Begging is the word that evokes image of poverty, distribution and falsehood. The ratio of street begging is increasing day by day in Pakistan. Today major quantity of population of our country is suffering from poverty which has forced many people to commit suicide, forced parents to sell their kids and earn money and forced them to just beg before others. According to a survey large numbers of people in Pakistan are living under poverty line that is the main reason of it due to which they are unable to live a reasonable life. On the other hand street beggar is earning more than a common person so they happily accept begging as their profession without shame.
Although street begging is a easiest way of earning money all you need to do is to just look dirty and dusty so that other pity you and start convincing them by either words or actions. Now often in our daily lives we come across these scenes a shoddy person or a child come to you and start convincing you in such a manner that he is in a dire need of your financial support , you feel pity for him and give money. This is how his mission accomplishes.
Let me tell you a weird story, recently as a student I wrote an article on child begging. It turned out that I was coming out of my university around 3 pm and stand outside the university on main road waiting for my bus. A boy was playing with a tyre by moving it round and round exactly opposite to me on another road. Just saw him and ignored him, he maybe didn’t saw me that time. Almost after 5 mints of waiting he started running in my direction so carelessly there was rush of vehicles on the road and he was trying to cross the road in hurry. Well I again ignored him when he crossed the road safely. He ran towards me and asked me for money by stretching my abbaya. I once forbid him for touching me and ignored him but he didn’t stop and started stretching my abbaya forcefully then I growled at him. He went back and came along 3 more children and enfolds me from each side and started laughing I was too much scared from their act. Thank God at the same moment my bus came and I went off.
However, we must not hate or refuse all beggars because some are really helpless. It is common to hear people cursing beggars and asking why they do not work. But how many of us are willing to give them work? We must not curse the beggars and advise them in a better way to refrain from begging. Every individual must educate them to refrain from it as it is forbidden in our religion also. We should be careful of those who pretend to be helpless and cheat us by acknowledging their financial state ourselves.
We all are responsible to help poor people through donations and charities. If we fulfill our social and religious responsibilities, then no one will commit the bad habit of begging. We must treat the beggars in accordance with Islam.