Fake beggars become claimers of charity in Ramazan

Islamabad: Thousands of fake beggars become the claimers of charity during the holy month of Ramazan causing nuisance to the citizens in the country.

These beggars like the elderly women appear on the city roads to collect charity from the rich.

Mostly beggars live in makeshift camps along the city s busiest roads. These beggars come from far flung areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab and stay in ‘katchi abadis’.

However, as soon as Ramazan moon was sighted they set up along the main roads of the metropolis.

With the start of Ramazan groups of beggars mostly women children and old men have crowded the markets shopping malls signals and streets for grabbing money which people give as charity.

According to citizens these beggars use new tactics to gain attention of the people for the purpose of getting money by getting sympathy in the name of religion.

The concept of beggary is now emerged as a business as mostly the general public believes that inability of authorities concerned to control beggars reflects that there is a strong mafia behind the beggars, said a citizen Aslam Sheikh.

Scholars expressed grave concern over the growth of such groups and urged people to validate the credentials of these professional fake beggars.

It is an immoral act to blackmail people in the name of religion.

“I advise people to not give money in the name of charity unless you are personally sure he she deserves,” suggested a religious scholar, Maulana Ghulam Rasool.

This is purely a business of exploiting people in Ramzan, Maulana Kaukab Noorani Okarvi another Religious Scholar while commenting on this issue said.

He further said that Islam clear denounces the menace of begging.

In this context our Holy Prophet (PBUH) loathed the culture of begging and introduced the system of ZAKAAT to help the needy with respect and honour.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) also said that on the Day of Judgment the beggar (professional) would not have flesh on his face he said added that the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him has made it Haram for a Muslim to beg money from others without dire necessity.