Preventing beggars from begging inside the mosque
Fatwa No: 134592

Question

Salaam Alaykum Sheikh, After the completin of obligatory prayer, sometimes beggers stand and beg to people in a loud voice? This practice was customary years before but now some people rebuke the beggar and tell him to sit near the door in a loud voice too. What does Islam says about this act? Jazaak ALLAHu Khair.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

Begging is forbidden in principle; it is only in case of necessity or a dire need that it becomes permissible to do so as stated by Abu Haamid Al-Ghazaali . For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 85294 and 85667.

As regards begging inside the mosque, Ibn Taymiyyah was asked about it and he replied: “In principle, begging is forbidden inside the mosque or outside it except in case of necessity. If there is a necessity and a person begs inside the mosque and he does not harm anyone, like him stepping over the necks of people, and he does not lie while explaining his situation, and he does not raise his voice in a way that harms the people, like him asking while the Imaam is delivering the Khutbah (Friday speech), or while people are listening to a religious lesson and subsequently he disturbs them and the like, then in this case it is permissible.”

Moreover, some scholars, like As-Suyooti stated that it is disliked to beg in the mosque for the general saying of the Prophet : “The mosques are not built for this.” [Muslim]

In case someone raises his voice in the mosque, he should be told not to do so, whether he was a beggar or else, but in principle, in rebuking the beggar, one should be soft and gentle and not harsh or severe.

Allaah Knows best.

Related Fatwa