By
Abu-Ubaida SANI, Ph.D.
Department of Languages and Cultures,
Federal University Gusau, Zamfara, Nigeria
Email: abuubaidasani5@gmail.com | official@amsoshi.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6447-4334 | WhatsApp: +2348133529736
Site: www.abu-ubaida.com | www.amsoshi.com
Preamble
This is an English translation of the Hausa poem Yaƙi Da Bara (War Against Begging), authored by Dr. Abu-Ubaida Sani.
Context & Objective
In Hausa society, street begging and public solicitation have increasingly morphed from a desperate survival tactic into a pervasive social issue. Driven by a complex web of socio-economic factors, an increasing number of individuals take to the streets - not only within traditional Hausaland, but across neighboring states, regions, and international borders. Beyond the moral, economic, and security concerns it presents, this widespread practice continually undermines the collective dignity and public image of the Hausa people.
Written as a piece of social commentary, this poem serves as a critical self-reflection and a call to reform. It directly addresses those who have turned begging into an illicit profession, examining the root causes, exposing the deceptive schemes, and proposing structural solutions to eradicate the practice.
Important Note on Generalization & Identity
This poem addresses a specific socio-economic vice; it is not a characterization of the Hausa ethnic group as a whole. Readers and observers (particularly those with limited knowledge of Hausa culture and history) must avoid sweeping generalizations or unfair stereotyping.
Beggars represent a tiny fraction of the population who have fallen into this path due to circumstances of birth, disability, social neglect, economic hardship, or bad choices. In stark contrast, the vast majority of Hausa people are remarkably industrious, resilient, creative, and enterprising. Historically renowned as master traders, agricultural pioneers, and artisans, Hausa men and women continue to excel across the globe in commerce, academia, technology, public service, and industry.
A prominent example of this relentless work ethic is Aliko Dangote, a native of Kano, Nigeria, who is recognized globally as the wealthiest Black person and Africa’s leading industrialist. Alongside him are countless entrepreneurs, scholars, farmers, and skilled professionals worldwide who embody the true, dignified spirit of the Hausa nation.
This poem is strictly an internal call for social reform – a crusade to restore dignity, dismantle harmful superstitions, and protect vulnerable children. It is not a general reflection of the Hausa people and culture.
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WAR AGAINST BEGGING
In the name of Allah, the Lord Almighty, I begin my call,
Send blessings upon Muhammad, Your noble Messenger,
Upon his family and all his companions,
Including us, who are constantly caught up in the affairs of this world.
Forgive us, O Forgiving One, for our transgressions against You.
Today, I am stirred to speak about begging,
O All-Knowing God, guide my speech so that it hits the mark,
I lay out these verses carefully so my tongue does not stumble,
To all beggars and praise-singers, I urge you to listen,
My desire is for our collective salvation and ultimate grace.
What exactly is begging? How did this enterprise come to be?
It is asking and soliciting from others, going from place to place,
Seeking food, clothing, or money to count,
Or raising a hand to signal them away the moment they are spotted,
So they pass by empty-handed, moving on to the next spot without a dime.
What causes begging? You may ask me,
Here is a list of reasons, follow me closely:
There is physical disability – I will elaborate further,
Be it leprosy, deafness, or physical paralysis,
Many jump on these excuses to dive straight into street begging.
The Hausa people hold a superstition—listen to it:
Whoever has a disability or affliction,
Was created by God specifically to beg for a living,
If they refuse to beg, then calamity will befall them,
They will be ruined and destroyed; hear how absurd this superstition is!
This same superstition turns twins into a commercial venture:
A mother who gives birth to twins believes she has found a fortune;
They say refusing to give charity brings misfortune,
So she roams the town begging for money and food,
Give to her to ward off disaster, lest it strikes.
The second root cause of begging is the flawed Almajiri system,
Then displacement and the fourth is orphanhood;
Add human trafficking, self-indulgence, and stark poverty to the mix,
Alongside broken homes caused by dishonorable divorces,
Where families split apart, leaving helpless children to suffer.
There are marriages and births born of desire or ignorance,
Where people refuse to plan their families with wisdom and justice;
Very young children are sent out to trek and beg for survival,
While others end up cleaning brothel houses,
Exposed to straying into terrifying and corrupt lifestyle choices.
We have counted nine; let no number escape:
There is absolute laziness; those who prefer a life of idleness;
Inheritance of begging as if it were a profession,
Or a child being driven from home, or a girl suffering neglect -
These are all root causes of begging, a whole dozen for your count.
The Prophet (PBUH) stated Hadiths that I must remind you of:
A person who goes out, gathers firewood and sells it to earn a living,
Holds far greater dignity than those among you who beg.
On the Day of Judgment, the beggar's face will face dire embarrassment -
Appearing as a bare skeleton without a single piece of flesh.
One who begs for money is akin to seeking hellfire,
By the stern the Messenger; begging is forbidden,
Except for three types of people, as the hadith states:
And for the destitute among them, it requires trustworthy witnesses
To confirm that he is indeed facing genuine, desperate poverty.
The Hausa people are frustrating and disheartening,
They reject lawful pursuit and cling to begging stubbornly,
Hadiths are twisted, verses are manipulated,
Using self-serving interpretations born of deceit,
Elevating begging to a mandatory duty alongside Zakat!
The Prophet will boast of his community,
What pride could the Prophet possibly take in an ungodly person?
If it were up to me, such a child be miscarried before birth;
Even if he arrived the world, it is better that God takes his soul,
Here we are, reaping what we have sown.
The Hausa have a saying they created:
"If God created a mouth for an individual -"
“He won't let them starve,”
And so the Hausa continue giving birth to generations
Who grow up depending on begging and collecting from others.
They have flooded the streets of Hausaland; a true affliction!
They travel down South, exposing us to public disgrace;
Some even beg inside churches; what an embarrassing spectacle!
Others cross international borders in total lawlessness,
The foolish among us have ruined our collective dignity.
The Southerners mock us - this begging is a ploy,
“Malam,” they say, or “friend” - words uttered in mockery.
Even “almajiri” has become a term of ridicule.
They drive Hausa people away and mock them as wretched,
Chasing them away, beating them, and lashing them with whips.
Clad in filthy rags, with no atom of dignity,
Without bathing, washing clothes, or trimming nails;
Plagued by scabies and lice due to extreme filth,
Having no toilets, no shelter, and no proper homes to sleep in,
They squat in abandoned buildings and makeshift huts.
Some even rent babies to carry on their backs
To evoke public pity; a total lack of moral compass!
A tiny child grows up learning nothing but begging;
When he reaches adulthood, this habit becomes second nature,
And he hits the streets to follow the exact same path.
Young children grow up under these exact conditions:
No education, no healthcare, no basic hygiene,
As for women who beg, no one respects them;
At best, they are taken advantage of and discarded,
Treating a vulnerable woman like a mere pack animal.
They live like stray dogs, reduced to wretched scroungers.
Yet some have money but are consumed by greed;
They brave the harsh sun on the streets,
Accumulating wealth to the point of becoming rich,
Even buying commercial buses for transport businesses!
Some combine begging with petty theft,
Some deal in drugs to be delivered,
They store them until their owner collects them,
Some are even informants for terrorists,
They move around gathering intelligence on you.
Today, begging has taken a deceitful new turn:
You will see a healthy young man at a motor park with luggage,
Claiming he fell victim to stranded circumstance,
Pleading for fare or food money to continue his journey -
Once you give him cash, he loops right back to scam the next person.
Others go to mosques after prayers and stand up,
Fabricating stories of tragic fires that consumed their homes,
Claiming everything was reduced to ashes and cinders.
If you offer to follow them home to verify their story,
They will slip away to avoid exposure.
Some stand along roads pretending community service,
Filling potholes like voluntary road workers;
When no one is looking, they sit idle,
But as soon as a car approaches, they jump up to make a show of working,
Hoping you will hand over money for their "service."
Others use papers and cards as their method,
Claiming they're sick with hospital bills,
Some come to your house or stop you on the road,
Or target you at petrol stations and shopping centers,
Swarming your car the moment you park.
If you buy food, swarms of child beggars surround you,
Staring intently at you like owls until you feel uncomfortable.
A girl selling masa will come with a crowd of child beggars;
If you ignore them, she might even ask you directly:
"Malam, would you buy some charity for these poor pupils?"
If you buy food for them, a scam unfolds:
The children take the food back to the vendor,
She takes it back, converts it into cash for them, and keeps a cut as profit!
This cyclic scheme has become a routine business for them –
Showing that both the vendor and the children are partners in begging.
Another class of beggars sets up shop in political circles;
That is where they eat, drink, and make a living.
Their job is to spread propaganda on media platforms,
Telling treacherous lies just to serve their political party –
Shame on you for becoming a curse to your community!
Some have taken begging to mobile phones,
Turning Facebook and WhatsApp into modern begging bowls;
They even send bank account details; a modern way of soliciting!
Others make direct phone calls just to unload a mountain of problems on you,
Dumping all their financial burdens right at your feet.
An able-bodied young man sits around doing nothing –
No trade, no search for work; idleness is their occupation,
While you are out sweating and hustling for a living,
He approaches you demanding a cut of your earnings,
And if you refuse him, he gets angry with you!
Another person operates his household like a baby factory,
Marrying multiple wives and producing a whole army of children.
While you manage your life responsibly with one wife,
He comes to you spilling a list of self-inflicted domestic crises,
Making it sound as if you assisted in producing the children.
Don't get me wrong: I am not against genuine charity or helping the needy.
It is the frauds among beggars that I condemn and preach against!
They have made generous givers hesitant and fearful,
To the point that genuine orphans no longer receive help,
Because scammers consume the share of the truly destitute before anyone notices.
Now that we have identified the problem, we must make corrections;
We must address all these root causes that breed confusion.
This is not an attack on religious doctrine, nor blind condemnation,
Rather, we must uphold the truth and adhere strictly to authentic Hadiths,
Lest we abandon the path of reform and be consumed by blame.
This begging has made us face derision,
Let us unite, strengthen our resolve against it,
Gradually, the menace of begging will corrode,
Provided we make firm decisions and establish a clear vision,
To cleanse our land, making it holy like the city of Makkah.
This fight cannot succeed without direct government intervention:
They must create employment opportunities and drive development,
Provide skills acquisition programs, and spur structural improvements,
Because we know that poverty is the primary root cause,
Compounded by the bitter taste of widespread ignorance.
The duty of Islamic scholars is to preach and raise awareness,
Explaining the prophetic prohibitions against begging clearly;
Media practitioners must broadcast these teachings far and wide,
While parents must fulfill their duty of proper upbringing and care –
Keeping their children safe at home and providing for their needs.
Genuine refugees and the displaced must be assisted;
They are victims of disaster and deserve our compassion.
But we must distinguish, not allow infiltration,
We must weed out imposter beggars who use plight as a cover,
Appearing solemn only to scam you.
Every member of society has a role to play in this movement:
Provide genuine relief and ensure orphans are well cared for;
When Zakat is collected, distribute it with absolute justice;
Ensure security is restored so agriculture can thrive –
Only through collective effort can our community be saved.
Gradually, anti-begging laws should be enacted and enforced,
But this must be done thoughtfully, without ruthlessness;
Do not strip away people's livelihoods without providing alternatives.
We need just leaders and a capable government,
Because God has blessed us with resources, yet we live like scavengers.
O Lord, support those among us who are striving for positive change;
Grant guidance to those trapped in the habit of begging;
Enable us to assist the weak and vulnerable among us;
O The Rightly-Guiding God, reform the hearts of our leaders –
You alone are the Provider of all wealth, and to You we pray.
Here I conclude, reaching the final destination of my poem.
You are The Subtle, and You enabled me to complete it.
By the Abjad chronogram SHATAMAHA, you can calculate its date.
Whoever asks who composed this poem, tell them it is Abu-Ubaida,
My humble request to you all is to keep me in your prayers.
August, 2026