Hard work and responsibility in Islam

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Islam calls us to be responsible to our community and to work hard to provide benefit to others, rather than relying upon begging for charity.

Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَلَا كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالْإِمَامُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَوَلَدِهِ وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُمْ وَعَبْدُ الرَّجُلِ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ أَلَا فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ

Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of the people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects: a man is the guardian of his family and is responsible for his subjects, a woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and of his children and is responsible for them, and the slave of a man is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it. Surely, every one of you is a shepherd and responsible for his flock.

One of the ways we can be responsible is to provide for others and to instill within ourselves a strong work ethic. It is far better for a Muslim to earn his own living and provide for his family than to rely upon the charity of others.

Az-Zubair ibn Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَأَنْيَحْمِلَالرَّجُلُحَبْلًافَيَحْتَطِبَبِهِثُمَّيَجِيءَفَيَضَعَهُفِيالسُّوقِفَيَبِيعَهُثُمَّيَسْتَغْنِيَبِهِفَيُنْفِقَهُعَلَىنَفْسِهِخَيْرٌلَهُمِنْأَنْيَسْأَلَالنَّاسَأَعْطَوْهُأَوْمَنَعُوهُ

Verily, for a man to carry a rope and gather firewood, then come to sell it in the market and make himself independent thereby such that he can spend on his needs, that is better for him than asking people who might give him or deprive him.

Providing charity for others is far better than receiving charity yourself.

Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

الْيَدُالْعُلْيَاخَيْرٌمِنْالْيَدِالسُّفْلَىوَالْيَدُالْعُلْيَاالْمُنْفِقَةُوَالسُّفْلَىالسَّائِلَةُ

The upper hand is better than the lower hand, the upper hand being the one that gives and the lower hand being the one that receives.

The Prophets were the best examples of self-sufficiency, hard work, and responsibility. For example, the Prophet David, upon him be peace, would never eat a meal unless he earned it himself.

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

وَلَايَأْكُلُإِلَّامِنْعَمَلِيَدِهِ

David would never eat except from the earnings of his own hand’s work.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 3235, Grade: Sahih

David would work with his own hands even though he was king of the Israelites. He could have lived a life of luxury and ease, but rather he set for us an excellent example of responsibility and hard work. Likewise, the Prophet Zechariah, upon him be peace, earned his living as a humble carpenter.

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

كَانَزَكَرِيَّاعَلَيْهِالسَّلَامنَجَّارًا

Zechariah, upon him be peace, worked as a carpenter.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2379, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى

O Allah, I ask you for guidance, righteousness, abstinence, and self-sufficiency.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2721, Grade: Sahih

For those who are struggling to meet their needs, it is a virtue to give them charity but it is even better to give them the means to support themselves, as in the popular saying, “Feed a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” On one occasion, a man came to the Prophet begging him for charity but the Prophet gave him the means to work for himself.

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

A man from the Ansar came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and begged from him.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked:

أَمَافِيبَيْتِكَشَيْءٌ

Have you nothing in your house?

He replied,

“Yes, a piece of cloth, a part of which we wear and a part of which we spread on the ground, and a wooden bowl from which we drink water.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

ائْتِنِيبِهِمَا

Bring them to me. He then brought these articles to him and he took them in his hands and asked:

مَنْيَشْتَرِيهَذَيْنِ

Who will buy these? A man said, “I will buy them for one coin.”

He said twice or thrice:

مَنْيَزِيدُعَلَىدِرْهَمٍ

Who will offer more than one coin?

A man said,

“I will buy them for two coins.”

He gave these to him and took the two coins and, giving them to the helper, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

اشْتَرِ بِأَحَدِهِمَا طَعَامًا فَانْبِذْهُ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ وَاشْتَرِ بِالْآخَرِ قَدُومًا فَأْتِنِي بِهِ

Buy food with one of them and hand it to your family, and buy an axe and bring it to me. He then brought it to him.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fixed a handle on it with his own hands and said:

اذْهَبْفَاحْتَطِبْوَبِعْوَلَاأَرَيَنَّكَخَمْسَةَعَشَرَيَوْمًا

Go gather firewood and sell it, and do not let me see you for a fortnight. The man went away and gathered firewood and sold it. When he had earned ten coins, he came to him and bought a garment with some of them and food with the others.

TheProphet, peaceandblessingsbeuponhim, thensaid:

هَذَا خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَجِيءَ الْمَسْأَلَةُ نُكْتَةً فِي وَجْهِكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّ الْمَسْأَلَةَ لَا تَصْلُحُ إِلَّا لِثَلَاثَةٍ لِذِي فَقْرٍ مُدْقِعٍ أَوْ لِذِي غُرْمٍ مُفْظِعٍ أَوْ لِذِي دَمٍ مُوجِعٍ

This is better for you than that begging should come as a spot on your face on the Day of Judgment. Begging is right only for three people: for one who is in grinding poverty, or for one who is in severe debt, or for a painful compensation for killing.

Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 1641, Grade: Hasan

Begging without a valid excuse is a major sin in Islam and there is no blessing in the charity one receives from such begging.

Mu’awiya (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

TheMessengerofAllah, peaceandblessingsbeuponhim, said:

لَا تُلْحِفُوا فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ فَوَاللَّهِ لَا يَسْأَلُنِي أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ شَيْئًا فَتُخْرِجَ لَهُ مَسْأَلَتُهُ مِنِّي شَيْئًا وَأَنَا لَهُ كَارِهٌ فَيُبَارَكَ لَهُ فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتُهُ

Do not be persistent in begging. By Allah, if one of you asks me for something and I give it to him unwillingly, then there is no blessing in what I have given him.

Begging for charity is only permissible in cases of dire need such as overcoming a large debt, experiencing a calamity, or suffering in extreme poverty.

Qabisa ibn Mukhariq (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

TheMessengerofAllah, peaceandblessingsbeuponhim, said:

يَا قَبِيصَةُ إِنَّ الْمَسْأَلَةَ لَا تَحِلُّ إِلَّا لِأَحَدِ ثَلَاثَةٍ رَجُلٍ تَحَمَّلَ حَمَالَةً فَحَلَّتْ لَهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ حَتَّى يُصِيبَهَا ثُمَّ يُمْسِكُ وَرَجُلٌ أَصَابَتْهُ جَائِحَةٌ اجْتَاحَتْ مَالَهُ فَحَلَّتْ لَهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ حَتَّى يُصِيبَ قِوَامًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ أَوْ قَالَ سِدَادًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ وَرَجُلٌ أَصَابَتْهُ فَاقَةٌ حَتَّى يَقُومَ ثَلَاثَةٌ مِنْ ذَوِي الْحِجَا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لَقَدْ أَصَابَتْ فُلَانًا فَاقَةٌ فَحَلَّتْ لَهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ حَتَّى يُصِيبَ قِوَامًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ أَوْ قَالَ سِدَادًا مِنْ عَيْشٍ فَمَا سِوَاهُنَّ مِنْ الْمَسْأَلَةِ يَا قَبِيصَةُ سُحْتًا يَأْكُلُهَا صَاحِبُهَا سُحْتًا

O Qabisa, begging is not lawful except for one of three cases: a man who is in heavy debt, so begging is permissible for him until he pays it, after which he must stop; a man whose property is destroyed by a calamity, so begging is permissible for him until he can support himself; and a man who is afflicted by poverty attested to by three astute members of his people, so begging is permissible for him until he can support himself. O Qabisa, besides these three begging is forbidden and the beggar consumes what is forbidden.

For this reason, the Prophet taught the companions not to ask others for charity. In fact, this was part of the pledge of allegiance some of the companions made to the Prophet.

Awf ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَلَا تُبَايِعُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Will you not give your pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah? Someone said, “O Messenger of Allah, we have already given you our pledge, so what are we pledging to now?”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

أَنْ تَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَتُصَلُّوا الصَّلَوَاتِ الْخَمْسَ وَتَسْمَعُوا وَتُطِيعُوا وَلَا تَسْأَلُوا النَّاسَ شَيْئًا

That you worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him, that you pray for five prayers, that you listen and obey, and that you do not ask people for anything.

Source: Sahih Muslim 1043, Grade: Sahih

The companions were so careful to obey this command that they would not ask for help even in small matters.

Awf ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

فَلَقَدْكَانَبَعْضُأُولَئِكَالنَّفَرِيَسْقُطُسَوْطُهُفَمَايَسْأَلُأَحَدًاأَنْيُنَاوِلَهُإِيَّاهُ

Indeed, some of those people obeyed this to the extent that if his whip were to fall from his mount, he would not ask anyone to hand it to him. It is not necessary for Muslims to go so far, but this demonstrates how seriously the companions took this command. Despite the injunctions against begging, we should answer the request of the beggar and give them charity, for the Prophet never refused anyone who asked him in the name of Islam.

Musa ibn Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

مَا سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ شَيْئًا إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ قَالَ فَجَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ فَأَعْطَاهُ غَنَمًا بَيْنَ جَبَلَيْنِ فَرَجَعَ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَسْلِمُوا فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يُعْطِي عَطَاءً لَا يَخْشَى الْفَاقَةَ

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was never asked anything for the sake of Islam but that he would give it. He gave a man large numbers of sheep, so the man went back to his people and said:

O people, become Muslim because Muhammad gives as if he has no fear of poverty.

In summary, Muslims should develop a strong and responsible work ethic. We should do our best to provide for ourselves and others, rather than relying upon the charity of others. We should not beg unless it is absolutely necessary, but even then we should answer the request of the beggar.