Islam and Orphans:

"Treat not the orphan with harshness" (Qur’an 93:9)

Orphan welfare is a recurring theme in the Qur’an. Verses encouraging good treatment of orphans are found throughout it. Creating a sense of responsibility towards orphans, the Qur’an says:

"They ask you, (O Muhammad), what they shall spend. Say: that which you spend for good (must go) to parents and near kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. And whatsoever good you do, lo! Allah is Aware of it." (Qur’an 2:215)

Orphans have a unique place in Islam and share an affinity with Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) who lost both his parents by the age of six. His orphaned childhood is the subject of some of the earliest verses of the Qur’an:

"Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?" (Qur’an 93:6)

This affinity between the orphan and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is expressed with great clarity in the sacred tradition (hadith) There is a promise of Paradise for anyone who looks after an orphan:

"I, and the one who looks after an orphan, will be together like this in the next world", then he raised his index and middle fingers together. (Hadith Muslim)

The important lesson Muslims have taken from this well-known hadith is that to choose the companionship of an orphan is to choose the companionship of the Prophet himself (Allah bless him and give him

Human Appeal:

We’re supporting 80,000 orphans worldwide

We’re now taking care of 80,000 orphans around the world – a staggering 5,000 more children than last year. What’s more, with your help, we can continue our great work.

Our orphans are the innocent victims of war, natural disaster and political upheaval, so it’s vital we continue supporting them. With 200 million orphans, globally, we have many more lives to save.

If every one of us were to sponsor just one orphan, the positive impact we could have on children in the world without one or both parents would be amazing. It’s shocking what orphans in places like Syria, Palestine and Burma must endure on a daily basis, including having no access to food, clean water, medicine or education. Let’s light up the lives of as many suffering young children as we can, giving them food, clothing, medical aid and access to the all-important thing that will give them a brighter future – education.