Photo: Collected
In the pre-Islamic era, no rights of orphans and widows were established in society. As soon as the father died, oppression, injustice, tyranny and persecution would begin upon the helpless children. Far from giving them their rights, conspiracies would begin to snatch away the wealth left behind by the father. Likewise, after her husband’s death a woman had no right to the property left behind by her husband. Islam has established the rights of the orphan and given dignity to the widow.
Regarding the rights and dignity of orphans, it is stated in the Holy Quran, ‘Hand over to the orphans their wealth. Do not exchange good goods for bad goods. And do not devour their wealth by mixing it with your own wealth. Surely this is a very evil deed.’ Surah: Nisa, verse 2.
From this verse it is understood that the wealth of orphans must not be seized. Their property must be handed over as quickly as possible and must not be mixed with one’s own wealth. However, it may be mixed if it is for a good purpose.
A good purpose means that if business is done by combining an orphan’s money or wealth with one’s own business, the profit that comes will be divided proportionately and each will get his own share. If that is the case, it is certainly good, indeed a deed that earns reward. If there is no one capable of earning for orphans and widows, charity and donations to them must be continued, and they must be helped. We can stand beside orphans and widows with personal donations, zakat and fitra.
In the books of hadith, giving to orphans and widows has been widely encouraged.
The Prophet (pbuh) said the person who looks after widows and the helpless is like one who wages jihad in the way of Allah. That is, those who extend a helping hand to the helpless and widows will receive a reward like that of waging jihad in the way of Allah. The companion who narrated the hadith said that, as he believed, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also said the status of one who looks after widows and the helpless is like that of the person who, without slackness, stays awake all night in worship and fasts every day continuously. Bukhari and Muslim. In this hadith, in conveying the virtue and status of the person who helps widows and the helpless and bears responsibility for them, the beloved Prophet (pbuh) mentioned three rewards.
One. The reward of waging jihad in the way of Allah. Two. The reward of regularly staying awake at night and offering nafl prayers. Three. The reward of regularly observing nafl fasts. By helping and assisting orphans and widows, we can earn such a huge reward.
In mentioning the virtue of helping and assisting the orphan, the beloved Prophet (pbuh) further said, I and the guardian of an orphan will be in Paradise like this — saying this, he gestured with the index and middle fingers of his hand and kept a slight gap between the two. That is, just as the two fingers of the hand are right beside each other, so the Prophet (pbuh) and the guardian of an orphan will be together in Paradise. (Bukhari Sharif)
In another hadith it is stated, ‘Whoever strokes the head of an orphan for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, a reward will be written for him in exchange for each of the hairs over which his hand passes. And whoever treats well an orphan boy or girl brought up under his care, I and that person will be together in Paradise like these two.’ Saying this, he joined the two fingers of his own hand. (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi). The home in which an orphan is brought up is the best home in the world.
In this context, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), the harbinger of the liberation of all humanity, said, ‘The best house among the Muslims is the one in which there is an orphan and he is treated well. And the worst house among the Muslims is the one in which there is an orphan yet he is treated badly.’ Ibn Majah. May the great Lord of the worlds grant us the ability to extend a helping hand to orphans and widows.
