Hadith on abstaining from begging

[Fariduddien]

Abdullah ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was upon the pulpit mentioning charity and abstaining from begging and he said,

"The upper hand is better than the lower hand. The upper hand is one that gives and the lower hand is one that takes."

(Sahih Muslim)

[DKleinecke]

There are other clearer hadiths expressing disapproval of open begging but
not exactly forbidding it. Beggars have been a problem everywhere and nobody
has ever come up with a humane way to eliminate them.

[David Amicus]

How ought charity to be done?

I know it's a stereotype from watching Sinbad movies but usually there is someone outside a mosque begging saying "Alms for the love of Allah".

[DKleinecke]

On Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 2:30:04 PM UTC-8, David Amicus wrote:
> How ought charity to be done?
>
> I know it's a stereotype from watching Sinbad movies but usually there is someone outside a mosque begging saying "Alms for the love of Allah".

You don't have to go to a movie to see beggars. Here is the US they are
usually called "panhandlers" and they might be found anywhere.

[Fariduddien]

Salam,

To my understanding, Islam discourages begging, yet if people do ask, it encourages giving...

The Qur'an says in meaning (M. A. S. Abdel Haleem translation)

2:177 "Goodness does not consist in turning your face towards East or
West. The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day,
in the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give away some
of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to
orphans, the needy, travellers and beggars, and to liberate those in
bondage; those who keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms;
who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in
misfortune, adversity, and times of danger. These are the ones who
are true, and it is they who are aware of God."

Note that among those who it is encouraged to give alms to is listed
"travellers and beggars"...