With the Hadith
The Need for Money for Life
We greet you all, dear listeners everywhere, in a new episode of your program "With the Hadith," and we begin with the best greeting, so peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in his Musannaf, saying:
Yazid bin Harun told us, saying: Al-Asbagh bin Zaid Al-Warraq informed us, saying: Abu Al-Zahiriyah told us, from Kathir bin Murrah Al-Hadrami, from Ibn Umar, from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said: "Whoever hoards food for forty nights has disavowed God, and God has disavowed him. Any people among whom a hungry man remains have broken the covenant of God."
Dear listeners:
God has charged the individual with spending on himself and his family. If he does not have what he spends, he must work to earn his and his family's sustenance. If he does not find work, the state must provide him with suitable work. The state, represented by the Caliph, is the shepherd and is responsible for his flock, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The Imam who is over the people is a shepherd, and he is responsible for his flock."
But there are cases in which a person cannot work due to illness or old age... or any other reason... or perhaps he works, but what he earns is not enough for his basic needs. Such a person deserves to be given enough money to fully satisfy his basic needs... and this is an obligation on those whom the Sharia obligates to spend on him from his relatives, and if they are not found, or they are found but are unable to spend on him, the obligation passes to all Muslims, the closest first, and the state acts on behalf of all Muslims in fulfilling the rights of these poor, needy, and wayfarers, and those like them, so the state spends on them from the treasury, and their right does not stop at the state's funds from Kharaj, spoils of war, and others... but also in Zakat and in public property funds.
If the state fails to take care of these people and the Muslims fail to hold it accountable and to sponsor the needy (although this is unlikely), but it remains a possibility; then this needy person can take what sustains him from any place he finds that is lawful and good, whether it is owned by individuals or by the state, and he does not need permission, for living is a reason for obtaining money, because the survival of a person depends on money.
This is supported by the other hadith: He does not believe in me who sleeps full while his neighbor is hungry next to him and he knows. Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah, Al-Bazzar, and Al-Tabarani, and Al-Albani graded it as Hasan.
Dear listeners, until we meet you with another prophetic hadith, we leave you in God's care, and peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
