There are many verses in the Noble Quran and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that explain why we should show love and compassion towards children that have been orphaned. These verses and sayings are also clear on making sure that the rights, dignity and property of orphans are ensured, respected and maintained in their best interests.
"Treat not the orphan with harshness," (Ad-Duha 93: 9)Creating a sense of responsibility towards orphans, Almighty Allah says:
"They ask you, (O Muhammad), what they shall spend. Say: that which you spend for good (must go) to parents and near kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer. And whatsoever good you do, lo! Allah is Aware of it." (Al-Baqarah 2: 215)
The affinity between the orphan and the Prophet(peace and blessings be upon him)is expressed with great clarity in the following hadith:
"I, and the one who looks after an orphan, will be together like this in the next world", then he (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his index and middle fingers together. (Muslim)
Let us take a closer look at what a child experiences when a parent passes away. In most cases the lives of children are immediately characterized by economic hardship, withdrawal from school, psychological distress, loss of family possessions and inheritance. Moreover, they become vulnerable and open to abuse, malnutrition and illness, stigma, discrimination and isolation. These characteristics are faced by children where there is no occupation, war, or any natural disaster in the country where they live.
Countries having relative peace and security now have a new enemy that is causing silent devastation and is destroying the future of young children. This enemy is the AIDS pandemic that kills 1000 people every day in South Africa alone and which has already killed 34 million people worldwide.
In 2005, the UN estimated that there were 1.2 million children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa. Many children are born HIV positive. Others are left in sole charge of their families when their parents die. The impact on the welfare of poverty stricken AIDS-affected children is huge.
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