سورة الضحى

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): فَأَمَّا الْیَتِیمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ [As for the orphan, do not oppress him] means do not wrong him. Here, the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is being addressed, but the intent of the verse is [directed at] the people.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): In Majma' al-Bayan it is reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) used to constantly show kindness and mercy to orphans and enjoined [others to care for] them. In a narration from Abu Awfa it is reported: We were sitting in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) when a young boy came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said, "I am an orphan child, and I have an orphan sister and a widowed mother. Give us of what Allah has given you, so that Allah may bestow upon you from what is with Him until you are pleased." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, "My dear boy! How beautifully you have spoken!" [Then addressing Bilal, he said,] "O Bilal! Bring us whatever we have at home." Bilal [went and] brought twenty-one dates. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) [addressing the boy] said, "Seven dates for you, seven for your sister, and seven for your mother." Mu'adh ibn Jabal went up to that orphan, who was from among the children of the Muhajirun, stroked his head with his hand, and said, "May Allah compensate you for your orphanhood and make you a righteous successor to your father." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said, "O Mu'adh! I saw you and what you did [what motivated you to do this]?" Mu'adh said, "I felt compassion and kindness for him." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, "Whoever among you takes on the guardianship of an orphan and fulfills its right well and strokes his hand over the orphan's head, Allah writes for him a good deed for every hair [on that orphan's head], erases a sin for every hair, and raises him by a degree for every hair."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): There is no servant of Allah who strokes his hand upon the head of an orphan out of compassion except that Allah grants him a light on the Day of Resurrection for every strand of hair [that passed under his hand].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): I and the guardian of an orphan are like these two (while pointing with his fingers) in Paradise, on the condition that the guardian of the orphan has fear of Allah.