THE CHAPTER ON ZAKAT · 33 – THE RIGHT OF THE BEGGAR
Hüseyin ibn ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) related:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The beggar has a right [among you], even if he comes riding on a mount.”
EXPLANATION:
Beggers beg either due to need or because they have made it a profession. The person encountering them does not know which of these two groups the beggar belongs to; he may be well-dressed, and come riding on a mount, yet be in need. He may come crawling on the ground, but be wealthy. He might do so as a profession.
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a similar report from the Messenger of God ﷺ.
From Abdurrahman bin Bujaid, from his grandmother Ummu Bujaid, may Allah be pleased with her:
This woman was among the women who pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. One day, a poor woman came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon you! A needy person stands at my door, and sometimes I find nothing in the house or in my possession to give him. What should I do?" The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: “If you cannot find anything useful to give to the poor person who comes to your door, even if you find a burnt goat’s horn, give it to him; do not turn him away.”