Honoring Orphans

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Make the orphan come close to you, and be nice to him, and wipe his head, and feed him from your food. That will cause your heart to be soft, and your needs to be fulfilled." [al-Tabarani]

Also Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “The most loved homes to God, Al-Mighty & Sublime, are homes in which the orphan is honored.”

According to Islamic law (shari’ah), Muslims have a responsibility to show benevolence and care for orphans.  Orphans according to the Islamic definition are those children, who are left with no protection from their fathers due to death.  Traditionally in the history of humanity, men have been the maintainers of their families not only monetarily but also in providing physical protection.  In this context, orphans are vulnerable and need aid and protection from the community even if their mothers are still living.

God says in the Qur’an (2:83):

[and be good] to the orphans and the very poor, speak kindly to men, make prayer, and give in charity.

In the sense that the key posture toward orphans should be kindness, orphans belong to the entire community, and everyone takes responsibility for their welfare. Perhaps this can be attributed to a deep spiritual morality that demands Muslims be charitable toward less fortunate others, but the state of being an orphan takes on an even more profound meaning in the Islamic religion.