Dear Muslim, do you have a hardened heart which you wish Allah to soften?

Do you have the desire to accompany the Prophet () in Paradise?

Do you have the desire to gain hundreds of good deeds in return for a very simple act?

If you have the desire for all the above-mentioned matters, treat orphans as (if you were) their father, be kind to them, smile at them, wipe their head, be complaisant towards them, and make them happy.

Doing Good to Orphans

Allah, the Almighty, commands us to do good to orphans in more than one verse in His Holy Book. Allah, the Almighty, says: “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans...” (Quran 4: 36)

Allah, the Almighty, also says: “To this world and the Hereafter. And they ask you about orphans. Say, ‘Improvement for them is best. And if you mix your affairs with theirs—they are your brothers. And Allah knows the corrupter from the amender. And if Allah had willed, He could have put you in difficulty. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.’” (Quran 2: 220)

Allah, the Almighty, considers doing good to orphans one of the greatest offerings and righteous acts. Allah, the Almighty, says: “Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.” (Quran 2: 177)

The Messenger of Allah () cared much about the orphans, to the extent that he promised those who take care of them to accompany him in Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth. He said, “I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like this in Paradise,” showing his middle and index fingers and separating them. Ibn Battal said, “The person who listens to this Hadith should act according to it in order to accompany the Prophet in Paradise; no status is better than this.”

The Prophet () promised the person who does good to an orphan, even by wiping their head, seeking to please Allah, a lot of good deeds. He said, “Whoever wipes the head of an orphan for the sake of Allah shall have deeds as much as the hairs he passed his hand over. Whoever treats an orphan kindly will accompany me in Paradise like this.”

Doing Good to Orphans Leads to Salvation:

The Day of Resurrection will include great terrors and troubles from which Allah saves the one who looks after an orphan. Allah, the Almighty, says: “But he has not broken through the difficult pass. And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? It is the freeing of a slave, or feeding on a day of severe hunger an orphan of near relationship.” (Quran 90: 11-15)

Feeling Compassion for Orphans Softens Hearts:

When a person complained to the Prophet () about his hardened heart, the Prophet advised him to wipe an orphan’s head.

The Prophet praised the women of Quraish, saying, “The women of Quraish are good amongst the womenfolk. They show affection to orphans and zealously guard the wealth of their husbands.”

When Ja‘far ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) died, the Messenger of Allah () took care of his children and brought them in his home, and when their mother said that they were poor and needy, he said, “Do you fear poverty for them while I am their protector in the worldly life and the Afterlife?”

Taking Care of the Orphan’s Money:

Allah, the Almighty, commands us to do good to the orphan to whom his father left money by increasing, investing, taking care of the money, and avoiding encroaching on it in any way. Allah says: “And do not approach the orphan's property except in a way that is best [i.e., intending improvement] until he reaches maturity.” (Quran 6: 152)

Allah also says: “And do not approach the property of an orphan, except in the way that is best, until he reaches maturity. And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.” (Quran 17: 34)

If the guardian of the orphan is poor, they are permitted to take from the orphan’s money according to the accepted norms. Allah says: “And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach marriageable age. Then if you perceive in them sound judgment, release their property to them. And do not consume it excessively and quickly, [anticipating] that they will grow up. And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor—let him take according to what is acceptable. Then when you release their property to them, bring witnesses upon them. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant.” (Quran 4: 6)

The Correct Concept of Taking Care of Orphans:

Many people think that taking care of orphans means spending on them, which undoubtedly indicates limited understanding, although spending on orphans is greatly rewarded. However, taking care of orphans has a wider concept. To avoid being far from the main point, we will state a valuable saying mentioned by the great scholar, Ibn Hajar (), about the Prophet’s saying, “I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like this in Paradise.” Sheikh Ibn Hajar states in “Sharh At-Tirmidhi,” “The wisdom behind likening the status of the person who takes care of an orphan to the status of the Prophet in Paradise is that the Prophet was sent to people who knew nothing about their religion, so he taught, guided, and took care of them. The one who takes care of an orphan also protects, teaches, raises, and looks after a person who knows nothing about his religion and worldly life. This is the aspect of similarity.” In addition, the orphan, who is looked after, is directly affected and influenced by the person who takes care of them.

To conclude taking care of an orphan is considered a short path to Paradise, as Allah, the Almighty, says: “And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, [saying] ‘We feed you only for the face [i.e., approval] of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. Indeed, We fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful.’ So Allah will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness and will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in Paradise] and silk [garments].” (Quran 76: 8-12)