91: Good Relationships (Part 7) ~ Caring for the Orphans & the Needy
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ
Have you seen those who misrepresent the Faith / deny the Judgment? They are those who treat the orphans with harshness and encourage not the feeding of the poor. [Qur’an 107: 1-3]
We must have recited Surah Al-Maun [chapter 107] many times and we've probably had it memorized since we were children. But we often miss its message of caring for the orphans and feeding the hungry as an integral expression of our faith in God.
Global Picture
Hunger, poverty, and homelessness are sources of desperation in all parts of the world, and very high in the “developing” or “third-world” countries. Let us reflect on these alarming statistics from the recent United Nations Development Program (UNDP):
• nearly 800 million people do not get enough food
• half a billion people suffer from some form of malnutrition, 250 million of
• these are children of pre-school age
• each year, 15 to 20 million people die of hunger-related causes. Three out of every four are children.
• there are 35 million poor persons in America , of which 14 million are children.
• over 40% of all deaths in poor countries occur among children under five years of age. UNICEF states that 17 million children died last year from preventable diseases; one every two seconds, 40 000 a day
• every minute, 12 children somewhere in the world are orphaned and 3women widowed due to war, illness, poverty or oppression.
Our Moral and Religious Responsibility
The Prophet said: ان الله تعالى خلق خلقا لحوائج الناس “Surely, Allah created creation to be of benefit to humanity.” Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali in his Musaddas wrote: “it is for the love and care of one another that Allah has made human beings.” The educator Horace Mann said: “To pity distress is but human, to relieve it is God-like.” Mother Theresa said; The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, and deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference toward one's neighbor, who lives at the roadside, assaulted by exploitation, corruption, poverty, and disease.
Islam has paired charity with faith in its fundamental pillars to the extent that it has considered every good deed charity كل معروف صدقة and has further linked human assistance as a pre-requisite for Divine assistance. The Prophet said: و الله في عون العبد ما دام العبد في عون أخيه Allah is at the assistance of a person as long as that person is of help to another.
Need & Benefit
• Proof of the veracity of our Faith is concern for the welfare of others:
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِ أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ
Free those in bondage, feed the hungry in time of need; whether it be an orphan related or the poor covered in dirt; then indeed are you of those who truly of the people of faith; facilitating patient perseverance and manifesting compassion. Such are the one who are of the really righteous ones. [Q 90: 7-13] The Prophet (pbuh) also said;
الساعي علي الأرملة و المسكين كالمجاهد في سبيل الله ،
كالصائم لا يفطر و القائم لا يفتر/ لا ينام
The one who cares for the widows and the orphans is like one who strives constantly in the path of Allah; like a fasting one who never breaks the fast, like a activist who never stops good deeds/ worshipper all night who does not sleep.
• Generosity and compassion improves character.A person came to the Prophet complaining that he is qaswat-il-qalb/ very harsh and hard-hearted. The Prophet advised him:
امسح رأس اليتيم و أطعِم المسكين
Stroke the head of the orphan and feed the poor.
• Helping others with propriety
وَإِذَا حَضَرَ الْقِسْمَةَ أُوْلُواْ الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينُ فَارْزُقُوهُم مِّنْهُ وَقُولُواْ لَهُمْ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوفًا
وَلْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ لَوْ تَرَكُواْ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّةً ضِعَافًا خَافُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلْيَتَّقُوا اللّهَ وَلْيَقُولُواْ قَوْلاً سَدِيدًا
“ If at the time of division of inheritance other relatives, orphans or poor are present feed them out of the (property) and speak to them words of kindness and justice. Let those (disposing of an estate) have the same fear in their minds as they would have for their own if they had left a helpless family behind: let them be conscious of Allah and speak appropriately.” [Q 4:8 – 9]
• Keep in mind that the Prophet (pbuh) was himself an orphan and in need.
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَى وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَى
فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
Did We not find thee an orphan (O Muhammad) and provided thee protection? Found thee in search of the ultimate guidance and guided thee? Found thee in need and granted thee sufficiency. So, repulse not the orphan with harshness, nor turn away the beggar unheard; rather proclaim the bounties with which Allah has blessed thee. [Q 93 6-11] The Prophet (pbuh) said: أنا و كافل اليتيم فى الجنة هكذا ، و أشار بالسبابة و الوسطى I and the person who cares and provides for an orphan, will be in Paradise like this, (putting his index and middle fingers together) .