Chapter 16 - On Orphans

a man from the Khas'aem tribe went to see the Prophet and said: “O' Prophet of God! What is the highest rank in Islam?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Faith in God.” He asked: “What is next?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Visiting the relations of kin.” He asked: “What is next?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Advising to do what is right and forbidding what is evil.” The man asked: “What is the most despised act near God?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Infidelity”. He asked: “What is next?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Cutting off the relations of kin.” He asked: “What is next?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Advising to what is evil, and forbidding what is right.”

“God will accept the deeds of whoever has an orphan in his house and he feeds and clothes him and does not hit or hurt him.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “Whoever entrusts an orphan with a Muslim couple until the child becomes needless, will certainly go to Heaven.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “Whenever an orphan cries on Earth, God the Almighty says: Who has made this servant of mine who has lost his parents on the Earth cry?” The angels will say: “You are Pure. We do not know anything except for what you have taught us.” God the Almighty says: “I will use you as witnesses that I will please with Heaven whoever pleases this orphan.” Then a man asked the Prophet: “What will please him?” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Caressing his head or feeding him with a date.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “The best Muslim house is one in which an orphan is treated with kindness and the worst Muslim house is one in which an orphan is mistreated.” He then pointed with his fingers and said: “Both me and the guardians of orphans will be in Heaven.”

A man was complaining about his ruthlessness to the Prophet (a.s). The Prophet (a.s) said: “Whenever you want to become soft-hearted feed a poor person and caress an orphan.”

God's Prophet (a.s) said: “God will humiliate whoever humiliates an orphan.”

A man told God's Prophet (a.s): “O' Prophet of God! I am unhappy with my ruthlessness.” The Prophet (a.s) said: “Approach an orphan and caress him, and bring him home and feed him. Then your heart will be softened and you will be able to get what you need.”