narration Messenger of Allah () said, " A Miskin is not the one who goes round begging from people and who can be turned away with a morsel or two, or a date-fruit or two. A true Miskin is he who does not find enough to suffice him, does not disclose his poverty so that he might be given alms, and does not stand up to beg".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

We are told that the true miskin is not the one who goes around begging. A true miskin is the one who inspite of his poverty has the self respect not to beg. These are the people that deserve our aid. These are the people the quran wants us to seek out.

Our masjids have to start doing something to discourage begging amongst muslims and instill a sense of self respect and hardwork.

So how do we identify the Miskin

The man standing beside you in prayer might be a miskin. The fact that he dresses decently and does not beg, does not mean that he is not poor. We will never get the chance to know a true miskin unless we learn to build relationships in the mosque. Build a sense of brotherhood. The closer you get, you will begin to see a person's challenges. Then you can help.

The fact that he does not beg you, also means that the muslim must be empathetic, you have to put yourself in his shoes. Their self respect does not permit them to beg.

They must be given a preference over professional beggars. The importance of building relationships in the mosques can not be under-estimated. We need to identify our miskin and fulfill our obligations to them.

Assalamu Aleikum

message well comprehended but you see, I don't know where you live(reside) but here in my country-Nigeria, I shuffle mostly between two regions and that is middle-belt and North, begging publicly has been mistaken by some people(muslims and non) to be an 'Islam thing' which is on the contrary, but the reason isn't far fetched, begging publicly is more of a culture to especially, the Northerners whom Nigerians had given the title of 'Islam representatives' (No offence intended and if felt by anyone, am really, really sorry) and you aren't given option than to take them as the 'miskeen' and give the little you have... It's even more common (very emberassing) in motor parks...

Let me stop there before 'I say more than myself(according to a local dialect).' And here is the question I've been driving @ ''should we stop giving the little we can because they aren't the miskeen?''... And pls, do not think I misunderstood your message just that I have this funny friend who will not be caught giving 'al-majiris' anything(she isn't hand tight @ all and could give out her last, she is a good sister) because she believes responding +vely to almajiris is an indirect way of saying 'weldone peeps, pls continue'... I do not fault her for that but are u(or is anyone) of the opinion that we don't give to them?

@OP, waleikumus-salam

"begging" is condemned in its entirety in islam. No matter how u look at it, people indulge in this act to survive, but survival does not in anyway justify begging. What is seen as wrong, is wrong and it should be banned.
U can identify a Miskeen megascopically with how they go about their daily activities, and not by how they go about begging. The real miskeenu have self-respect, they hardly tell u their problem(even when it is written allover them), and are contented with d very little Allah has given to them.
Go to orphanage(s) and hospitals, there u'd see those that 'dearly' need ur help and not those healthy people u see as professional beggers.

Wa alaykumus salaam,
The most annoying part is that it's now turned to business venture.Most especially in Lagos,you would hardly pass through any busy road without encountering this 'peeps'.
A colleague of mine told me that while she was about to board a bus going Ajah,there was guy that begged the commuters that his fare isn't complete,so he needed aids.A man volunteered to pay for his fare to Ajah and he was like 'Eleyi o te jasi rara'(mchtwww,do you think i really wanted go to Ajah?),that was his response to the man that wanted to assist him.
I don't like giving aid to such people.

Some of the people who beg by the roadside, in front of the mosque e.t.c look poor, behave poor but are in fact not poor, in as much as people donate to them, and I won't discourage people from doing so, because their are still some who are poor and needy among them.

we should also not forget to give the real needy people who do not beg, and are striving hard. Their are people who if the poor person doesn't ask assume he does not need it.

It's so annoying when you see a man with no disability, begging, infact we have some annoying cooperate beggars.

We should try to give sadaqa to the miskin (needy) and the beggars, not just giving those who beg and forget about those who don't.

......

ummsulaym: message well comprehended but you see, I don't know where you live(reside) but here in my country-Nigeria, I shuffle mostly between two regions and that is middle-belt and North, begging publicly has been mistaken by some people(muslims and non) to be an 'Islam thing' which is on the contrary, but the reason isn't far fetched, begging publicly is more of a culture to especially, the Northerners whom Nigerians had given the title of 'Islam representatives' (No offence intended and if felt by anyone, am really, really sorry) and you aren't given option than to take them as the 'miskeen' and give the little you have... It's even more common (very emberassing) in motor parks...

Let me stop there before 'I say more than myself(according to a local dialect).' And here is the question I've been driving @ ''should we stop giving the little we can because they aren't the miskeen?''... And pls, do not think I misunderstood your message just that I have this funny friend who will not be caught giving 'al-majiris' anything(she isn't hand tight @ all and could give out her last, she is a good sister) because she believes responding vely to almajiris is an indirect way of saying 'weldone peeps, pls continue'... I do not fault her for that but are u(or is anyone) of the opinion that we don't give to them?

@OP, waleikumus-salam

hmm i felt offended but i hate begging hardly do i give those jokers anything. they should go and do menial job to earn a living.