Honoring Orphans Rooted in Humanity, Emphasized in All Faiths
Religious leaders and figures of all faiths have laid emphasis on assisting and serving orphans.
In every society there are children who have lost their parents for different reasons and are sent to orphanages and similar centers to be looked after.
But shelter, food and clothes are not the only things that orphans need. What they need the most is kindness and compassion from others.
Mankind needs others’ attention and love all through life, especially in childhood. If kids do not receive care and attention at an early age, there is no guarantee that they would live healthy life. Such children may suffer personal and social crises when they grow up because it is mostly in the family that one is trained spiritually, socially and morally.
One of the issues to which Islam attaches great emphasis is respecting and loving orphan children. It has been narrated in numerous Hadiths that when the Holy Prophet (PBUH) saw an orphan, he would spend some time to care for the child.
The Holy Quran also addresses this issue and forbids harassing or teasing orphans: “Therefore, treat not the orphan with harshness.” (Verse 9 of Surah Ad-Duhaa)
It also names orphans as one group of people that need to be assisted financially because they usually live in poverty after losing their parents. “Righteousness is not whether you face towards the east or the west. But righteousness is to believe in Allah and the Last Day, in the angels and the Book, and the Prophets, and to give wealth however cherished, to kinsmen, to the orphans, to the needy, to the destitute traveler, and to the beggars, and to ransom the slave; who establish their prayers and pay the obligatory charity; who are true to their promise when they have promised. Who are patient in misfortune and hardship and during the time of courage. Such are the truthful; such are the cautious.” (Verse 177 of Surah Al-Baqarah)
Unfortunately, there are some who not only refuse to help orphans but exploit their situation and their weakness and seize their possessions. The Holy Quran has likened this to eating fire: “Those who wrongfully consume the property of orphans are, in fact, consuming fire in their bellies and they will suffer the blazing fire.” (Verse 10 of Surah An-Nisa)
