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DEFINITION OF A POOR PERSON

265

“A poor person is not one who can be turned away with a date or two, or a few morsels. The one who is really poor is he, who, despite his poverty refrains from asking. A poor person is not the one who goes round asking people, who can be turned away with a morsel or two or a few dates. Indeed, it is one who does not have enough to suffice him, and does not disclose his poverty so that he might be given charity, neither does he stand up to ask.”

Bukhari and Muslim with a chain up to Abu Hurairah who related that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said this.