The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rasulullah (Sm) said, "The children are the butterfly of Garden of Paradise." In this Hadith, affection and responsibility of a Muslim towards a child is stressed. In the background of such a soft and beautiful attitude of the Messenger of Allah towards the children, the position of an orphan (who is also a child and left helpless without parents) may be viewed.

The Holy Quran commands about orphans: "Give unto orphans their wealth. Exchange not good for the bad (in your management thereof), nor absorb their wealth into your own wealth. Lo! that would be a great sin!" (4:2)

The Holy Quran reveals: "Be kind to your parents and relatives and the orphans, and those in need; and speak nicely to people." (2:83) "And (show) kindness to (your) parents and to near relatives, orphans, the needy t "(4:36),.

Helpless orphans should be provided with all humanitarian support by the believers of Allah. The Holy Hadith says: "The best house among the Muslims is the house in which an orphan is well treated and the worst house among the Muslims is the house in which an orphan is badly treated." (Ibne Maja)

The merit of observance of fasting greatly depends on a person's treatment of an orphan, as he is a Muslim first and then he is a worshipper. The worst Muslim, because of his ill treatment of an orphan, cannot be a good 'rozadar'. Humanitarian consideration is the subject of prime importance in Islam. So, the Holy Quran and the Hadith proclaim responsibility towards orphans. It cannot be separated from the message of fasting.

-Abdul Muqit Chowdhury