[Eagevawax]

There are some beggars that usually stand in front of the masjid on friday. Now, there is reason to believe among some of us, that not all of these beggars are really poor, and they might not even be Muslims, considering they can never be found inside the masjid despite their proper Islamic attire. there are other inconsistencies, like how they say the Islamic greeting, but it almost feels as if some of them have trouble pronouncing it).

what would the best thing to do in this situation? maybe i am being too suspicious, perhaps i should assume the best?
I was thinking of perhaps following them stealthily when they leave and see where they go in order to figure out the truth. Does anyone also have this problem?
I live in New York, USA if that's relevant.

[Mello]

I think you should just assume the best. They wouldn't degrade themselves to that level if they weren't needy. The problem here in the U.K is with Romanian gypsies, they loooove to beg from Muslims...they dress in big skirts and wear headscarves and actually pretend to be Muslims.

[HaremShaih]

There are some beggars that usually stand in front of the masjid on friday. Now, there is reason to believe among some of us, that not all of these beggars are really poor, and they might not even be Muslims, considering they can never be found inside the masjid despite their proper Islamic attire. there are other inconsistencies, like how they say the Islamic greeting, but it almost feels as if some of them have trouble pronouncing it).

what would the best thing to do in this situation? maybe i am being too suspicious, perhaps i should assume the best?
I was thinking of perhaps following them stealthily when they leave and see where they go in order to figure out the truth. Does anyone also have this problem?
I live in New York, USA if that's relevant.

they could be fake beggars or real people in need.

they could be angels sent to test you personally (this happens even if we modern people forget it).

its better to give to one whom you doubt than to fail to give to one who is really in need or to fail a test from Allah.

[AlekseyZubkov]

I think you should just assume the best. They wouldn't degrade themselves to that level if they weren't needy. The problem here in the U.K is with Romanian gypsies, they loooove to beg from Muslims...they dress in big skirts and wear headscarves and actually pretend to be Muslims.

this is so true, these days when they see you they even touch you as well. What is the story behind them ?

[AnypecekceS]

The problem here in the U.K is with Romanian gypsies, they loooove to beg from Muslims...they dress in big skirts and wear headscarves and actually pretend to be Muslims.

Salaams to all and Ramadan Mubarak.

and so do some real Eastern European or Caucasian Muslims dress that way who are begging because they need to, so we have to be careful not to jump to conclusions.

a few years ago (2002-5 ish) Afghan and Iraqi women beggars came outside lots of Masjids on Juma or begged door to door in the UK.

Many of them were indeed professional beggars, but just as many were good people who had fallen on hard times and had ended up coming to the UK as assylum seekers or illegal immigrants - many of them were struggling to survive and to pay back the smugglers who had brought them here, many had a lot of problems.

I couldn't believe how sanctimonious many Muslims were about them and how hard hearted. It is so easy to forget that it is only the mercy of Allah upon us that it is not us begging outside a Masjid in a foreign country.

As for the Romany gypsies who beg from the Muslim community, most of them come from real holes in the ground and have been treated very badly, quite a few of them are indeed Muslims and the rest tend to have many natural good qualities that would make them good Muslims if they ever reverted and left behind the problems of alcohol, theiving and begging that afflict many of them now.

What are the Muslims doing to help educate them about Islam instead of moaning about them is what I wonder?

PS. I don't mean you are moaning brothers Ukbaz or Idil I mean Muslims in general.

[kasandrasikl]

I am also in NY, and we have a similar situation at our masjid. The beggars are always encouraged to go to the office to apply for zakah, but they never do; so, the administration of the masjid started to warn people against giving them anything. Allahu a'lam about their reality.