This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail-e-Amaal.
Allah, the Almighty, has said: ﴿وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ﴾
“But righteousness is that one believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets, and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy.”
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:177)
﴿وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا . إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا .﴾
“And they give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, (saying), ‘We feed you only for the countenance of Allah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude.’”
Reference: (76-Al-Insan:8,9)
In these verses, Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, describes the characteristics of the people of Paradise, the traits they will possess in this world. Among these is good treatment of orphans, including feeding them. This is not a trivial matter. Rather, among the traits of those doomed in the Hereafter is that they neither feed orphans and the needy themselves, nor encourage others to do so.
﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ ۖ قُلْ مَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ۗ وَمَا تَفْعَلُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ﴾ .
“They ask you what they should spend. Say, ‘Whatever you spend of good is for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the traveler. And whatever you do of good – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.’”
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:215)
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: كافل اليتيم، له أو لغيره، أنا وهو كهاتين فى الجنة وأشار مالك بالسبابة والوسطى.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The one who sponsors an orphan, whether the orphan is his close relative or not, he and the orphan will be like these two fingers in Paradise.” The narrator of the hadith, Malik ibn Anas (may Allah have mercy on him), indicated the index and middle fingers.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Zuhd, Chapter on Kindness to Widows, the Needy, and Orphans, No: 2982.
