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Orphans

Owner: bobbybooshy
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Created: 2006-10-06 23:20:17

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Orphan is a single word that carries many shades of meanings. No sooner does one utter it, than one?s heart is deeply moved. The word orphan is an adjective that is rarely mentioned by us in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. We rarely pay attention to those helpless orphans lost in oblivion, and thrust aside from our memories, and always dropped from our ever-busy schedules.
Through its Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (himself an orphan), Islam has aimed to safeguard the rights of all members of society, including the rights of the orphans in relation to their birth parents.
In this age of globalization, we are almost unconscious when it comes to social solidarity. We lend a deaf ear when it comes to social giving and social sharing. The purpose behind writing this short article is how to attract our attention to the young people with no parents, with no food, with no water, and with no sanitation. The recent Asian tsunami disaster left hundreds of parentless children who are now forced to lead a very harsh life. It is our role to socially adapt them and to re-draw an innocent smile on their pale faces that never experienced anything except crying since the death of their loved ones.
Once, a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) complaining about his harsh heart. The Prophet addressed the man saying, ?Do you want something that makes your heart lenient and your needs fulfilled? Be merciful to the orphans, touch their hair gently, and feed them from your own food. If you do these things, I guarantee that your heart will become soft, and your needs will be fulfilled.?
We are in dire need to brainstorm with ourselves, our families, our young people, our kids, and our smaller communities about the basic rights of orphans. When you go to sleep with your little baby on your cozy bed, don?t forget the hundreds of orphaned babies who die from bad weather conditions. The issue at hand can?t be solved if we continue to ignore our responsibility towards them. It is a stain on the face of human dignity to forget the helpless orphans or even to highlight their plight occasionally whenever human tragedies occur.
As Muslims, we are ordered to ease the plight of all those who suffer. It is a collective responsibility that can?t be taken lightly. Muslims are directly ordered to take care of the orphans. Allah Almighty says, ?And serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy?? (An-Nisaa? 4: 36)
Even when it comes to charity, a Muslim should allocate a portion of it for social purposes atop of which comes catering for the needs of orphans, especially at times of disasters. Allah Almighty says, ?And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him.?
Enough to say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) promised those who take care of the orphans with paradise. He is reported to have said, ?The best house is the one where orphans are cared for and treated most honorably and kindly.?
He also said, ?I and the one who cares for the orphans excellently will be as close in Paradise as these two fingers of mine!?
The message of Islam is all about helping people, relieving suffering, spreading goodness and removing harm. The end doesnt justify the means. We are supposed to do good things in a good way and not resort to counteracting evil with evil.
"The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel the evil with one which is better?" (Fussilat 41:34)
In recent times the world stood shocked at the disaster that devastated so much of Asia . And in response to the inbuilt goodness that exists within the human soul, mankind stretched his collective hand to render assistance. This is a phenomenal example of human brotherhood that is rarely experienced these days which witness continuous war, injustice, and oppression.
The tides of evil abound this world and have done since the beginning of time and will continue to do so until the end. These tides of evil are only counteracted and held at bay by corresponding tides of goodness. Just like darkness disappears with the rays of light, and cold disappears with warmth, likewise evil disappears with goodness.

new catastrophe has hit Asia which is already reeling under the weight of trauma and suffering caused by the earthquake and consequent tidal wave. Child traffickers have taken the opportunity to make use of the chaos that prevails to steal away helpless, vulnerable orphans to use or to sell as they wish. Posing as relief workers or parents these evil creatures take away young children.
Where does that leave us? Allah tells us in the Quran that He offered the amana (being the caretakers of the world) to the heavens, the earth and the mountains?.. "Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it. But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust to himself and ignorant of its results." (Al-Ahzab 33:72)
Well the reality is that we have this responsibility. Whether or not we live up to it is our decision but we will be judged for what we did in our lives as well as for what we didnt do.
Sahl ibn Sa`d reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise ,? and he gestured with his index and middle fingers (Al-Bukhari).
Do you think you will be resurrected in the company of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and all the other prophets ? Jesus, Moses, Abrahim, David, Soloman, Elias, Adam (peace be upon them all) ? if you just sit back and watch the world keeping a nice comfortable emotional distance, without striving to fulfill the trust Allah gave us? Paradise doesnt come cheap. We have to work for it. Simply calling ourselves Muslims is not a guaranteed ticket to Paradise ! If all it takes is giving some money, urging others to give, helping out in our own communities and so on, well then thats a start. What does it mean to help an orphan? Well it could mean Paradise .
There is no justification to simply turn our heads away and pretend we dont hear ? because we all know what has happened and what is happening now, as well as the threat of what can possibly happen in the future. If the devastation of so many countries didnt touch your heart, if the stories of heart-broken people who lost loved ones didnt touch your heart, if the accounts of homes and businesses destroyed didnt touch your heart, if the pending epidemics and starvation that millions face didnt touch your heart, then the story of sad, lost, weary vulnerable children who have been recently orphaned and are now the target of child traffickers to be sold into the sex industry ? must touch your heart. And if it doesnt then pray to God because perhaps you no longer have one.

Thus, those who care for the orphans will obtain the highest rank of paradise along with Prophets and Messengers. Allah says, ?Whoso obeyeth Allah and the messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favor, of the Prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they!? (An-Nisaa? 4: 69)
With all this in mind, it is our role to start championing the rights of the weak and no body is weaker than a helpless orphan sleeping on the ground shivering from cold with any empty stomach!
Dua: Oh Allah, indeed we are sinners and indeed you are the best of all forgivers so we seek forgiveness in these last days of Ramadan, please forgive us. We seek to become better Muslims, so help us become better. We seek refuge from the shaitaan so save us from his domination. Grant us Jannah, and save us from hell fire. Aameen.

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