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## The Orphan in the Qur’an – Izz al‑Din Bahr al‑Ulum
### 2. The Orphan and His Financial Rights
The title **“orphan”** is not necessarily associated with poverty. Many orphans possess wealth that even adults may not have.
The problem of wealthy orphans is not less serious than that of poor orphans, because the real issue often lies in social circumstances that allow the strong to dominate the weak. An orphan is usually in a vulnerable position, having lost the one who used to care for him and now remaining under the authority of guardians and trustees.
For this reason, Islamic law gives special attention to protecting the financial rights of orphans and preserving their wealth. At the same time, it directs society to care for them in all aspects of life—socially, economically, and educationally.
This concern appears clearly in numerous Qur’anic verses that emphasize **respecting the wealth of the orphan and refraining from using it except in ways that serve the orphan’s interest**.
The Qur’an addresses the issue of wealthy orphans through **three stages**:
• **First stage:** Preserving the wealth left for the orphan, whether through inheritance or gift, and preventing any violation of their rights.
• **Second stage:** Explaining the conditions that end the status of orphanhood. When the child grows up and shows maturity, the guardians’ responsibility ends and the orphan receives control of their wealth and manages it independently like other adults.
• **Third stage:** Ensuring the proper transfer of the wealth and confirming its delivery in order to prevent future disputes, such as claims that the wealth was not delivered or that part of it was withheld. This stage is called **“bearing witness to the delivery.”**
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## 1. Preserving the Wealth of Orphans
Allah says:
> “Give the orphans their property, and do not exchange the bad for the good, nor consume their wealth together with your own. Indeed, that would be a great sin.”
> (Qur’an 4:2)
Giving the orphan their wealth means:
• spending from it for their needs during childhood, and
• handing it over to them once they reach maturity and demonstrate sound judgment.
The first issue addressed by the verse is the **practice of exchanging the orphan’s property**. This practice was common in pre‑Islamic society. Some guardians would take the good and valuable items belonging to the orphan and replace them with inferior ones. The verse prohibited such unjust actions.
The Qur’an then addresses an even greater wrongdoing: **seizing the orphan’s wealth entirely**. Some people would mix the orphan’s property with their own and spend it freely, leaving the orphan to suffer the hardships of life. In doing so they added the hardship of poverty to the tragedy of orphanhood.
Therefore, the Qur’an strongly warns such guardians:
> “Do not consume their wealth with your own. Indeed, it is a great sin.”
> (Qur’an 4:2)
Consuming the wealth of an orphan unjustly is a grave crime.
The warning continues in another verse:
> “Indeed, those who consume the wealth of orphans unjustly are only consuming fire into their bellies, and they will burn in a blazing fire.”
> (Qur’an 4:10)
This verse presents a frightening image: a person with fire blazing inside their stomach, a punishment for devouring the wealth of an orphan.
It is narrated from **Imam al‑Baqir (peace be upon him)** that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
> “People will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment with fire blazing from their mouths.”
When he was asked who they were, he recited this verse.
—
## The Concern of the Early Muslims
When these warnings were revealed, many Muslims who were caring for orphans became extremely cautious. Some even separated the food and property of orphans completely from their own out of fear of committing wrongdoing.
This created anxiety and difficulty, because living together with orphans sometimes made separation impractical. Therefore they asked the Prophet about interacting with them.
Allah then revealed a verse to clarify the matter and remove this hardship:
> “They ask you concerning orphans. Say: improvement of their affairs is best. And if you mix with them, they are your brothers.”
> (Qur’an 2:220)
The verse explains that there is **no need for excessive separation**. If interaction with them benefits them, then they should be treated like brothers.
The term **“improvement” (islah)** in the verse is general. It includes:
• managing their wealth wisely
• investing it
• conducting trade on their behalf
• ensuring growth and benefit for them
It also includes **non‑financial care**, such as education, upbringing, and moral guidance.
In this way, the orphan should be treated like a younger sibling whom the older one protects, supports, and cares for with sincerity and compassion—without any greed toward their property.
—
## Another Qur’anic Warning
The Qur’an also uses a realistic social reminder. Those who wrong orphans should remember that they themselves may leave behind weak children who could suffer the same treatment.
Allah says:
> “Let those fear who, if they left behind weak offspring, would fear for them. So let them fear Allah and speak rightly.”
> (Qur’an 4:9)
Imam al‑Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
> “Consuming the wealth of an orphan brings consequences in this world and the next. In this world Allah says: ‘Let those fear who would worry if they left behind weak children.’ And in the Hereafter Allah says: ‘Those who consume the wealth of orphans unjustly are only consuming fire into their bellies.’”
Thus, caring for orphans has worldly effects, and harming them has consequences as well. Every person is vulnerable to death, and their children may become orphans at any moment.
Whoever fears Allah regarding the orphans of others will find others fearing Allah regarding their own children.
—
## A Qur’anic Example
The Qur’an provides an example of this reciprocal care in the story of Moses and al‑Khidr:
> “As for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and beneath it was a treasure belonging to them. Their father had been righteous, so your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure as a mercy from your Lord.”
> (Qur’an 18:82)
Allah protected the treasure of those two orphans because **their father was righteous**. Their father’s righteousness caused divine care to safeguard their wealth until they reached maturity.
This illustrates the principle that **kindness and righteousness toward others are returned by Allah with kindness and protection.**
