QUESTION:
With Allah swt’s blessing I have been put in a financial position to give Sadaqah/Lillah regularly. Usually on a Friday when I arrive at the Masjid for Jumuah, there are queues of needy, elderly men and women at the the entrance of the Masjid. Most times, there are teenage boys and girls, as well as the occasional young woman and child. I carry around 10 or 20 R10 and R20 notes, and distribute solely to the elderly men and elderly women. Many times what happens is that I am followed by the young men and women not only to the entrance of the Masjid, but after Salaah, they follow me to my car. Sometimes, as I go about my business on a week day, I am followed by these young boys/men to my car as well. I do not always have money with me, and I carry a finite amount of money to distribute.
My problem is that whenever I have to tell anybody no, or I don’t have funds, I have to ignore them and this wrecks me with guilt-almost as if I have judged who is needy and who is not. I initially felt that distributing to the elderly men and women would be the correct criteria and sufficient. But of late, the feeling of being judged over the neediness of the poor has been troubling my conscience significantly. Please advise if the criteria of distributing to the elderly primarily is acceptable, and also how to handle the matter of the younger men and women, bearing into account the effect of drug and alcohol abuse that we are being tested with.
ANSWER:
Your decision of assisting needy, elderly people who are probably unable to earn (due to age) is justified and in order, hence you should always give preference to the seniors. They generally utilize their funds on their families and in fulfilling their needs.
Regarding juniors, a large percentage of them are addicted to drugs and to discern between them is sometimes a difficult task. Also, by assisting the young, we are encouraging them to beg, whereas begging is discouraged in the Hadith. They should be encouraged to get up and work as Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam had done with an Ansaari person that asked from Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Hence, they should be offered a job in the garden, or to wash one’s vehicle, or any other work. If this is not possible, they may be offered some fruit or food instead of money, and even if this is not possible, then kind words or even a smile will suffice.
وفي بعض الأخبار جاء رجل من الأنصار إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فسأله فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: (في منزلك شيء؟ فقال: نعم. ملس نلبس بعضه ويبسط بعضه، وقدح نشرب فيه. فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: ائتني بهما. فأخذه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: من يشتري هذا؟ فقال رجل: أنا آخذه بدرهم فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من يزيد على درهم مرتين أو ثلاثًا؟ فقال رجل أ، اآخذه بدرهمين. فأعطاه إياه، وأخذ الدرهمين، فدفعهما إلى الرجل، وقال: اشتر بواحد طعامًا فانبذه إلى أهلك، واشتر بالآخر قدوما وائتني به. فاشترى قدوما وأتاه به، فسوى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بيده عودًا، فقال: انطلق واحتطب وبع. ولا تقربني خمسة عشر يوما. فذهب واحتطب حتى أصاب عشرة دراهم، فعاد إلى النبي، فاشترى ببعضه طعاما وببعضه ثوبا. فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: هذا خير من أن تأتي بالمسألة تكنه في وجهك، ثم قال: إن المسألة لا تحل إلا لذي فقر مدقع، أو لذي غرم مقطع، أو لذي دم موجع (المنهاج في شعب الايمان ص12 ج2)
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Date:- 04 Rabi-ul-Aakhir 1445 / 20 October 2023