BEING THE FOURTH KHUTBAH FOR THE MONTH OF SHAWWAL
DATE: 27/10/1446 AH (25/4/2025)
TOPIC: SHOWING COMPASSION TO ORPHANS, WIDOWS, THE POOR, AND THE WEAK
THE FIRST SERMON
All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help and forgiveness, and repent to Him. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and our bad deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide; and whomever He leaves astray, none can guide. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, and that Muhammad is His servant, Messenger, chosen one, and the trustee of His revelation. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, his family, and his companions—many salutations.
To proceed: O servants of Allah, I advise you and myself to fear Allah, for whoever fears Allah, Allah will protect him and guide him to the best of his religious and worldly matters.
The umbrella of justice in Islam protects the weak, shows kindness to the young, safeguards their rights, and organizes relationships so that no one is oppressed due to weakness or attacked due to inability.
Islam is distinguished by its preservation of the rights of orphans, the poor, and widows, placing them under the safety and care of the Muslim community through both moral and material support. Allah Almighty commanded mercy towards the orphan:
﴿فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ﴾ [الضحى: 9]
“So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].” [Ad-Duhaa: 9]
Orphanhood is a trial and a hardship. An orphan is someone who has lost his father and has not yet reached puberty. After puberty, one is no longer termed an orphan. Hence, the orphan is among the weak and possibly among the helpless, having lost the support of a father who would provide strength and protection, and may have a mother more helpless than he is, needing someone to care for her, protect her honor, and guard her children.
If such individuals are left neglected, with no one to nurture or protect them as a compassionate father or caring guardian would, they may grow up feeling alienated from society, possibly falling into the hands of corrupt influences, becoming tools of destruction or sources of terror, corruption, and moral decay, disturbing the peace of society.
Islam is characterized by preserving the rights of orphans, the poor, and widows, placing them under the safety and care of the Muslim community through both moral and material support. Allah commanded kindness to orphans:
﴿ فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ﴾ [الضحى: 9]
“So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him].” [Ad-Duhaa: 9]
He also commanded to give the poor their rightful share:
﴿ وَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا ﴾ [الإسراء: 26]
“And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully.” [Al-Isra: 26]
To further uphold the rights of the poor and widows, the Prophet ﷺ encouraged the entire Ummah to meet their needs, raising the status of the one who cares for them:
«الساعِي علَى الأرْمَلَةِ والمِسْكِينِ، كالْمُجاهِدِ في سَبيلِ اللهِ، أوِ القائِمِ الليْلَ الصائِمِ النهارَ»
“The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a warrior fighting for Allah’s cause, or like one who fasts during the day and prays all night.” (Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Huraira)
The Prophet ﷺ also encouraged kindness to orphans with the promise of great reward, affirming their right to care:
«أنَا وَكَافِلُ اليتيمِ فِي الجَنةِ كهَاتَيْنِ»
“I and the one who cares for an orphan will be in Paradise like this,” and he held his index and middle fingers together. (Bukhari and Muslim from Sahl ibn Sa’d)
He even encouraged integrating orphans with one’s own children:
«مَنْ ضَمَّ يَتِيمًا بَيْنَ مُسْلِمِينَ فِي طَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابِهِ حَتَّى يَسْتَغْنِيَ عَنْهُ، وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ الْبَتَّةَ»
“Whoever integrates an orphan into his household, feeding and giving him drink until he no longer needs him, Paradise is guaranteed for him.” (Ahmad and Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
The Islamic approach does not view orphans, the poor, and widows as only in need of material support, but as humans deprived of emotional warmth and affection. Hence, the Prophet ﷺ advised his companions to show mercy to the poor and orphans and to ease their suffering. This is evident in his response to a man who complained about the hardness of his heart:
«أتُحِبُّ أنْ يَلِينُ قلبُكَ، وتُدرِكُ حاجتَك؟ ارْحَمِ اليتيمَ وامسَحْ رأسَه، وأطعِمْه مِنْ طعامِك، يَلِنْ قلبَك وتُدرِكْ حاجتَك»
“Would you like your heart to soften and your need to be fulfilled? Show mercy to the orphan, pat his head, and feed him from your food, your heart will soften and your need will be met.” (Ahmad and Al-Bayhaqi – Sahih Al-Jami’, no. 80)
The Qur’an and Orphan Care
Orphans have a significant status in the Qur’an and Sunnah, which emphasize caring for, educating, protecting, and nurturing them, and warn against harming or oppressing them. There are over twenty verses in the Qur’an addressing the rights of orphans:
﴿ وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ… ﴾ [النساء: 36]
“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the needy…” [An-Nisa: 36]
﴿ كَلَّا بَل لَّا تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ . وَلَا تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ ﴾ [الفجر: 17ـ18]
“No! But you do not honor the orphan and you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.” [Al-Fajr: 17-18]
﴿ أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ * فَذَٰلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ ﴾ [الماعون: 1ـ2]
“Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? That is the one who repulses the orphan.” [Al-Ma’un: 1–2]
﴿ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ﴾ [الأنعام: 152]
“Do not approach the orphan’s property except in a way that is best…” [Al-An’am: 152]
﴿ وَآتُوا الْيَتَامَىٰ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ بِالطَّيِّبِ… ﴾ [النساء: 2]
“Give orphans their property and do not substitute the defective [of your own] for the good [of theirs]” [An-Nisa: 2]
﴿ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا ﴾ [النساء: 10]
“Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly are only consuming fire into their bellies…” [An-Nisa: 10]
﴿ وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا ﴾ [الإنسان: 8]
“And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive…” [Al-Insan: 8]
﴿ فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ * أَوْ إِطْعَامٌ فِي يَوْمٍ ذِي مَسْغَبَةٍ * يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ﴾ [البلد: 13-15]
“Freeing a slave, or feeding on a day of hunger an orphan near of kin…” [Al-Balad: 13–15]
The Prophet ﷺ counted consuming orphan wealth among the deadly sins:
«اجْتَنِبُوا السَّبْعَ الْمُوبِقَاتِ… وَأَكْلُ مَالِ الْيَتِيمِ…»
“Avoid the seven destructive sins… [including] consuming the property of an orphan…” (Agreed upon)
He also said:
«اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُحَرِّجُ حَقَّ الضَّعِيفَيْنِ: حَقَّ الْيَتِيمِ، وَحَقَّ الْمَرْأَةِ»
“O Allah! I place the rights of the two weak ones – the orphan and the woman – under Your protection.” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim – Sahih)
THE SECOND SERMON
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the noblest of messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.
Benefits and Rewards of Sponsoring an Orphan
Indeed, hardships have increased, and many people are facing tight circumstances. Among Muslims today, there are numerous orphans, widows, and the poor who do not have enough to sustain themselves. They need even the little that can make life bearable. These are days of need and scarcity. So let every one of us look for an orphan—or multiple orphans—to sponsor. Not only do orphans need us, but we are even more in need of the blessings gained from such acts. Sponsoring orphans brings immense benefits and rewards in both this world and the hereafter:
First: Companionship of the Prophet ﷺ in Paradise
He ﷺ said:
«أنا وكافِلُ اليَتِيمِ في الجَنَّةِ هَكَذا، وأَشارَ بالسَّبَّابَةِ والوُسْطَى، وفَرَّجَ بيْنَهُما شيئًا»
“I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be in Paradise like this,” and he gestured with his index and middle fingers slightly apart. (Bukhari)
Whether the orphan is a relative or a stranger, you will attain this great honor, as stated in another narration:
«كافِلُ اليَتِيمِ، له أوْ لِغَيْرِهِ، أنا وهو كَهاتَيْنِ في الجَنَّةِ»
“The one who sponsors an orphan, whether his own or someone else’s, will be with me in Paradise like these two fingers.” (Muslim)
Second: Softening the Heart and Fulfillment of Needs
It was narrated with a good chain by At-Tabarani from Abu Darda that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ complaining about his hard heart. The Prophet ﷺ said:
«أتحب أن يلين قلبك وتدرك حاجتك؟ ارحم اليتيم، وامسح رأسه، وأطعمه من طعامك؛ يلن قلبك وتدرك حاجتك»
“Would you like your heart to soften and your need to be fulfilled? Show mercy to the orphan, stroke his head, and feed him from your food; your heart will soften and your need will be fulfilled.”
Third: Divine Protection for Your Own Children and Orphans
Allah says:
﴿ وَلْيَخْشَ الَّذِينَ لَوْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّةً ضِعَافًا خَافُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَلْيَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْيَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا ﴾ [النساء: 9]
“And let those [guardians] fear [injustice] as if they [themselves] had left weak offspring behind and feared for them. So let them fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice.” [An-Nisa: 9]
This indicates that reward comes in kind—those who care for orphans will find their own children cared for by Allah.
In conclusion, dear servants of Allah, in our time many forms of business transactions are spread that appear to be profitable on the outside, but in reality, are based on deception and ignorance—sometimes outright fraud. An example of this is what recently happened with the CBEX platform, which deceived many people, leading them to lose their money and fall victim to greed and ignorance.
Islamic law forbids consuming people’s wealth unjustly, including gambling, and warns against all forms of transactions that involve excessive uncertainty or deception. Allah says:
﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴾ [المائدة: 90]
“O you who believe, indeed intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters, and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful.” [Al-Ma’idah: 90]
The Prophet ﷺ said: «مَن غَشَّنا فليس منا»
“Whoever deceives us is not one of us.” (Muslim)
And he said:
«البيعان بالخيار ما لم يتفرقا، فإن صدقا وبيّنا بورك لهما في بيعهما، وإن كتما وكذبا مُحقت بركة بيعهما»
“The buyer and seller have the option [to cancel] until they part. If they speak the truth and clarify [the deal], their transaction will be blessed. But if they lie and conceal [information], the blessing of their transaction will be erased.” (Agreed upon)
The Prophet ﷺ also said:
«الحلال بيِّن، والحرام بيِّن، وبينهما أمور مشتبهات…»
“What is lawful is clear, and what is unlawful is clear, and between them are doubtful matters not known to many…” (Bukhari and Muslim)
So beware, O Muslims, of rushing after quick riches without ensuring the legitimacy of the means. Know that what is with Allah can only be obtained through obedience to Him. Take heed from the CBEX incident and similar schemes. Don’t be deceived by advertisements or empty promises. Be among those whom Allah described:
﴿ وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ﴾ [المائدة: 2]
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” [Al-Ma’idah: 2]
Supplication (Du‘a)
O Allah, grant us lawful sustenance and bless it for us, and keep us away from the unlawful—both what is apparent and what is hidden.
O Allah, grant us safety in our homelands and protect our struggling brothers everywhere. Be with them, not against them. Free the imprisoned among them.
O Allah, grant them victory with the support You promised to the oppressed everywhere.
O Allah, support our oppressed brothers in Palestine and the people of Gaza.
O Allah, supply them with Your endless aid.
O Allah, they are oppressed—so support and grant them a mighty and honorable victory.
O Allah, keep us safe in our lands and support our mujahideen brothers in every land.
Be with them and not against them. Free the detained among them by Your mercy, O Most Merciful.