 In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful, respected viewers, Assalamu Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh brother and sisters in Islam. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you. Hello and welcome to the 37th episode of the Treaties of Rights series with me, your host Ali Jassim. Today, we will discuss the right of him from whom you ask. Regarding this, Imam Sajad Zain al-Aabdin al-Alayhi As-Salam has said, and the right of him from whom you ask is that you should accept from him whatever he grants you with gratitude and acknowledge his nobility. And you should accept his excuse if he withholds and think well of him. And you should realize that if he withholds, he is withholding his own property and that he could not be blamed for withholding his own property. If he is doing wrong, then indeed man is unfair and ungrateful. Chapter 14 verse 34. Therefore, Imam Sajad al-Alayhi As-Salam recommends not to deprive one who is needy from our help if we are wealthy and to pray to Allah to eliminate their poverty. If we doubt their claim, we should consider the possibility of Satan's plans to deprive us from a divine blessing. The Imam instructs us to politely tell off the beggar if we cannot help him. He also recommends us to thank those from whom we ask for something if they grant us anything and not blame them for not giving us anything since everyone naturally likes what he owns. The Imam al-Alayhi As-Salam is instructing us to be grateful for the person who has helped us in any way. Now, there are places where asking is recommended. Islam recommends us to ask in order to learn. We read in the Holy Quran, if ye realize this not, ask of those who possessed the message, the Holy Quran chapter 16 verse 43. Asking is one of the means of learning. However, what Imam Sajad al-Alayhi As-Salam is discussing is not asking to learn. Rather, he is discussing the situations when we ask someone for something due to our need. Begging is forbidden in Islam unless it becomes absolutely necessary like when one is about to die of poverty. In this situation, one can ask for something in order to save his life. In these conditions, the one being asked to help should assist the one who is asking for help. We read in the Holy Quran and those in whose wealth is a recognized right for the needy who asks and him who is prevented for some reason from asking. The Holy Quran chapter 70 verses 24 and 25. Those who ask should not be deprived from presenting their petition. The Holy Quran says, nor repulse the petitioner unheard. The Holy Quran chapter 93 verse 10. Is the right mentioned in the verse chapter 70 verse 24 and 25 cited above referring to the alms which is the one-fifth levy or other mandatory religious rights or is it a different right? Some believe it to refer to a different right since the mandatory religious rights are incumbent upon all people whether they are pious or not. If we accept this interpretation, then we can conclude that those who pray also recognize a right in their wealth for the needy and the deprived for the sake of Allah SWT. Chapter 93 verse 10 cited above implies that we should not harshly push away those who ask us for something. This might imply those who ask us about scientific or religious issues or those who are deprived and ask us for financial help. Many traditions from the Immaculate Imam's alaihi salam have expressed that begging is loathsome. Begging will cause the people to lose their trust in the beggar and result in one's humility. A believer has honor and should not do something that causes him to lose his or her honor. The Imam Sadiq alaihi salam, Quran on the authority of the noble prophet peace and blessings be upon him and his pure progeny. There is something that Allah SWT the exalted the high loves for himself but hates for others. He hates for people to ask from others but he loves the people to ask from him. Nothing is more loved by Allah the exalted the high than to be asked for something. Therefore none of you should be ashamed of asking Allah from his bounty, even if it be just for your shoelace. It is obvious that one who begs from others has lost his trust in Allah SWT. In another tradition he is quoted to have said beware of begging from people for it is humiliation in this world poverty that you hasten and a prolonged reckoning on the resurrection day. In another tradition reread that Hussain ibn al-A'la quoted on the authority of Mama Sadiq may God have mercy upon the servant who is chased and abstains from what is unlawful and refrains from asking for it hastens baseness in this world and people will not benefit from it at all. When Allah SWT created humans he created them in the most perfect manner. Due to this humans must respect themselves and their nobility and honor. In his will Imam Ali al-Islam gave the following advice to Imam al-Hussain regarding human nobility and the loss of one's honor and respect due to begging. Oh my son honor yourself and do not debase yourself even if it will help you reach your goal. You can never get back the equivalent of your lost honor if you do so. Do not be a servant of others since God has created you to be free. In another part of the will we read try not to establish anyone between you and your God who is the owner of the blessings. You will only get your share of the daily bread. Although all the blessings which are directed to you come from him a little bit received directly from Allah is loftier and more respectful than Allah received from his servants. We can see that the Imam advises his son not to humiliate himself since God is the nourisher of all. Therefore we should not beg since this will result in the loss of our honor. He also said begging will weaken the speaker's tongue. It will break the heart of the brave and place the free and powerful person in the position of a lowly slave. It will result in the loss of his honor and destroy his sustenance. Time for a break stay tuned. Welcome back my dear viewers. Imam Surajat al-Islam said seeking one's needs from people is humiliation in this life a cause of becoming bereft of shame and taking one's honor lightly and it is present poverty. Imam Sadaq al-Islam said seeking one's needs from the people is a deprivation of honor and a cause of becoming bereft of shame. Cutting off hope in what the people possess will cause the believer to have an honor in his religion and greed is present poverty. The nobler prophet of Islam Muhammad peace be upon him and his pure progeny said whoever opens up to himself a path of begging from the people will cause Allah SWT to open up 70 paths of dissension of poverty upon him in such a way that nothing can block even the narrowest of these 70 paths. The prophet of God advised Abu Dhar beware of begging from the people since that is the present humiliation and poverty that you hasten. There is also extensive reckoning for it on the resurrection day. Abu Dhar do not beg from the people but accept what is granted to you in any other way. Imam al-Islam said a man went to see the prophet of God and asked the prophet to teach him something that will not hinder his going to heaven. The prophet said do not get angry and do not beg from people and love for others what you love for yourself. There are also several poems that support this idea in the literature. Once when Imam al-Islam saw a man who was begging an Arafah he admonished him and said woe to you who beg from people instead of asking Allah for what you need on such a day. The prophet said do not beg from the people. A poor man had come there to beg from the prophet. The prophet repeatedly said whoever asks us we will grant him but whoever is content God will make free of need. The poor man did not ask for anything and returned home. Then his wife asked him the reason and he told her what the prophet had said. He then went to the desert started to pick dried plants and brought them back home for sale. This way he got rich after some time. He returned to the prophet and told him what had happened. The prophet again said I told you that Allah will make richer whoever does not beg from the people. So far we have discussed how begging affects one's honor, social status, and psychological state of mind. We have also discussed how begging will make one poor. Therefore one should not beg as much as possible. However what one should do and whom should he return to if he really becomes needy. Now if we had to beg for due to unfortunate circumstances then that's a different case but one must understand that there are many negatives that follow. Imam alaihi salam said giving up one's need is easier than to ask for it from the wrong person. In another statement he said your honor is a state of solidity. Begging will make it fall into drops. Thus be careful before whom you let it fall. He also said do not ask from one whose refusal you fear. Imam alaihi salam said it is better to give up one's need than to ask for it from the wrong person. Imam alaihi salam said seeking a need from one who has recently acquired wealth is like a dirham in the mouth of a viper. You are in need of it but you are in danger from the snake. To conclude we will tell a beautiful story. A better one went to see Amir al-Mumine alaihi salam and said oh commander of the faithful I have three problems pain in my body poverty and ignorance. Imam alaihi salam said oh Arab brother please go to a doctor for your physical illness. Go to a knowledgeable man for your ignorance and turn to the generous people for your poverty. Then the man said you are a doctor an knowledgeable one and a generous person. Imam Ali ordered 3000 dirhams to be paid to him from state funds then he told him use 1000 to treat your illness use another 1000 dirhams to treat your ignorance and use the remaining 1000 dirhams to treat your poverty. We have reached the end of this episode stay tuned for another episode on the treatise upright series. Thank you all for watching and may Allah hasten the reappearance of our beloved Imam al-Mahdi ajla ta'ala Fajr al-shareef. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.