I later came to know that asking someone for merit is prohibited.
Regardless of you not knowing this, as a literate and an english-speaker, you should've encountered the word
"Merit" by now. Have you not wondered about the definition of it?
"""
merit
[mer-it]
noun
claim to
respect and praise; excellence; worth.
something that deserves or justifies a reward or commendation; a commendable quality, act, etc.:
"""
highlighted the word "respect" since merits, just like respect, should be earned and not given.