Chapter IV: Poverty and Renunciation
A certain man gave instructions at the time of his death to distribute his property to three groups of persons — those who are strong, those who are charitable and those who are above wants. He was asked about their particulars. He said : The strong men are those who rely on God. The charitable persons are those who have good thoughts about God and the rich are those persons who give up everything for God. The poor man ought to look that whatever he accepts, he accepts from God and not from the giver as the latter is only a means. God made him submit to him to make charity.
It is reported that a certain person invited the sage Shaqiq Balakhi with his fifty followers to take feast. The man placed all kinds of his food on the dining cloth. Shaqiq sat on it and said to his disciples : The master of) the house is saying : My food is unlawful for one who says that I have not prepared this food and placed it before him. At this, all of them went out except a young man who was lower than them in piety. The master of the house said to Shaqiq : What was your intention to say this ? He said ; I told them this to examine my disciples in Tauhid.
The Prophet Moses said : O my Lord, you have entrusted my food to the children of Israil. They give me food for one night and then again on the night following. God reveajed to him : Thus I reward my friends. I give their food to the oppressors, so that they may get rewards. So if anybody gives something in charity, he must believe that God has given him direction to give that thing for charity.
IN WHAT CASES BEGGING IS NOT LAWFUL? Begging is principally unlawful for three reasons. The first reason is that it is complaint against God if one expresses his wants. In other words, he expresses want of kindness of God. If a slave begs of others, he dishonors his master. Similarly if a slave of God begs of others, he defames God and for this reason begging is unlawful.
In case of dire necessity, it becomes lawful, as it is lawful in extreme cases to eat a dead body. The second reason is that by begging one introduces himself as worthless before others. To
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164 THE BOOK OF CONSTRUCTIVE VIRTUES Vol-IV
humble oneself before anybody other than God is not the duty of a believer. Others also stand in need of God like him. So if one is to beg, he must beg of his master and not of slaves. The third reason is that the beggar puts him to shame and difficulty from whom something is begged of, Sometimes he does not give willingly or with satisfied mind. He is compelled sometimes out of shame or other reasons to give the beggar. So giving trouble to anybody is unlawful.