Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Divine Perspective on Rights Right n. 46: The Right of Him from Whom You Ask حق المسؤول وَأمّا حَقُّ المَسئولِ فَحَقُّهُ إنْ أَعْطَى قُبلَ مِنْهُ مَا أَعْطَى بالشُّكْرِ لَهُ وَالمَعْرِفَةِ لِفَضْلِهِ وَطَلَبَ وَجْهِ الْعُذْرِ فِي مَنعِهِ، وَأَحْسَنَ بهِ الظَّنَّ. وَاعْلَمْ أنَّهُ إنْ مَنِعَ [فَ]مَالَهُ مَنَعَ وَأَنْ لَيْسَ التَّثرِيبُ فِي مَالِه، وَإنْ كَانَ ظَالِمًا فَإنَّ الإنسَانَ لَظلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ.
And the right of him from whom you ask [^1] 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” (14:34).
Therefore, Imam Sajjad recommends not to deprive one who is needy from our help if we are wealthy, and to pray to God 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. When to Ask Islam recommends us to ask in order to learn. We read in the Holy Qur’an: فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ “ … If ye realize this not, ask of those who possess the message.” [The Holy Qur’an, al-Naĥl 16:43] Asking is one of the means for learning.
However, what Imam Sajjad 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 Qur’an: وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ لِّلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ “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 Qur’an, al-Ma’arij 70:24-25] Those who ask should not be deprived from presenting their petition.