The practice of begging is not confined to one country in particular. One could see it wherever he goes. In European countries you could see many homeless people. You could also see some beggars who are creative. They sometimes play music etc. to attract other people's attention. They basically simply invite sympathy without annoying others. Sometimes, people beg out of dire need. But in our country, it is different. It is becoming a profession. One day, I saw a man who refused to give a beggar anything. When I asked the man why he did that he said, “Because he didn't convince me that he is in need. He said that he was begging to eat, and this is a big lie because he could easily go to any restaurant in the city and ask for food and they will give him something to eat for free.”
In fact, that man was correct. Begging is becoming an organized well-managed business. I understand that somebody begs to make his/her ends meet, but what I don't understand why I see the same person standing near a traffic light in one of Riyadh streets every day? Why I see one woman begging one day, and as the days pass by she becomes pregnant and continues begging. After a while, she gives birth to a child, and then she comes back to the streets carrying her baby to beg.
They beg relentlessly. It is true that we like giving charity to receive God's blessings. But Allah urges us to cooperate to make piety and good prevail, but not evil. You help evil when you give money to a professional beggar. Organized gangs that force children and women to beg are managing these people.
This is a new form of slavery that is flourishing in our streets. Not only that, but they are so resourceful in utilizing technology to embezzle kind-hearted people. Let me tell you the story of a woman who uses Twitter to fool people and steal their money. This woman shows a picture of a child, who is a cancer patient and she claims he is her son and that she needs money to take him to hospital. She has been doing all this for a long time and many people are donating unaware that they are helping a thief. To you, and to others, I say don't give away your money unless you are sure they go to the right person. As a way out, I suggest the following. I suggest forming a non-government organization where anybody could visit and buy a coupon say for SR10. Instead of giving that person SR10 in cash, I would give him this coupon where he could go to this organization and get the money after showing his credentials.
This is more dignified than begging in the streets under the sun.
