Beggary - an evil or a Compulsion .

Few days back I was entering my college and I saw an old man sitting near the college gate and was begging for alms. He was looking totally wretched and distressed. I glanced at him and entered the college and as I took one step a thought clicked my mind , what if he is really needy and has no money to get even a single meal, what if he is not faking and is poverty-stricken, what if he has no money to make his both ends meet. And then I reversed my steps and gave some money to the aged man.
          We all come across such situations daily and not once but many times during the day. As being the third world country we are adversely poverty-stricken and have a bad economy and as a result the number of jobless and poor individuals are numerous. The poor are really poor and the rich are filthy rich. There is no circulation of wealth from rich community to the poor as it used to be in Islamic Era. Let us take the Caliphate of Hazrat Umar Farooq R.A. During his time he ensured that not a single individual was left hungry and starved. Islamic history abounds in such examples but now the rich monopolize the wealth and hoard which is utterly an act of sin. Constant giving out in Charity whether openly or secretly is commanded by Islam :
      
            " Those who spend of their goods at night and by day, in secret and in public,
             have their reward with their Lord : on them shall be no fear, nor shall they
             grieve."  2:274

  Today only a few God-fearing people are out there who have assets and they spend them on the necessitous.
            On the roads, on traffic lights, at mosques, outside schools ,colleges and almost everywhere we see men,women and even children begging. We see them and just ignore them , when they come near our car's window we raise the glass of window, when we see them on our way we just change our way . We just don't care and ponder upon the fact that they are not out from their homes ( or no homes for those who are homeless ) on their own. But they are forced to do so and the factor which has brought them out is poverty. No one gets out on road in this unfair world on his will and happiness but the circumstances make them to. No one wants his self-respect and dignity scarred and affected. Who knows that the man who is apparently looking healthy man is actually afflicted by some disease for which he needs money, a woman who is crying on your window is not pretending but has famished infants at home, a child who is lamenting for alms has had nothing to eat for days.
           No doubt there are many of these who are out on roads on daily basis and now it's  kind of their hobby or as people call it their business to beg and then relish on the money earned . But there are a few if not many of them who are really in need and are deprived of . Those who are not getting food- the basic necessity of life - even to fill their tummies. Those who are in real disastrous condition. Those who are yearning for a single morsel. And these individuals when pushed to extreme , we call them thieves .
           We need to devise a system for the welfare of poor community in our society so that there is no more poverty and crime in the country. No more beggary and privation. Our Government needs to work out such infrastructure which would provide the penniless beggars and poor people with at least basic necessities of life. This is why the system of 'Bay-Tul-Maal' was established in Islamic period i.e to guarantee the circulation of wealth from the affluent to the impoverished so that a harmony is maintained . Though there is a Bay-Tul-Maal in our country but unfortunately not working properly. Had there been a just and proper function of existing Bay-Tul-Maal the beggary would not be rampant.
          Because the society who doesn't care for the poor is the  most despicable one.

©Emmy.