Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 87
87 Explanatory Notes Orphans are a highly valuable possession of a community and Islam lays very great stress on their care and upbringing. The words of this Hadith convey that emphasis accordingly. The Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says about the Muslim who looks after the orphan that he will be as close to him in Paradise as two fingers of the hand are close to one another. After this peremptory command, which carries with it such extraordinary reward, no true Muslim can neglect the duty of bringing up well and taking good care of orphans. In the care of orphans, it is not only the object of looking after and upbringing of helpless and unsupported children that is served. A little reflection will show that this institution stimulates the spirit of sacrifice among the members of the community when the individual members of a community are assured that, in the event of their death in national service, their orphaned children will not be left helpless and unprotected after them but will, on the contrary, be well looked after by their relatives or other members of the community; they will then certainly be foremost in courageously offering every kind of sacrifice. And this will stimulate the spirit of service and sacrifice among all the members of the community. The proper care of orphans is not only the means of saving minor children from spiritual, moral and financial ruin but is also a great means of stimulating the general prosperity of the community and its spirit of sacrifice. But it is a matter of deep regret that Muslims of our times are very neglectful in respect of this sacred duty. Often even the near relatives, instead of acting as guardians of orphans, misappropriate their property, and by their neglect of those duties, become the means of their educational and moral morass. In the orphanages, run by different offices, the orphans’ feelings of self-respect and self- estimation are so grievously hurt that orphans practically turn into