A genuine cry for help?
Last week I saw an English woman outside my local mosque, she looked as if she was waiting for someone. She looked familiar and I remember she knocked on my house a few years ago, asking for help. She said she had identified me as a Muslim and that maybe I could help her. As it was an awkwhard time of the day, I asked her to call back the next day so we could talk but she never did. I saw her a few months later but she didn't seem to recognise me. I always felt a little bit guilty that I turned her away at the door, what if she was in genuine need of help?
Anyway, when I saw her last week I asked her if she was OK and she replied No, that her husband had left her, and took her sons too, she had no money and she was waiting for a Muslim woman who she met the day before outside the mosque, to come as she had promised to help her. She looked out of place stood outside the mosque, she wasn't there when I came back a few hours later.
Today I saw her outside the mosque again, talking to a man. She was waiting for a Muslim man she was talking to before, who said he would help her by contacting social services. As I know the man in question, I told her he usually arrives about 7 in the evening. She told me that she didn't like to ask people for help and that quite a few people had verbally abused her, with the Imam of the mosque threatening to call the police if she didn't stop hanging around the mosque. She asked me to help her by giviing her some money for food, as I didnt have much money on me I told her I was sorry I couldn't help her. She told me that the Council would give her some money this Thursday....
What would you do in this situation? I know my dad would probably have given her a few pounds as he always falls for a sob story. My mum's the opposite and has no sympathy for anyone.
If we help this person for the sake of Allah, we should gain a spiritual reward regardless of whether she was lying to us or not. If we give something in the way of charity we have the equivalent of 10 to 700 times the reward of what we gave, but as Muslims how many of us would jump at a chance to gain that reward. We are always thinking if i give X amount to charity then i won't be able to buy the latest toy, gadget, money waster etc. And I am of the guilty ones too!!
I think that as a society we have become de-sensitised to people begging, we don't have time to hear about other people's problems and we are quick to jump to conclusions. Would people coming to the mosque be more likely to help her if she was a Muslim? Probably not. As we have become used to seeing these Romanian beggars with their gold teeth and babies begging for cash every Friday. My concern would be that she would use that money to buy alcohol or drugs. However, if she was in fact in genuine need then I as a Muslim have not done the right thing by turning her away.
She told me her name was Susan. She didn't ask me what my name was but even in the dark she thought I was Malaysian!! She seemed a bit slow, but there was something very sad about her.........
Anyway, when I saw her last week I asked her if she was OK and she replied No, that her husband had left her, and took her sons too, she had no money and she was waiting for a Muslim woman who she met the day before outside the mosque, to come as she had promised to help her. She looked out of place stood outside the mosque, she wasn't there when I came back a few hours later.
Today I saw her outside the mosque again, talking to a man. She was waiting for a Muslim man she was talking to before, who said he would help her by contacting social services. As I know the man in question, I told her he usually arrives about 7 in the evening. She told me that she didn't like to ask people for help and that quite a few people had verbally abused her, with the Imam of the mosque threatening to call the police if she didn't stop hanging around the mosque. She asked me to help her by giviing her some money for food, as I didnt have much money on me I told her I was sorry I couldn't help her. She told me that the Council would give her some money this Thursday....
What would you do in this situation? I know my dad would probably have given her a few pounds as he always falls for a sob story. My mum's the opposite and has no sympathy for anyone.
If we help this person for the sake of Allah, we should gain a spiritual reward regardless of whether she was lying to us or not. If we give something in the way of charity we have the equivalent of 10 to 700 times the reward of what we gave, but as Muslims how many of us would jump at a chance to gain that reward. We are always thinking if i give X amount to charity then i won't be able to buy the latest toy, gadget, money waster etc. And I am of the guilty ones too!!
I think that as a society we have become de-sensitised to people begging, we don't have time to hear about other people's problems and we are quick to jump to conclusions. Would people coming to the mosque be more likely to help her if she was a Muslim? Probably not. As we have become used to seeing these Romanian beggars with their gold teeth and babies begging for cash every Friday. My concern would be that she would use that money to buy alcohol or drugs. However, if she was in fact in genuine need then I as a Muslim have not done the right thing by turning her away.
She told me her name was Susan. She didn't ask me what my name was but even in the dark she thought I was Malaysian!! She seemed a bit slow, but there was something very sad about her.........
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Comments
Since posting this, I saw Susan on the Sunday. A couple of sisters gave her a £5 for food and we havent seen her since..... I have seen her partner with the kids a few times indicating she was telling me the truth that they left her... who Knows?
What annoys me is seeing people begging on the streets with a dog who has a blanket and food??