The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II dropped a bombshell on “begging” on Saturday February 22.
According to Kano monarch, Islam forbids begging and there is a punishment for it on the judgement day. He backed his claim by quoting verses from the Holy Qur’an and Hadith which said whoever begs, would resurrect on the day of judgement without flesh on his face.
Emir Sanusi said “Begging is disallowed in Islam and if you must beg for alms beg the government not individuals or relatives. It is better for you to cut firewood and sell to earn a living than to beg. Those who beg or seek assistance from individuals will be resurrected on the day of judgement without meat/flesh on their faces. And if you must beg, then beg the government not individuals or relatives. This is because they should be responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of citizens. Individuals, relatives or neighbours can assist you as gestures of kindness and generosity, but that’s not necessary. So, those who are saying that begging is not prohibited in Islam are just misleading you. Programmes like cash transfer and many more can assist in tackling these problem. So, we urge the government to sustain the cash transfer programme and come up with many more.”