السّائِل (As‑Saa’il)
The one who is need and asks others for help or assistance.
Language points and insights
الْمَحْرُومِ (Al‑Mahroom)
The one who has been “deprived”. An interpretation of this is that it refers to the one who is in need but does not ask due to their inner restraint.
Reference (Al‑Baqarah: 273)
لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًا فِي الْأَرْضِ يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَاءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُم بِسِيمَاهُمْ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا
[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all] (Al-Baqarah: 273). Recognising deprivation and the breadth of application
Known by their signs
As described in the above Aayah, they are known by their signs, so although they do not ask there are signs of their deprivation or poverty that can be observed.
The terms As‑Saa’il and Al‑Mahroom are general and therefore covers everyone who fits that description without bias in application.
Ethic and mindset the Aayah depicts
A felt responsibility
This Aayah depicts those who have the mentality and feeling that they need to help others and recognise that others have a right over him.
Recognise the right (Haqq) in one’s wealthCircumstances of being Mahroom
- Somebody who has lost their job.
- Somebody who has become sick or injured and is unable to earn an income or meet his needs.
- Deprivation due to discrimination based on race, religion or other factors.
- Deprivation due to environments or economic systems and the constraints such environments or systems place upon them.
Scholarly remarks about السّائِل and الْمَحْرُومِ and their right (Haqq)
Haqq as an obligation (context before Zakah)
The reason the term حَقٌّ (Haqq “Right”) was used can be because Allah obliged Sadaqah upon the Muslims according to what they were able before Zakah was made obligatory upon them in the case where Zakah was made obligatory after the Hijrah and as such Sadaqah became a حَقٌّ (Haqq “Right”) for the السّائِل (As‑Saa’il) and الْمَحْرُومِ (Al‑Mahroom).
Haqq as a self‑recognised due right
Or it can mean that they themselves saw it as a right that was due upon them to do (i.e., they felt that it was a right due upon themselves to help those in need without it being specifically mandated by Allah upon them).
Scope and impartiality in application
General and unbiased
The terms As‑Saa’il and Al‑Mahroom are general and therefore covers everyone who fits that description without bias in application.