‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying,
“He who begs from people when he has a sufficiency will come on the day of resurrection with his begging showing itself as scrapes, scratching or lacerations on his face.”
On being asked what constituted a sufficiency, God’s messenger replied that it was fifty dirhams or their value in gold.
Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.
Samura b. Jundub reported God's messenger as saying,
“Acts of begging are lacerations with which a man disfigures his face, so he who wishes may preserve his self-respect and he who wishes may do otherwise; but this does not apply to one who asks from a ruler, or in a situation which makes it necessary.”
Sahl b. al-Hanzaliya reported God’s messenger as saying,
“He who begs when he has a sufficiency is simply asking for a great amount of hell.”
An-Nufaili, who was one of its transmitters, said in another place that he was asked what was a sufficiency which made begging unfitting and replied that it was what would provide a morning and an evening meal. In another place he said it was when one had enough for a day, or for a night and a day.
The Prophet was giving me something and I asked him to give it to someone who had more need of it than I had, but he said,
“Take it, keep it with your property and give it as sadaqa. Take what comes to you from this property when you are neither avaricious nor begging, but in other circumstances do not let your desire go after it.”
