Rights Of Orphans

Orphan-hood is a pressing issue all over the world. It is the time when orphans are considered as the vulnerable inhabitants of the world, discriminated and stigmatized by society, deprived of their fundamental rights and often deceased with their inheritance privileges, struggling for basic life needs and most of the times subjected to child labour.

When the situation entails to their rights three issues are always highlighted:

They should be treated as a common person of society i.e. they should be provided with every facility a common citizen is supposed to avail including food, shelter, health and education as a fundamental right.
If they are left with property of their parents, their inheritance should be guarded till they become adult. They have complete right to know their origin i.e. when it is known it should not be hidden from them.

Islam has strongly emphasized on their rights as the word "orphan" is mentioned 23 times in 12 different forms in 12 different chapters of Holy Quran. As quoted

‘’Serving the orphans is a vow made with God’’ – (Holy Quran, Chapter 2, verse 83)

According to UNICEF statistical report, over 153 million children are orphans, out of which only 7 million are guarded by institutional care worldwide. Interpreting the majority being abandoned, most of the times the absence of a fatherly figure to look up to, it is painfully easier to wander into land of lust, thereby, a cause of chaos not just for them self but for society as well. Hence they need guardians to look after them. Islam has already defined the resolution to skirt with all these aforesaid issues and secured their rights.

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) states that:  ‘’ A person who keeps his hand over an orphan's head with love, Allah will reward him with as much kindness as the hair which were touched by the hand.’’

Islamic financial law assures security of orphans hailing from all economic stratas: ones with little financial means or those who inherit adequate wealth from their parents, as stated:

‘’And give to the orphans their property, and do not substitute worthless (things) for (their) good (ones), and do not devour their property (as an addition) to your own property; this is surely a great crime’’  (Holy Quran, Chapter 4, verse 2)

According to a tradition from Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.):

‘’Allah, the Almighty has stated in the Holy Quran two punishments for a man who has deprived the orphans of their possessions. After death he will be thrown in hell and on earth his orphans will meet the same treatment as had been meted out to the orphans, by him.’’

According to another tradition one of the quality of the companions of Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) is the one who doesn’t usurp the property of orphans. (Kitabe Jahan b’ad az-Zuhur, p. 125-126)

However, in spite of these values, many of the orphaned children continue to experience emotional problems and little is being done in this area of emotional support. Since they are the broken heart children they require moral support as well. Holy Quran clearly sets a tone for the treatment of orphans in Islam:

And when there are present at the division the relatives and the orphans and the needy, give them (something) out of it and speak to them kind words. (Holy Quran, Chapter 4, verse 8)

"Treat not the orphan with harshness" (Holy Quran, Chapter 93, verse 9)

In another tradition it is stated that when an orphan cries, the sky trembles. At that time the Almighty God says that the person who comforts and soothes the crying orphan (whose mother and father are taken away from him) will be rewarded Heaven, compulsorily, by God.

Keeping in mind all these tenets we should remember the last words of Imam Ali (a.s.):

“Beware! Beware! Do not ever be neglectful of orphans. I warn you again, never leave an orphan hungry and unprotected.”

"Helping the weak is the best charity." (Al-Shaykh al-'Ansari, al-Makasib)

May Allah give us the taufeeq to take care of the orphans from amongst our relatives, acquaintances and believers.