It is so easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of Muslim orphans worldwide, which seems to grow by the day with teach worsening humanitarian conflict – Palestine, Syria, China, Myanmar and in so many areas of the world, the number of orphaned children is growing at an alarming rate. But we CANNOT allow ourselves to become desensitized to these growing tragedies. It is our obligation as Muslims to take care of the orphans as we would our own children and parents, as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 215:

Image source: Penny Appeal

Samah Syed, a volunteer with the Rayyan Institute in Toronto, Canada, writes that the way orphans are specifically mentioned in the same line as parents and the kindred means that they are as much of a priority as our immediate families. As formal orphanages did not exist in the Prophetic era and the centuries that immediately followed, the entire community took it upon themselves to care for and raise orphans.

This tradition is what gave rise to the likes of Imam Shafi’i, Imam Bukhari, and Imam Suyuti – all of whom were orphans!

While it may not be feasible today to go out and adopt every orphan we hear about, we should still embody the caretaker spirit towards orphans in our everyday life. There are practical things we can to collectively ease their burden and bring about some stability to their lives. Where can you start?

First things first: Do not volunteer at orphanages abroad! Former orphanage volunteer Anna McKeon very pointedly describes how she was motivated to do good to help “poor orphans” in Thailand, only to realize that she was ill-prepared for the challenges that awaited her, ones that would have been more effectively addressed by social workers and trained staff. Furthermore, her limited stay in the orphanage only perpetuated the orphans’ sense of instability because she had become close to them only to up and disappear from their lives forever – like so many other volunteers before her.

A better alternative is to support organizations already working on the ground with vulnerable children and families, advocating on behalf of their needs, and working to educate and empower them with skills to be independent and self-sufficient. One such organization is Bloom Charity, which works to improve the lives of orphans in Morocco.

That being said, our obligation to help orphans doesn’t just stop at donating money to worthy causes. We have to actively WORK and be involved in the care taking process as well, even if we can’t adopt orphans into our homes ourselves. You can do this by assisting local families who take care of foster youth or orphans and offering them a few hours of your time every week right where you live.

If you don’t know any personally, check out the Muslim Foster Parents group to see if there are families in your area. Anything the family needs help with, try to help, whether it’s bringing groceries, taking the kids out, helping them with homework.

Additionally, set aside some money every month to sponsor an orphan through organizations like Islamic Relief USA or Zakat Foundation of America. They have great programs and orphan sponsorship opportunities. It's the very least we can do. 

The reward for taking care of orphans is nothing short of astounding. According to our Prophet (saw), “The custodian of an orphan and I will be like this on the day of judgment.” He then showed his index and middle finger together with only a slight gap in between (Muslim, narrated by Abu Hurayrah). Remember, the Prophet (saw) himself was an orphan! 

In these difficult times, when we are all in some way struggling to live our lives during this global COVID-19 pandemic, those who are most vulnerable and need our support the most should not be forgotten. Whatever little we have to give by way of our donations and our support from a distance, we should strive to give it. May we all find our own meaningful ways to protect orphans the way the Prophet (saw) did.